Caracas is notorious for having the world’s highest murder rate per capita according to the World Atlas. As much as 98% of violent crimes in Venezuela’s capital city go unresolved, resulting in travel warnings to potential visitors to Caracas from the United States and other nations.
Venezuela placed among the top 80 countries in global trade of products during 2019, shipping an estimated US$16.3 billion worth of goods down from $38.5 billion 5 years earlier. According to the International Trade Centre, Venezuela’s highest-value exports are crude oil (about 85% of Venezuela’s total exports) and refined petroleum oils (5%).
Capital Facts for Caracas, Venezuela: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Caracas Mosque (Mosque Ibrahim Ibin Abdul Aziz Al-Ibrahim), The National Pantheon (Panteon Nacional) and the University City of Caracas (Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas)
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Caracas, Venezuela:
- Nicolás Maduro, president (born Nov. 23, 1962)
- Lorenzo Mendoza, billionaire & Empresas Polar CEO (born Oct. 5, 1965)
- Freddy Garcia, professional baseball pitcher (born Oct. 6, 1976)
- Irene Sáez, politician & former Miss Universe (born Dec. 13, 1961)
- Omar Vizquel, professional baseball shortstop (born Apr. 24, 1967)
- Franco De Vita, singer-songwriter (born Jan. 23, 1954)
- Eglantina Zingg, entrepreneur (born Apr. 22, 1981)
- Alfredo Sadel, singer & actor (born Feb. 22, 1930)
- Diego Arria, politician & diplomat (born Oct. 8, 1938)
- Eleonora ‘Lele’ Pons, internet personality (born Jun. 25, 1996)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Caracas resident: Caraquenian
Population: 2,938,992 (Caracas) at June 2020
Density for Caracas: 17,606 people per square mile (6,788 per square kilometer)
Population: 28,440,062 people (Venezuela) at June 11, 2020
Density for Venezuela overall: 83 people per square mile (32 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Venezuelans: 29.6 years old
Financial
GDP: US$51.8 billion in 2014 (Caracas city)
GDP per person: $15,890
Note: The above GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars.
Official currency used in Caracas: Bolívar fuerte (often called Venezuelan bolivars)
Venezuelan bolivars depreciated at the world’s fastest rate starting in 2016, fanning global fears about crushing inflation.
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, South America: Venezuela.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Official Website, Caracas, Venezuela (Embassy of the United States).
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Capital Districts and Territories.
Wikipedia, Caracas.
Wikipedia, Metropolitan Region of Caracas.
Wikipedia, Venezuela.
World Atlas, Most Dangerous Cities in the World.
WorldOMeter, Venezuela Population
Venezuela won its independence from Spain on July 1, 1811. Venezuelans celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each July 5.
Caracas city limits border an area measuring 300 square miles (777 square kilometers), within which 2.9 million people live as of June 2020.
Greater Caracas, also called the Metropolitan Region of Caracas, refers to the urbanized geography which includes the Metropolitan District of Caracas plus the adjacent 11 municipalities throughout the Venezuelan states named Miranda and Vargas. Greater Caracas extends over a total area which spans 1,821 square miles (4,715 square kilometers).
At the country level, Venezuela’s land area covers 340,561 square miles (882,050 square kilometers). The national population count was 28.44 million inhabitants as of June 11, 2020.
Population density is much more concentrated within Venezuela’s capital city limits, featuring an average 17,606 Caraquenians per square mile (6,788 per square kilometer). For Venezuela overall, population density dilutes to an average 83 inhabitants per square mile (32 per square kilometer).
Venezuela’s currency depreciated at the world’s fastest rate against the U.S. dollar starting in 2016, stoking global fears about crushing inflation.
