Cumaná

City and capital of Sucre state in northeast Venezuela, situated 2 km/1 mi up the River Manzanares from its port, Puerto Sucre; population (2007 est) 263,200. Cumaná was the birthplace (1795) of Simon Bolívar's great lieutenant, Antonio José Sucre; there is a museum here devoted to this national hero. Its main exports are fish products, sugar, cocoa, and tobacco.

Cumaná lays claim to being the oldest European settlement in South America that has been continuously inhabited. It was founded in 1521, and contains a number of historic buildings, including the ruins of a Capuchin monastery and two 17th-century fortresses. The city was devastated by three earthquakes in 1684, 1765, and 1929. A museum was opened in 1974 to commemorate the Battle of Ayapucho. The nearby Margarita Island is famous for its carnival.