Barlovento is a sub-region ofMiranda state,Venezuela. DuringSpanish colonization of the Americas, Barlovento was developed as estate owners foundedcacaohaciendas. The work on the estates was done by African slaves brought from what is now theRepublic of the Congo,Democratic Republic of the Congo andAngola. These people were from theKingdom of Kongo andKingdom of Loango. There were alsoYoruba slaves.
The culture of African and Spanish inhabitants has merged into the "drum dancing", Barlovento's typicalAfro-Venezuelan celebration. This occurs particularly at the time of the feast of San Juan. Other events include theEntierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) andDay of the Dead. Asyncretism has occurred whereCatholic saints represent traditional African deities.
"Barlovento" is aSpanish word meaning "windward".[1] This is due to the wind coming from Barlovento to the south of the region, where it brings heavy rain, then returning to the coast to cross the Caribbean and theAtlantic Ocean, bringing rain to theCanary Islands.[citation needed]
Barlovento lies near the coast of Venezuela which forms the northern aspect ofSouth America. It is located between the parallels 10 ° and 11 °, north latitude and the meridians 65 ° and 67 °, longitude west.[2] Caracas is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the east.[3]
To the north is theCaribbean Sea. To the east is the Caribbean Sea andAnzoátegui State. To the south is Serranía del Interior, Anzoátegui state andGuárico state. To the west is Caracas and Serranía de la Costa of the Cordillera de la Costa,Vargas State and other municipalities of the Miranda State.
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Barlovento has an area of 4,647 square kilometres. It covers 58 percent of Miranda state. The Barlovento region lies within the Barlovento depression in the northern coastal region.[4] Its terrain is ranges from the mountains of Caucagua to the beaches of Higuerote and Río Chico.
The exploration of the Plain of Barlovento, which forms the base of the Barlovento depression, was documented by Jesus A. Silva I.[5] It lies between theValles del Tuy to the east andAnzoátegui state to the west. To the south is theGuárico state. To the north and northeast is Mirandize state. This northern area is rich inlimestone. It is formed by deposits from the rivers from theSerranía del Interior mountains in the central region of theCordillera de la Costa.
Among the slopes of the Serranía del Interior are grottoes, caves and caverns. An example isLa Tapa de Cambrai near Birongo.[6] It was discovered by a poacher in 1934 and explored on 9 March 1952 by the Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences.[7]
Many rivers cross the Plain of Barlovento. The deposition ofsediment has allowed the formation of oilfields betweenValles del Tuy and Cariaco.
Between 1576 and 1810 about 100,000 African people were brought to Venezuela in theslave trade. In Barlovento, the slaves were forced to work oncocoa haciendas of which there were about 4,000.[8] In 1924, the Barlovento and Paria regions grew eighty percent of Venezuela's 20,000 ton cocoa export.[9] Escaped slaves made small hidden communities in Barlovento calledcumbes.[10]
Towns in the region includeCaucagua,Capaya,Río Chico,El Guapo,Higuerote,Panaquire,Tapipa,El Clavo,Curiepe, Birongo,Tacarigua de Brión,San José de Barlovento andCúpira.
Acevedo is the largest, and westernmost, town in the Barlovento region, with estimated population is 150,281. Andrés Bello has a population of 59,342 and the third most rapid commercial growth after Higuerote and Río Chico.Brión Municipality has the fastest growth of the Barlovento region, with an estimated population of 78,940. Buroz has a fairly stable population of 38,945. It has conserved colonial houses and narrow streets. Páez is the second most rapidly growing town with 62,723 inhabitants. Pedro Gual the most east of the towns has a population of 42,831.
Barlovento was known as the "Granary of Caracas" because of its agricultural production. Crops grown include cacao, beans andplantain.[11] The tourist industry has evolved. Residents of the region commute to Caracas along the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho highway.[12]
Barlovento has a network of paved roads. These include the Bicentenario Intercommunal Avenue, San José-Río Chico, and the Troncal ninth which passes through the municipalities of Andrés Bello, Páez, Brión, Broz and Pedro Gual.
From the 1500s, the people of Barlovento, plantation owners and their African slaves, developed an avidity for the feast of San Juan. Celebrations with music and dancing were made. Despite the objections of Bishop Mariano Marti to these "ridiculous and earthly diversions" when he visited the region in 1784, the festival continued to gain in popularity.[1]: p. 34 The date of the feast, June 25, aligned with the harvesting of the cocoa bean crop, the onset of the wet season and thesummer solstice.[13]
The typical cuisine of Barlovento reflects the cultures of the different immigrant groups to the area. The cuisine incorporates local products such as grains, tubers, bananas, fish, seafood, andlapa.
One of the oldest dishes is theCafunga. It is from the African culture and consists of a banana muffin prepared withcassava,coconut,papelón and anise. Other popular dishes areTropezón, white beans cooked with pork skins; "Soup of Massey", white with sardines and garlic; and Bañao, cooked ripe banana with caramel made of papelón, anise, and spice clove.
Tacarigua de la Laguna is famous for the preparation of roastLebranche mullet.
The people of Barlovento make sculptures, replicas and trinkets withbalsa wood, other local wood and coconuts. These are sold and informally displayed by the sides of the roads. For example, in the village of Yagura, balsa wood replicas of aircraft and military helicopters are seen. Again for example, in the village of Gamelotal, between Caucagua and Tacarigua de Mamporal (Tacarigua de Brión), Adam Expedito López is a local sculptor working with wood and coconuts. He creates pylons, portraits of Bolívar and coconuts with the faces ofcaciques among others. In Higuerote, artisans produce in wood the birds of the canals and lagoons of Barlovento, includingcoro-coras, and herons. Hammocks are also made. In Barlovento, and particularly Curiepe, artisans make drums for African dancing. They include thecurbata, themina and theculepuya. Theculepuya has three varieties, theprima,cruzao andpujao. Furrucos are also made for making Christmas music.
Playing of African drums and dancing to the rhythms ("drum dancing") is an important cultural element in Barlovento. This is particularly so on 24 June of each year, the feast of San Juan (John the Baptist) in theCatholic Church.[3]
Barlovento is the region of Venezuela that is particularly known for this African influence as it was an area, especially the local town of Curiepe, which received African slaves.[3]
Barlovento has beaches, private clubs, and large residential complexes. its hotels include the AB Beach Hotel, Barlovento Hotel, Campomar, Las Olas Resort, and Aguamarina. Its beaches include Los Totumos, Paparo, La Cangrejera, Chirere, Puerto Francés, Machurucuto, and Playa Pintada.
10°26′00″N66°46′00″W / 10.43329°N 66.76656°W /10.43329; -66.76656
