name	Margarita
image name	Nueva Esparta Mapa Vial.svg
image caption	Location of Margarita Island in Nueva Esparta
locator map
map caption	Isla Margarita (Venezuela)
native name	''Isla Margarita''
native name link	Spanish language
nickname	''Pearl of the Caribbean''
location	Caribbean Sea
coordinates
area km2	1020
length km	78
width km	20
highest mount	San Juan or Cerro Grande
elevation m	920
country	Venezuela
country admin divisions title	State
country admin divisions	Nueva Esparta
country largest city	Porlamar
country largest city population	85,000
population	436,900
density km2	411.76
additional info	}}

Margarita Island () is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river valley of the same name in Margarita Island. Primary industries are tourism, fishing and construction. The population of the state is about 440,000.

History

In 1498, Christopher Columbus became the first European to arrive at Margarita Island. The local natives, named Guaiqueries, received the conquering Spaniards with open arms unaware that they later would become slaves of their own wealth. Pearls represented almost a third of all New World tribute to the Spanish Crown. Margarita Island had to be fortified against the increasing threat of pirate attacks, and several of these fortifications remain today. In 1561, the island was seized by Lope de Aguirre, a notoriously violent and rebellious conquistador who held the islanders in a grip of terror until he returned to the mainland in an attempt to take Panama from the Spanish crown.

In 1814, the islanders fought successfully for independence from the Spanish after the collapse of the First Republic of Venezuela. Margarita Island became the first, permanently free territory in Venezuela. That same year, Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi was detained for over three years in a dark dungeon where she was harassed and abused. The authorities were hoping to put pressure on her husband Juan Bautista Arismendi, who was fighting for independence. It was on Margarita Island that Simón Bolívar was confirmed as Commander in Chief of the Venezuelan Republic in 1816. From there he started a nine-year campaign to free Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia from the Spanish Crown.

Geography

Located in the Caribbean Sea between latitudes 10°52'N and 11°11'N and longitudes 63°48'W and 64°23'W, it belongs to the State of Nueva Esparta which also comprises the islands of Coche and Cubagua. The island is formed by two peninsulas joined by an isthmus. It covers an area of 1,020 km². It splits into two sections linked by an 18-km (11-mi) spit of sand. It is 78 km long and its widest side measures roughly 20 km. The climate is very sunny and dry with temperatures from 24 to 37°C.

Most of the island's 420,000 residents live in the more developed eastern part, especially in the city of Porlamar and adjoining city of Pampatar. Others are found in the much smaller city of La Asunción, the capital of the region or Juan Griego. Direct flights from Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, as well as scheduled or charter flights from a number of North American and European cities, ferries from Puerto La Cruz, Cumaná, and La Guaira also travel to the island.

The Macanao peninsula to the west has a central mountain range in the east-west direction. The highest altitude is 760 m at Pico de Macanao. Several smaller ranges derive from this axis following a north-south orientation with deep valleys between them. The most notable of these valleys is San Francisco in the north-central part of the peninsula. The Paraguachoa peninsula to the East is formed by a mountain range in the north-south direction from Porlamar to Cabo Negro. The highest peaks are San Juan or Cerro Grande (920 m) and El Copey (890 m). Both peninsulas are connected by La Restinga, an isthmus of low altitude with a lagoon called La Restinga, where there are two breast shaped hills known as Tetas de Maria Guevara.

Main Cities

Porlamar

The biggest city on Margarita island is Porlamar, known for its commercial center; it flourishes with shops and good restaurants. About 85,000 people live there during the low season in Porlamar; about 125,000, in the high season. It has two city beaches.

Pampatar

Is one of the largest towns on the island . Pampatar has around 50,000 citizens in its greater area. Most of the larger shopping malls are in its Jurisdiction: Sambil Margarita, Rattan Depot, Centro Comercial AB (Avenida Bolivar), and La Redoma. It has several beaches. It is the seat of the Castillo San Carlos Borromeo constructed approximately from 1664 to 1684.

La Asunción

La Asunción is the capital of the Federal State of Nueva Esparta with about 25,000 citizens. It is the seat of the regional government. The city is overlooked by a splendful castle, Santa Rosa Castle of La Asunción

Juan Griego

Juan Griego is a city of around 45,000 people, it has small shopping centres and beaches. La Galera is a fortress not far off the city centre, where, in the early 1820s, a fierce battle for independence was fought.

Tourism

In recent years crime (see Crime section) has increased sharply on the Island in line with a soaring crime rate in Venezuela generally since Chávez came to power in 1999. In 2011 three tourists were murdered in separate robberies and armed gangs can occupy and rob entire hotels. Tour operators have pulled out of Margarita, notably First Choice, and there are now no direct or chartered flights, so it is necessary to fly to Caracas first on a scheduled flight and then on to Margarita. International tourism fell 50% in 2011 compared to 2010.

Margarita Island can usually be reached by ferry or by airplane, as the ''Santiago Mariño'' International Airport is located 25 kilometers away from the city of Porlamar. Its status as a duty-free port and proximity to the mainland make it one of the top vacation spots for Venezuelans. Vacationers crowd the island especially during Christmas time, Easter week, and from July to mid-September. Venezuelan tourists come on shopping sprees; whiskey, cheese, chocolate, and electrical appliances, are among the goods that can be purchased less expensively than on the mainland. It's also the most wanted shopping location of all Venezuela. The city of Pampatar has the biggest malls in the island, including the sambil mall, one of the biggest in Venezuela, with 250 stores of luxury shopping and low-cost shopping.

There are at least 50 unique and magnificent margarita beaches which are scattered along 106 miles of coastline. Its location as an island in the Caribbean sea offers lots of beaches to explore which range from crowded to solitary and most of them virgin. Playa El Agua, in the north, is the most popular with 4 km of fine sand. Playa El Yaque is internationally known as an excellent location for windsurfing. Playa Parguito, Playa Caribe, and Playa Punta Arenas are also popular beaches. Many resorts cater to the international, Caribbean-loving crowd, especially from European countries. The beach of Playa Puerto Cruz is one of the most popular with tourists.

The island is undeveloped compared with Aruba and Curacao.

Population

The demonym for the islanders is ''Margariteños/as'' and ''neoespartanos/as''. Foreign nationalities living on the island include Lebanese, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Argentine, Chilean, Uruguayan, Colombian, and Chinese. Immigrants from mainland Venezuela are colloquially called ''navegaos'' on the island.

La Asunción is the political capital, but the largest city is Porlamar, which has a little less than 25% of the neoespartanian population, and more than 1/4 of Margaritan population. Margarita's population is over 400,000 inhabitants., Although this tends to fluctuate during holiday periods or holiday and festive season when, according to the 2007 Regional News Telecaribe, reached about 200,000 visitors, mostly from the central and west of the country.

Crime

Crime on Margarita island is currently very high, having soared nationally since 1999 when Chávez came to power. The murder rate index for the island (population about 400,000) in 2008 is reported as 63.1 per 100,000 inhabitants which is among the highest in the world and can be contrasted with a rate of 1.26 for the UK in the same year. House robberies by armed gangs are reported as widespread. On 20th January 2012 about 30 or 35 Brazilian tourists were robbed in their hotel in Antolin del Campo, Margarita, by a gang of between 13 and 15 armed robbers.

In 2011 there have been at least three tourist murders on Margarita. On 18 July 2011, Tom Ossel, 28, was shot dead in a robbery after four men and three women burst into the hotel Casa Rosa in Playa El Agua, Margarita where he was staying. French tourist Francés Yves Le Bras was murdered in a robbery on 29 March 2011 at hotel Laguna Mar in Margarita while he and his wife dined at the restaurant Guacuco. Belgian tourist Bonne Philippe was also murdered in March 2011 while eating in a fast food outlet in Playa El Agua, Margarita. On 27 August 2010 an Italian, Emiliano Astore, was murdered on his boat anchored off Margarita Island in an apparent robbery. Two police officers and a civilian were arrested. A third officer was implicated in the "exploitation of objects" from the crime.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns that street crime in Venezuela is high, and that armed muggings and 'express kidnappings' - opportunistic abductions to extort money from someone - are regular occurrences.

Before 1998 Venezuela was a pirate free country, but since the beginning of the political difficulties the picture has changed, and there have been 38 registered attacks, with about ten of them at or near Margarita. Venezuela is now listed as a dangerous region for pirate attacks and in many regions, including between Margarita and Sucre, sailors should not anchor and yachts should sail in company.

Religion

On the island the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Other Christian denominations are also present. Of the churches that present in the Neospartan entity, among the most important are: Basílica de la Virgen del Valle (in the Valley of the Espíritu Santo), Cathedral of La Asunción, Iglesia San Juan Evangelista (en Juangriego), Iglesia parroquial de San Juan (en San Juan Bautista), Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari (Porlamar), of the San José de Paraguachi and other churches and chapels minor located in populations of Santa Ana, Punta de Piedras, Porlamar, Pampatar and virtually all the towns of the island. There are also small populations of Jews and Muslims.

Evangelical Christian churches have had a significant growth in recent years demonstrating their presence and impact in the population of the island. One of the fastest-growing is the Centro Cristiano Casa de Alabanza (CCCA), present in Porlamar, Juan Griego, La Asunción and Tubores Municipality.

The patron of eastern Venezuela is the Virgen del Valle and in the population El Valle del Espíritu Santo is the Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora del Valle, which approaching Margarita, Coche and Cubagua Islanders visit to honor her on her feast day .

Natural Heritage

Las Tetas de María Guevara (the tits of Maria Guevara)

The island has several natural monuments as ''Las Tetas de Maria Guevara'' located in a coastal plain at south of the Laguna de La Restinga National Park. This area covers an area of 1,670 ha. This natural monument are two small twin hills have a height of 135 meters, stand out as a flat area on the island. Can be taken as a landmark of Nueva Esparta State. The vegetation is desert, with cacti, prickly pears, yaks, Dividive and guamaches, its fauna is diverse, but being there live desert lizards, rabbits and rattlesnakes and coral.

For the rounded shape of these hills twins the light makes it look like they were two women's breasts and this fact so popular that name was placed. The inhabitants of the island by way of legend has it that the name «María Guevara» comes from a mestiza young girl who was heavily involved in the War of Independence and his death that these two hills rose on his grave. One other Margaritan myth, says his name is because of this same woman but that was from Cumana and with small breasts who comes to the island to lead a group of men in fishing activities. This by way of derision whenever they sighted the hills said, "there are the lady's tits." So gradually the name was created. This area was declared a national park on February 27, 1974.

Most important beaches

{| | valign="top" |

La Pared Beach

Puerto Cruz

El Humo Beach

Puerto Viejo Beach

| valign="top" |

La Restinga Beach

Juan Griego Beach

La Punta del Guamache (Paraíso Beach)

El Yaque Beach

| valign="top" |

El Agua Beach

Parguito Beach

Guacuco Beach

El Tirano Beach

| valign="top" |

La Galera Beach

Caribe Beach

Manzanillo Beach

Zaragoza Beach

|}

References

External links

Isla de Margarita - Government Site

Casa Perla B&B; El Yaque Isla Margarita

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