Editing Caracas (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Parque del Este - Caracas.JPG|thumb|View of Ávila from [[Parque del Este]]]]
Caracas is contained entirely within a valley of the [[Cordillera de la Costa Central|Venezuelan Central Range]], and is separated from the Caribbean coast by a roughly {{convert|15|km|0|adj=on|sp=us}} expanse of [[El Ávila National Park]]. The valley is relatively small and quite irregular, and the altitude varies from between {{convert|870|and|1,043|m|ft|sp=us}} [[above sea level]]; the historic center lies at about {{convert|900|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} above sea level.<ref name=mountains>{{Cite journal|last=Parsons|first=James J.|year=1982|title=The Northern Andean Environment|journal=Mountain Research and Development|volume=2|issue=3|pages=253–264|doi=10.2307/3673089|jstor=3673089}}</ref> This, along with the rapid population growth, has profoundly influenced the [[urban planning|urban development]] of the city.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Morris|first=A.S.|year=1978|title=Urban Growth Patterns in Latin America with Illustrations from Caracas|journal=Urban Studies|volume=15|issue=3|pages=299–312|doi=10.1080/713702382|bibcode=1978UrbSt..15..299M |s2cid=153430807|issn=0042-0980}}</ref> The most elevated point of the Capital District, wherein the city is located, is the ''Pico El Ávila'', which rises to {{convert|2159|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref name="mountains" />

The main body of water in Caracas is the [[Guaire River]], which flows across the city and empties into the [[Tuy River]], which is also fed by the El Valle and [[San Pedro de los Altos|San Pedro]] rivers, in addition to numerous streams which descend from El Ávila. The La Mariposa and {{ill|Camatagua reservoir|lt=Camatagua|es|Embalse de Camatagua}} reservoirs provide water to the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guaire River|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Guaire-River|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031032417/https://www.britannica.com/place/Guaire-River|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Jaffe|first1=Rudolf|last2=Leal|first2=Ivan|last3=Alvarado|first3=Jose|last4=Gardinali|first4=Piero|last5=Sericano|first5=José|date=1 December 1995|title=Pollution effects of the Tuy River on the central Venezuelan coast: Anthropogenic organic compounds and heavy metals in Tivela mactroidea|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|language=en|volume=30|issue=12|pages=820–825|doi=10.1016/0025-326X(95)00087-4|bibcode=1995MarPB..30..820J |issn=0025-326X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Exergy for a better environment and improved sustainability. 2, Applications|last1=Aloui|first1=Fethi|last2=Dinçer|first2=İbrahim|date=22 August 2018|isbn=978-3-319-62575-1|location=Cham, Switzerland|oclc=1049802575|page=716}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Steward|first=Julian Haynes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZgOAQAAIAAJ|title=Handbook of South American Indians|date=1946|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=475|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=15 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415113256/https://books.google.com/books?id=oZgOAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> The city is occasionally subject to earthquakes – notably in [[1641 Caracas earthquake|1641]] and 1967.

Geologically, Caracas was formed in the [[Late Cretaceous]] period, with much of the rest of the Caribbean, and sits on what is mostly [[metamorphic rock]]. Deformation of the land in this period formed the region.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dengo|first=Gabriel|title=Geology of the Caracas Region, Venezuela|date=1 January 1953|url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsabulletin/article-abstract/64/1/7/4533/GEOLOGY-OF-THE-CARACAS-REGION-VENEZUELA|journal=GSA Bulletin|language=en|volume=64|issue=1|pages=7–40|doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1953)64[7:GOTCRV]2.0.CO;2|bibcode=1953GSAB...64....7D|issn=0016-7606}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
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|caption=Köppen map of Caracas and surrounding areas:<ref>"Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution". Nature Scientific Data. [[Digital object identifier|DOI]]:[https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2018214 10.1038/sdata.2018.214].</ref>
{{legend-col
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|{{legend|#45AAFA|[[Tropical savanna climate|Tropical savanna (Aw)]]}}
|{{legend|#64FF50|[[Oceanic climate|Subtropical highland with uniform rainfall (Cfb)]]}}
|{{legend|#64C864|[[Oceanic climate|Subtropical highland with monsoon influence (Cwb)]]}}
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Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], Caracas has a [[tropical savanna climate]] (''Aw''), but also exhibits traits of a [[subtropical highland climate]] (''Cfb'') due to its elevated location within the [[Venezuelan Coastal Range|Venezuelan Coastal Range (Maritime Andes)]]. Caracas precipitation varies between {{convert|900|and|1,300|mm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} (annual), in the city proper to {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} in some parts of the Mountain range. While Caracas is within the tropics, due to its altitude temperatures are cooler compared to other locations with a typical tropical savanna climate. The annual average temperature is approximately {{convert|23.4|°C|0|abbr=on}}, with the average of the coldest month (January) {{convert|21.7|°C|0|abbr=on}} and the average of the warmest month (May) {{convert|24.5|°C|0|abbr=on}}, which gives a small annual thermal amplitude of {{convert|2.8|C-change|abbr=on}}.<ref name="climate" />

In the months of December and January abundant fog may appear, in addition to a sudden nightly drop in temperature, until reaching {{convert|8|°C|F|abbr=on}}.<ref name=climate>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=61408&cityname=Caracas%2C+Venezuela&set=metric|title=Weather Base – World Weather – Average Conditions – Caracas|publisher=BBC|access-date=28 July 2013|archive-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201142445/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=61408&cityname=Caracas%2C+Venezuela&set=metric|url-status=live}}</ref> This peculiar weather is known by the natives of Caracas as the ''Pacheco''. In addition, nightly temperatures at any time of the year are much (7 to 11&nbsp;°C) lower than daytime highs and usually do not remain above <span style="white-space:nowrap">{{convert|24|C|F|abbr=on}}</span>, resulting in very pleasant evening temperatures. Hailstorms appear in Caracas, although only on rare occasions. [[Electrical storm]]s are much more frequent, especially between June and October, due to the city being in a closed valley and the orographic action of Cerro El Ávila.<ref>{{Cite web|title="Llegó Pacheco" con su historia y origen|url=http://www.televen.com/elnoticiero/llego-el-pacheco-con-su-historia-y-origen/|date=1 December 2017|website=Televen|language=es-VE|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126093647/http://www.televen.com/elnoticiero/llego-el-pacheco-con-su-historia-y-origen/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<!--Infobox begins-->
{{Weather box| location = Caracas, Venezuela ([[Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base|La Carlota]]) (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1964-2020)|  single line = Y| metric first = Y| Jan high C =27.1| Feb high C =27.6| Mar high C =28.6| Apr high C =29.3| May high C =29.4| Jun high C =28.5| Jul high C =28.0| Aug high C =28.3| Sep high C =28.8| Oct high C =28.6| Nov high C = 28.1| Dec high C = 27.1| year high C =28.3| Jan low C =17.3| Feb low C =17.7| Mar low C =18.5| Apr low C =20.0| May low C =21.2| Jun low C =21.0| Jul low C =20.5| Aug low C =20.8| Sep low C =20.9| Oct low C =20.8| Nov low C =20.3| Dec low C =18.6| year low C =19.8| Jan mean C =21.7| Feb mean C =22.1| Mar mean C =23.1| Apr mean C =24.1| May mean C =24.5| Jun mean C =24.1| Jul mean C =23.5| Aug mean C =23.7| Sep mean C =24.3| Oct mean C =24.1| Nov mean C =23.5| Dec mean C =22.3| year mean C =23.4|precipitation colour = green| Jan precipitation mm =56.1| Feb precipitation mm =42.5| Mar precipitation mm =20.7| Apr precipitation mm =48.1| May precipitation mm =70.2| Jun precipitation mm =112.6| Jul precipitation mm =121.1| Aug precipitation mm =132.7| Sep precipitation mm =118.4| Oct precipitation mm =144.3| Nov precipitation mm =130.0| Dec precipitation mm =107.4| year precipitation mm =1,104.1| unit precipitation days = 1 mm| Jan precipitation days =3.9| Feb precipitation days =2.9| Mar precipitation days =2.2| Apr precipitation days =4.3| May precipitation days =7.1| Jun precipitation days =11.0| Jul precipitation days =12.7| Aug precipitation days =12.2| Sep precipitation days =9.4| Oct precipitation days =11.1| Nov precipitation days =8.7| Dec precipitation days =7.0| year precipitation days =92.5| Jan record high C =33.8| Feb record high C =34.4
| Mar record high C =35.3
| Apr record high C =35.8
| May record high C =35.8
| Jun record high C =35.3
| Jul record high C =34.4
| Aug record high C =34.4
| Sep record high C =37.1
| Oct record high C =34.5
| Nov record high C = 34.8
| Dec record high C = 31.9
| year record high C =37.1
| Jan record low C =10.0
| Feb record low C =6.0
| Mar record low C =5.1
| Apr record low C =12.5
| May record low C =13.1
| Jun record low C =14.9
| Jul record low C =14.1
| Aug record low C =14.3
| Sep record low C =15.5
| Oct record low C =13.1
| Nov record low C = 11.9
| Dec record low C = 10.0
| year record low C =5.1
| Jan humidity = 78| Feb humidity = 76| Mar humidity = 74| Apr humidity = 76| May humidity = 78| Jun humidity = 80| Jul humidity = 80| Aug humidity = 81| Sep humidity = 82| Oct humidity = 80| Nov humidity = 82| Dec humidity = 81
|Jan sun = 229.4
|Feb sun = 215.6
|Mar sun = 235.6
|Apr sun = 183.0
|May sun = 182.9
|Jun sun = 183.0
|Jul sun = 210.8
|Aug sun = 217.0
|Sep sun = 213.0
|Oct sun = 210.8
|Nov sun = 210.0
|Dec sun = 213.9
|year sun = 2505.0
|source = NOAA (humidity and sun 1964-1990)<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Venezuela/CSV/CaracasLaCalota_80416.csv| title = Caracas-La Carlota Climate Normals 1991–2020| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]| access-date = | archive-date = 7 January 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240107013612/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Venezuela/CSV/CaracasLaCalota_80416.csv| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REGIII/VN/80416.TXT| title = Caracas-La Carlota Climate Normals 1961–1990| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]| access-date = | archive-date = 7 January 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240107013612/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REGIII/VN/80416.TXT| url-status = live}}</ref>
}}
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=== Hydrography ===

The hydrographic network of the city of Caracas is made up of the Guaire river basin which is a sub-basin of the Tuy river. This basin crosses the valley where the city is located from West to East (Las Adjuntas – [[Petare]]). It covers about 655 square kilometers, about 45&nbsp;km. long and about 15&nbsp;km. wide, has a rectangular shape. The basin is formed by the Caracas Valley, which is relatively high, narrow and long, surrounded by the high and steep Cordillera de la Costa, which runs parallel to the Litoral.

Among the characteristics of the hydrographic network associated with the city of Caracas is the high degree of contamination present in the lower parts of the [[Guaire River]] due to its tributaries having been used for sewage collection since 1874, during the government of Antonio Guzmán Blanco, until today. The level of contamination is such that it does not allow the maintenance of the life of the species that once populated the basin, and it has become extinct or has been restricted to the highest areas of the basin, mainly within the boundaries of the national park. Avila. Awareness for the recovery of the basin has recently begun, however, much remains to be done before results can be observed.

Among the main rivers and streams that make up the basin are in its northern slope: San Pedro River, Macarao River, Quebrada Caroata, Catuche River, Anauco River, Chacaito River, Tocome River, Caurimare River; on its southern slope we find that among the main [[tributaries]] are: El Valle river, Quebrada Baruta and Quebrada La Guairita. In the upper part of the basin there are two reservoirs with the purpose of supplying water to the western part of the city; These are the Macarao Dam and the La Mariposa Reservoir.