People and Culture

Caracas, with an urban population near 5 million, stands as Venezuela’s largest city. While the growth rates in the center are not extremely high, the greater Caracas area is expected to have 6.5 million people within the next few decades. Caraqueños have a life expectancy of 73 yrs. This is surprising considering the average population density in the “barrios” of Caracas, which has grown to 24,000 people per km² and considering that most of Caracas' inhabitants live in its "barrios" (squatter settlements). Many different groups of people comprise the total population. The Mestizo population, people with European and indigenous ancestry, account for 67% population, while 21% is of European descent, 10% is of African descent, and 2% is indigenous. There are  also approximately 200,000 Amerindians, remnants of a number of diverse semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer societies. About 85% of the population live in urban areas in the northern portion of the country. While almost half of Venezuela's land area lies south of the Orinoco river, this region contains only 5% of the population.

Religion

Christianity is the dominant religion in Caracas, as well as the rest of Venezuela. The predominant denomination, Roman Catholicism, is claimed by 96% of the population. The Protestant denomination has little room for influence in Caracas, encompassing only 2% of the population. The remaining 2% of the population is made up of Muslims, Hindus, and Jews. Venezuela, like most of South America, was colonized by Spain. It is no surprise that Spanish is by far the predominant language of the country and city. Few indigenous dialects, however, can still be found.

With a strong Roman Catholic influence, Caracas is full of religious architecture. To name a few...

Iglesia de San Francisco
Designed in 1593, St. Francis Church holds many richly gilded altars and is one of the best remaining examples of colonial architecture in Caracas. St. Francis Church was also the site of Simon Bolívar's funeral.

El Catedral de Caracas
Houses an impressive art collection inspired by religious themes. Completed in 1674, the Cathedral of Caracas is the only church in the city whose original colonial facade is unaltered.

National Pantheon
Venezuelans take pride in their national hero. The ashes of Simon Bolivar, as well as numerous important Venezulan officials, are kept in this national cemetery.