Nueva Cádiz facts for kids
.jpg)
Nueva Cádiz was an important early Spanish town in the Americas. It was located on Cubagua Island, near the coast of Venezuela. First, it was a place where people stayed only part of the year, starting around 1500. By 1515, it became a permanent town. In 1528, it was officially named Nueva Cádiz and became a city. This made it one of the very first European settlements in the Americas.
Contents
History of Nueva Cádiz
Early Settlement and Pearl Fishing
Around 1502, small camps called rancherías were set up on Cubagua Island. People stayed there for about three to four months each year to trade. The island was very popular because it had many pearl oyster beds. These beds were full of valuable pearls.
Over time, more people stayed on the island permanently. By 1520, after a big local uprising, more than 300 people lived there. On September 12, 1528, King Charles V officially made Nueva Cádiz a city. This made it the first Spanish city in South America.
Growth and Decline of the City
By 1530, Nueva Cádiz had about 223 Europeans and 700 native people living there. At its busiest time, around 1535, more than 1500 people lived in the city.
However, the pearl oyster beds started to run out. This meant there were fewer pearls to find. The Spanish then decided to limit how many pearls could be collected. Also, new pearl beds were found in another area called the Guajira Peninsula. These two things caused Nueva Cádiz to become less important.
By 1539, fewer than 50 people were left on Cubagua Island. In 1541, a strong hurricane hit the island and destroyed the remaining buildings. After this, the city was completely left empty.
Nueva Cádiz Today
Today, the remains of Nueva Cádiz are partly underwater. In 1979, these ruins were declared a National Monument of Venezuela.
During the 1950s and 1960s, an archaeologist named José María Cruxent studied the area. He wrote books about Nueva Cádiz, sharing what he found. The Museo de Nueva Cádiz in La Asunción displays many old items found at the site.
See also
In Spanish: Nueva Cádiz para niños
