Tucupita

Tucupita (Spanish pronunciation: [tukuˈpita]) is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro.

Geography

Delta Amacuro consists almost entirely of the swampy Orinoco River delta. The hot and humid Tucupita lies well into the delta on the Caño Manamo river (one of the two major branches of the Orinoco river delta). It is approached by a road which runs along the top of a gigantic barrier constructed in the 1960s to create dry land. The project is considered by many to be a failure since little dry land was created and massive ecological disruption was caused by salt water penetration of the delta.

The delta is covered mostly by mangrove swamp but there is a huge range of other flora and fauna making it one of the world's more ecologically diverse places. Significant amounts of oil have been discovered in the western parts of the delta and there is apprehension that exploitation of this oil will cause substantial ecological damage.

Religion

The city is also the cathedral see of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Tucupita, with the Catedral de la Divina Pastora.