Subdivisions of Venezuela

Venezuela is divided into 23 states (estados), 1 Capital District (Distrito Capital) and the Federal Dependencies (Dependencias Federales de Ultramar) that consist on a large number of Venezuelan islands.

Historical States

Prior to the Federal War (1859-1863), Venezuela was divided in provinces, rather than states. The winners were supposed to grant more autonomy to the states, but this was not the case. After 1863 there were many mergers and splits, and territorial division remained unchanged between the early 1900s and the late 1990s, with the incorporation of states Delta Amacuro, Amazonas and Vargas (in this order).

Municipal organization

Venezuelan states are subdivided into “municipalities” (Spanish municipios), which may correspond to either or both of county and city in English-speaking countries. Municipios are the fundamental unit of local government in Venezuela.