CUMAN

city, capital of Sucre estado (state), northeastern Venezuela. On the Manzanares River, 1 mile (1.6 km) inland from its port, Puerto Sucre, on the Caribbean Sea at the mouth of the river, Cuman has an elevation of 52 feet (16 m) and an average temperature of 83 F (28 C). Founded as Nueva Crdoba in 1523, Cuman claims to be the oldest European settlement on the South American mainland. Despite attacks by foreign corsairs and repeated severe earthquakes, Cuman enjoyed a profitable trade with neighbouring settlements and with Spain throughout much of the colonial period. It has become a commercial and manufacturing centre for an agricultural hinterland, where coffee, cacao, sugarcane, tobacco, beans, and a variety of fruits are cultivated. A major cotton mill is located near the city, and it has an important sardine-canning industry. The Eastern University was established in Cuman in 1958. The city has an airport and is connected by highway with Barcelona, 55 miles (90 km) southwest. Pop. (1989 est.) 227,411.