Mérida (state)

Mérida State Estado Mérida
—  State  —
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Mérida State Anthem
Location within Venezuela
Country	Venezuela
Created	1864
Capital	Mérida
Government
– Governor	Marcos Diaz Orellana (2008–present)
Area
– Total	11,300 km2 (4,363 sq mi)
Area rank	15th
	1.23% of Venezuela
Population (2007 est.)
– Total	843,800
– Rank	14th
	3,1% of Venezuela
Time zone	UTC-04:30
ISO 3166 code	VE-L
Emblematic tree	Bucare ceibo (Erythrina poeppigiana)
Website	merida.com.ve

Mérida State (Spanish: Estado Mérida, IPA: [esˈtaðo ˈmeɾiða]) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Mérida.

Mérida State covers a total surface area of 11,300 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 843,800.

Climate and Vegetation

The countryside in Mérida

The climate is cold but in the relatively small area of Mérida state, there are usually several dramatic climatic changes that occur daily. The climate in Mérida city is between 19 °C and 20 °C, temperatures between 5 °C and 9 °C at El Bolivar Peak, or below zero when it snows and 28 °C in the El Vigía area. Its rains almost every late afternoon in January–February that is the coldest months an August–September and in August and September it often rains at night. The vegetation is exuberant and there are many lakes and rivers, a great number of which are well stocked with trout, one of the delicacies of Mérida. The most important river in the state is the "Chama" because a large part of the water resources of Venezuela originates in the Mérida mountains. The state tree is the "Bucare" and the state flower is the "Frailejón" and in the "Coloradito" is found the tree at the highest altitude in the world. In this mountains habitat the "Oso Frontino" bear and the majestic Condor flies through the skies of the páramos and in the lagoons there are many trout.

Municipalities and municipal seats

The countryside in Mérida

1. Alberto Adriani (El Vigía)
2. Andrés Bello (La Azulita)
3. Antonio Pinto Salinas (Santa Cruz de Mora)
4. Aricagua (Aricagua)
5. Arzobispo Chacón (Canagua)
6. Campo Elías (Ejido)
7. Caracciolo Parra Olmedo (Tucaní)
8. Cardenal Quintero (Santo Domingo)
9. Guaraque (Guaraque)
10. Julio César Salas (Arapuey)
11. Justo Briceño (Torondoy)
12. Libertador (Mérida)
13. Miranda (Timotes)
14. Obispo Ramos de Lora (Santa Elena de Arenales)
15. Padre Noguera (Santa María de Caparo)
16. Pueblo Llano (Pueblo Llano)
17. Rangel (Mucuchíes)
18. Rivas Dávila (Bailadores)
19. Santos Marquina (Tabay)
20. Sucre (Lagunillas)
21. Tovar (Tovar)
22. Tulio Febres Cordero (Nueva Bolivia)
23. Zea (Zea)

See also

• States of Venezuela
• Nevado
• Merida glaciation
• Sierra Nevada de Merida
• Los Aleros theme park

External links

• Government of Mérida State (in Spanish)