Ciudad Guayana

Ciudad Guayana ( Spanish pronunciation: [sjuˈðað ɣwaˈʝana]) (English: Guayana City) is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It stretches 40 kilometers along the south bank of the Orinoco river, at the point where it is joined by its main tributary, the Caroní River. The Caroní flows through the city from south to north, dividing it into its predominant halves — the old town of San Félix, to the east, and the newer area of Puerto Ordaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpweɾto oɾˈðas]), to the west.

Ciudad Guayana was officially founded in 1961 by the unification of two former settlements, but the modern history of San Félix can be traced back to the eighteenth century. Located within the city limits are Cachamay Falls (part of Parque Cachamay) and Llovizna Falls. There are three bridges across the Caroní, and another crossing over the Orinoco, the Orinoquia Bridge, which was inaugurated in 2006. With approximately one million people in the greater metro area, Ciudad Guayana is Venezuela's fastest-growing city with its important iron, steel, aluminum and hydroelectric industries. Additionally, Ciudad Guayana is one of Venezuela's top-five most vital shipping locations (especially for most of the goods produced in Bolívar state), as ships and barges can easily access the port from the Atlantic Ocean via the Orinoco River.