Governorate of New Andalusia (1501–13)

Governorate of New Andalucia (and Coquivacoa)
Tierra Firme
Governorate of Castile (Spanish Empire)
1501–1513
Flag Coat of arms
Tierra Firme: Castilla de Oro and New Andalucia (with Coquivacoa)
Capital		Santa Cruz
Languages		Spanish
Religion		Roman Catholicism
Government		Monarchy
List of Castilian monarchs		Joanna of Castile, Ferdinand the Catholic
Governor		Alonso de Ojeda
Historical era		Spanish Empire
•	Established	1501
•	Creation the Great Governorate of Castilla de Oro.	1513
Preceded by Succeeded by Province of Tierra Firme Castilla de Oro
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The Governorate of New Andalusia (Nueva Andalucia) was a Spanish colonial entity in present-day Venezuela, from 1501 to 1513.

History

In 1501, Alonso de Ojeda colonized the mainland of present-day Venezuela, and received the Governorate of New Andalusia (Coquivacoa), between Cabo de la Vela and Isla Margarita (island). This was territory originally seen by Christopher Columbus.

On May 3, 1502 Ojeda founded the town of Santa Cruz in the Guajira Peninsula, the first Spanish colony in the future Province of Tierra Firme. The settlements were later abandoned for new explorations.

In 1509, authority was granted to Alonso de Ojeda to colonize the territories between Cabo de la Vela and the Gulf of Urabá as part of the Governorate of New Andalusia.

The Governorate of New Andalusia territories were further unified in May 1513 with the Governorate of Castilla de Oro.

See also

• Colonial Venezuela
• Governorate of New Andalusia (1534-1549) — in colonial Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.
• New Andalusia Province, or Province of Cumaná (1537–1864) — within the colonial Royal Audience of Santo Domingo (1526-1823), Captaincy General of Venezuela (1777–1823), and later of Gran Colombia (1819–1831), and early independent Venezuela (founded 1811).