Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Ciudad Guayana
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quizzes
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
Quick Facts
Formerly:
Santo Tomé De Guayana
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Ciudad Guayana

Venezuela
Also known as: Guayana City, Santo Tomé de Guayana
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Ciudad Guayana, city and industrial port complex, northeastern BolĂ­var estado (state), Venezuela, at the confluence of the CaronĂ­ and Orinoco rivers in the Guiana Highlands. Taking its name from the Guiana (Guayana) region, the traditional designation of BolĂ­var state, it was founded by the state assembly in 1961, uniting Puerto Ordaz (the hub of the complex, 67 miles [108 km] east of Ciudad BolĂ­var), San FĂ©lix (a port on the CaronĂ­), Matanzas (a steel centre), Caruachi, Castillito (the “iron zone,” which includes El Pao, Cerro BolĂ­var, San Isidro, PalĂșa, and Ciudad Piar), El Callao gold mines, and the Macagua and Guri dams and hydroelectric plants on the CaronĂ­.

The area was first claimed for Spain by the explorer Diego de Ordaz (1532). The original settlement of Santo Tomé de Guayana was founded (1576) on the Chirica tableland, where the Republicans in the war for independence defeated Spanish Royalists at the Battle of San Félix (1817).

Ciudad Guayana was planned to accommodate separate residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial sectors, with facilities for expansion over an area with a 100-mile (160-km) radius. In addition, 550 acres (223 hectares) between the great falls of the CaronĂ­ and the Macagua Dam were designated a natural park. The complex is administered by the CorporaciĂłn Venezolana de Guayana (CVG), an economic planning commission established in 1960.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Britannica Quiz
Guess the City by Its River Quiz

The Angostura Bridge (completed 1967) across the Orinoco at Ciudad BolĂ­var (67 miles west of Ciudad Guayana) is an important link between the Guiana region and the rest of the country. Ciudad Guayana also has forestry, diamond mining, refractory brick, and paper and pulp enterprises and has attracted numerous small industries. Pop. (2001) 619,784; (2011) 672,651.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy McKenna.