Administrative divisions of Venezuela: states, Capital District, and Federal Dependencies

Main subdivisions

The country’s primary internal divisions are:

• States (estados) — 23 federated entities with their own local governments.
• Capital District — the district that contains the capital city and is governed separately from the states.
• Federal Dependencies — a set of offshore islands and maritime territories managed by the national government rather than by any state.

Notes on the territorial claim

Venezuela asserts a claim to the area referred to as Guayana Esequiba. That territory is administered by Guyana and is not under Venezuelan control. The dispute dates to colonial-era boundary disagreements and has been the subject of diplomatic and legal discussions for many decades.

Terminology and administration

In official and common use, the states are called estados in Spanish. The Federal Dependencies include island groups in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Paria and are governed directly by federal authorities rather than by state administrations. The Capital District contains the national capital and has its own administrative arrangements distinct from those of the states.