Delta Amacuro

Delta Amacuro, estado (state), northeastern Venezuela. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the northeast, Guyana on the southeast, and the Venezuelan states of Bolívar on the south and Monagas on the west. The state consists of one of the largest swampy deltas in the world, through which the 26 distributaries of the Orinoco River empty into the sea. The area has long been inhabited principally by the Warao (Warrau) Indians, who developed an amphibious culture as they traveled, fished, and lived in the delta environment.

Delta Amacuro has experienced profound changes since the 1960s. Reclaimed land has been brought under cultivation, and among the crops that are now grown are rice, corn (maize), cassava, pineapple, cacao, and bananas. Palm cultivation—mainly for export—and fishing are also important components of the state’s economy, as is the mining of bauxite, manganese, clay, and alluvial gold. Petroleum is found in the region near Tucupita, the capital. Travel is almost entirely by water, although a highway reaches Tucupita. Area 15,500 square miles (40,200 square km). Pop. (2001) 97,987; (2011) 167,676.