What would be the time Venezuela was seen initially in 1498 and traveled by Christopher Columbus who is close to the mouths of the Orinoco river coming from the Canaries, and toured the coast from Trinidad to the current Cape maybe Candle in the peninsula Guajira, in eastern Colombia, where Europeans first sighted the continent, the admiral to observe the variety of flora and fauna, the area called "Land of Grace", in clear allusion to the biblical Eden.
Beyond the travel of Alonso de Ojeda, Diego de Lepe, War and Cristobal Alonso Nino. between 1499 and 1502 divided into two portions of territory quickly to make these governorates, and to exercise jurisdiction: the one from the mouths of the Orinoco to the "front of Maracapana" currently in the city of Puerto La Cruz in the east coast of Venezuela , area that became known as the Governor of Cumana, and then on the coast until the end of 1528 to Vela would then governor of Venezuela or of Coquivacoa.
During the conquest and colonization of the territory of Venezuela, several governorates, or provinces, no continuity in time, like those of Nueva Andalucia or Cumana, Paria, Coriano, Coquivacoa governorate, La Grita governorate, New Extremadura or Merida and the short-lived in Barcelona in 1636. It should be noted that they operated independently.
The provinces of Caracas, Cumana, Guayana and Maracaibo initially relied on the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo and then the Royal Court of Santa Fe de Bogota and the Viceroyalty of New Granada, on several occasions, alternating in this function, especially in the judiciary, with the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo, under the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
The Province of Caracas and Venezuela depended always the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo, the Spanish on the island until 1718, when the new Bourbon regime in Spain, by Royal Cedula dependent on the front of the newly created Viceroyalty of New Granada. Again becomes independent of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in the year 1742. Thirty years after it annexed the territories of the provinces of Maracaibo, Guayana, Cumana, dependents of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, the province of Trinidad, Santo Domingo and dependent Margarita, under the Spanish crown, to form the General Capitania Venezuela, the capital city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas, by the Royal Decree issued by King Charles III of Spain on September 8 1777.
The provinces existing at the time of the creation and organization of the Captaincy General of Venezuela were:
Province of Venezuela, that was created in 1527 and was its first capital of Santa Ana and El Coro Tocuyo during the conquest of territory. He was later also called Province of Caracas, by the name of its capital and largest city, founded on July 25 of 1567 in the valley of the same name by the conquistador Diego de Losada, after overcoming stiff resistance from the indigenous acaudillados by Cacique Guaicaipuro.
Trinidad province, created in 1532 by the conqueror Antonio Sede o and originally under the jurisdiction of Santo Domingo, after joining the Capitania General, was attacked by an English fleet, which obtained the surrender of the square, the governor of the island, in the year 1797, and was recognized by the Treaty of Amiens occupation in the year 1802.
Province of Cumana, the meetings the previous provinces or governorates of Nueva Andalucia and Paria, in a single entity, it was originally attached to the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo from 1569 until it was subject to the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1749 to 1777.
Province of Margarita, the island was a province until the year 1600, when it passes directly under the Spanish crown until 1777.
Province of Guayana, also known as the province of Angostura, and founded in the year 1591.
Province of Maracaibo, formed in 1740 with the union of the former provinces of La Grita and Merida.
The authority of the General Capitania matters covered political, military and economic, of all the above provinces, however, continued the same court depending on the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo, and its governors were appointed directly by the Spanish crown .
The influence of central Caracas as a city government official and residence of the Governor in an area covering several other economically and the governorate of Nueva Andalucia, Merida or Guiana influences finally to integrate the entire range of provinces and governorates of the area of Venezuela alrrededor the governorate of Caracas.
The colonial economy of Venezuela turn around the export of hides, wheat and cocoa snuff, with booms in different times, with this product, cocoa dear abroad for his finesse, flavor and quality that momentum during the final two centuries the colonial era of economic development, gender and caste illustrated by descendants of the conqueror, known as mantuanos which based its wealth and power in this product for those 2 centuries.