CONSTITUTION OF VENEZUELA. 



131 



Administration. 

 According to the text of the fundamental statute, Venezuela is constituted a 

 federal republic, " popular, elective, and responsible." In 1893 it comprised eight 

 states, the federal district of Caracas, various territories and colonies dependent on 

 the central government. Each state is autonomous, with separate administration 

 of justice, legislative body, and president — in fact, all the machinery of admi- 

 nistration on the model of the supreme government. This central system is 

 itself modelled on that of the United States, the national Congress consisting 



Fig. 49. — Political Divisions of Venezuela. 

 Scale 1 : 16,000,000. 



Limit of Present States. 



Federal District. 



Limit of Former States. 



Limit of Territories. 



Names of the former State Capitals : 1, Barcelona; 2, Cumana; 3, Maturin ; 4, Asuncion (Nueva Esparta) ; 5, La Guaira 

 (Bolivar); ti. Calabozo (Guarico) ; T.Victoria (Aragua) ; 8, Coro (Falcon); 9, Maracaibo (Ziilia) ; 10, Barquisimeto ; 

 11, San Felipe (Yaricui) ; 12, Guanare (Portuguesa) ; 13, San Carlos (Cojedes) ; 14, Varinas ; 15, Merida; 16,Trujillo; 

 17, San Cristobal (Tachira). 



__^^^^_^_^^.^__^^ 310 Miles. 



of two houses, the Senate with 24, and the House of Representatives with 52 

 members. The electors — that is, all men over 18 years of age — nominate one 

 deputy for every 35,000 inhabitants, and one over for an excess of 15,000 in each 

 state. Both the deputies and the senators, who are nominated by the several 

 state legislatures, are elected for a period of four years. There is also a federal 

 council of 19 members appointed by the Congress every two years, and empowered 

 to choose a president from its own members, who is also president of the republic. 



