El Tocuyo
Venezuela
Founded on 7 December 1545 by the Spanish official Juan de Carvajal, El Tocuyo served as the administrative capital of Venezuela Province from 1546 to 1548 and functioned as a base from which expeditions set out to found other cities across the region. This town in Lara State sits in a fertile valley along the Tocuyo River, with mountains close by, and the surrounding agricultural land — long devoted to sugar cane and now largely given over to tomatoes, onions, chiles, and potatoes — reflects a history of cultivation stretching back to the pre-colonial Gayones people.
- Population74,829
- Nearest water1.4 km
- Nearest mountain5.0 km