United States of Venezuela

United States of Venezuela
Estados Unidos de Venezuela
1864–1953
Coat of Arms of Venezuela (1871)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto
Spanish: 'Dios y Federación' ("God and Federation")
Anthem
Gloria al Bravo Pueblo ("Glory to the Brave People") (since 1881)
Capital Caracas
Languages Spanish
Religion Freedom of religion
Government Republic
Legislature Unicameral Congress
Historical era Mid 19th - Mid 20th centuries
 •  Established 1864
 •  Disestablished 1953
Currency Venezuelan peso (until 1871)
Venezolano (1871 – 1879)
Venezuelan bolívar (since 1879)
Preceded by 		Succeeded by
State of Venezuela
Republic of Venezuela
Demonym: Venezolano (male), Venezolana (female)
Warning: Value not specified for "common_name"

The United States of Venezuela (Spanish: Estados Unidos de Venezuela) was the official name of Venezuela, adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitution of that year renamed it the Republic of Venezuela.

Flag

Main article: Flag of Venezuela

The United States of Venezuela used three official flags in its time:

1863 – 1905
Decree of Juan Crisóstomo Falcón 
1905 – 1930
Decree of Cipriano Castro 
1930 – 1954
Decree of Juan Vicente Gómez 

History

Main article: History of Venezuela

Original name

From 1830 to 1857 the official name of the country was Spanish: Estado de Venezuela ("State of Venezuela").[1] The 1858 constitution gave it the official name Spanish: República de Venezuela ("Republic of Venezuela").[2] After the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) won power in the Federal War it called for a constitutional convention, to establish the constitution on federal principles. On 28 March 1864, members of the convention met in Caracas to sign it. President Falcón ordered its publication and circulation on 13 April, and on 22 April it was finally ratified by the Ministers of the Interior and Justice, Finance, Development, and War and Sea.[3]

Change of name

The 1953 constitution included a transitional provision to change the official name from Estados Unidos de Venezuela ("United States of Venezuela") to República de Venezuela ("Republic of Venezuela").[4] The next constitution, of 1961, confirmed the new name.[5]

Geography

Borders

Map of Venezuela by L. Robelin (1890)

The 1864 constitution established the borders of the United States of Venezuela to be the same of those of the 1810 Captaincy General of Venezuela.[3] This statement has been preserved throughout subsequent constitutions.

Because of long-running territorial dispute between the United States of Venezuela and the United Kingdom over Guayana Esequiba several countries called for an international court of justice to settle the matter, which was held in Paris in 1899, and ruled in the UK's favour. From 1900 to 1905, Venezuela participated in the Joint Committee of the British-Venezuelan Border for the final demarcation between the two countries, which was signed in September 1907. In 1932, Juan Vicente Gómez agreed a point on the summit of Mount Roraima as the three-way boundary between Brazil, British Guiana and Venezuela.

In 1941 President Eleazar López Contreras and the Colombian President signed the Tratado de Límites de 1941 entre Colombia and Venezuela, the border treaty between the two countries, which ceded 108,000 square kilometres (42,000 square miles) of territory to Colombia.

Subdivisions

1864

The 1864 constitution gave these former provinces the status as states:

It was stated that the boundaries would remain as in 1856.[3]

1881

The 1881 constitution merged the states created in 1864 into eight, larger states:[6]

1891

The 1891 constitution established new state boundaries:[7]

1901

The 1901 constitution established new divisions of the states:[8]

1904

New division of territory:[9]

1909

Another division of territory, and new names for some of the states:[10]

1925

Creation of the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela (Spanish: Dependencias federales), shore islands belonging to Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Venezuela.

However, Margarita Island (Spanish: Isla Margarita or Isla de Margarita) became part of the State of Nueva Esparta.[11]

1928

Coche Island (Spanish: Isla de Coche) was incorporated into the State of Nueva Esparta. [12]

Minor changes under Juan V. Gòmez.

1947

the state of Zamora was renamed to Barinas and the island of Cubagua (Spanish: Isla de Cubagua) was incorporated into Nueva Esparta. [13]

Politics and government

Constitutions

After the 1864 Constitution of the United States of Venezuela, there were several revisions under different governments.

These were in 1874, 1881, 1891, 1893–94, 1901, 1909, 1914, 1922, 1925, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1945.

After a Decree of the Revolutionary Government, the constitution was revised further in 1947 and 1953.

Presidents

Legend: Partido Liberal Military dictatorship Independent Partido Democrático Acción Democrática
PresidentTime in OfficeMeans of AppointmentTitle
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón1863 – 1865Victory in the Federal War (first term)General
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón1865 – April 1868Indirect election (second term)General
Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual1868 – 1868President-electsoldier
Guillermo Tell Villegas 1868 – 1869President-electLawyer and soldier
José Ruperto Monagas1869 – 1870RevolutionGeneral
Guillermo Tell Villegas1870President-electLawyer and soldier
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1870 – 1877Revolution (first term)Lawyer and General
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1870 – 1877Indirect election (second term)Lawyer and General
Francisco Linares Alcántara1877 – 1878Indirect electionGeneral
José Gregorio Varela1878 – 1878President-elect by CongressSoldier and politician
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1879 – 1880Election by the Federal StatesLawyer and General
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1880 – 1882Election by the Federal StatesLawyer and General
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1882 – 1884Election by the Federal StatesLawyer and General
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo1884 – 1886Election by the Federal StatesGeneral
Antonio Guzmán Blanco1886 – 1887Election by the Federal StatesLawyer and General
Hermógenes López1887 – 1888Interim PresidentGeneral
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl1888 – 1890Election by the Federal StatesLawyer
Raimundo Andueza Palacio1890 – 1892Election by the Federal StatesLawyer
Guillermo Tell Villegas1892 – 1892Interim PresidentLawyer and soldier
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo1892 – 1894RevolutionGeneral
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo1894 – 1898RevolutionGeneral
Ignacio Andrade1898-1899Direct electionPolitician
Cipriano Castro Ruiz1899-1908RevolutionGeneral
Juan Vicente Gómez1908 – 1914Coup d'etatGeneral
Victorino Márquez Bustillos1915 – 1922President-electLawyer/politician
Juan Vicente Gómez1922 – 1929Election by the National CongressGeneral
Juan Bautista Pérez30 May 1929 – 13 June 1931Election by the National CongressLawyer/judge
Juan Vicente Gómez1931 – 1935Election by the National CongressGeneral
Eleazar López Contreras1935 – 1936Interim president (first term)General
Eleazar López Contreras1936 – 1941Indirect election (second term)General
Isaías Medina Angarita1941 – 1945Indirect electionGeneral
Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello1945 – 1948Coup d'etatPolitician
Rómulo Gallegos reire1948 – 1948Direct electionWriter/Novelist
Carlos Delgado Chalbaud 1948 – 1950Golpe de EstadoSoldier
Germán Suárez Flamerich1950 – 1952Interim PresidentLawyer
Marcos Pérez Jiménez1952-1958Coup d'etat (election declared invalid)Soldier

References

  1. ↑ "Constitución del Estado de Venezuela de 1830". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Constitución de 1858". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  3. 1 2 3 "Constitución de 1864". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ "Constitución de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela de 1953". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  5. ↑ "Constitución de la República de Venezuela de 1961". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ "Constitución de 1881". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  7. ↑ "Constitución de 1891". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "Constitución de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela de 1918". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  9. ↑ "Constitución de 1904". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ "Constitución de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela de 1909". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  11. ↑ "Constitución de 1925". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ "Constitución de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela de 1928". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
  13. ↑ "Constitución de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela de 1947". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). |section= ignored (help)
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