Monagas

State of northeast Venezuela; area 29,016 sq km/11,203 sq mi; population (1996) 555,705. The state capital is Maturín. Monagas is bordered on the east by the Gulf of Paria, on the north by the state of Sucre, on the west by the state of Anzoategui, and on the south by the River Orinoco. As with other parts of the llanos (plains) region of Venezuela, cattle-raising is of vital importance to the state's economy, but Monagas also contains important oilfields.

In the north is the Cuera del Guáchero, a series of caves inhabited by large numbers of oilbirds. They were first scientifically explored by Alexander Humboldt in 1799.