the capital of Venezuela. City (pop. 2000 est.: 1,975,787), capital of Venezuela. Its Caribbean Sea port is La Guaira. Lying at an elevation of about 3,000 ft (9,000 m), Caracas is one of the most developed cities in Latin America. It was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada; in 1595 it was sacked by the English. It is the birthplace of Simón Bolívar (1783), under whose leadership it became the first colony to revolt against Spain ( 1810). Caracas has become the country's primary centre of industry, commerce, education, and culture