Ciempiés, Los Roques

Cayo Ciempiés (alternatively spelled as Ciempiés, Cayo Siempies, or occasionally Cienpies) is the name given to a small and protected Caribbean island formation situated in the northern region of Venezuela. Geographically, this coral structure constitutes an integral part of the Archipelago Los Roques National Park, which is located in the waters of the Caribbean Sea under the direct jurisdiction of the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela and administratively managed as part of the Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory. The key is notably prominent within the archipelago due to its extremely reduced dimensions, its characteristic and specialized coastal vegetation, and its exceptionally high ecological value for the development and preservation of regional marine fauna species.

History

During the Spanish colonial era, the territory of this small key was closely linked in a political-administrative manner to the ancient Captaincy General of Venezuela. Upon the completion of the national emancipation process and the formal independence of the country from Spain, the islet was temporarily integrated into the structure of the Colón Territory. Starting from the year 1938, its direct institutional administration fell under the legal responsibility of the Federal Dependencies. With the firm intention of guaranteeing its long-term ecological preservation against the increasing pressures of fishing and mass tourism, its definitive inclusion within the boundaries of the Archipelago Los Roques National Park was decreed in 1972. Between the years 1990 and 2011, it was administered by the Single Area Authority of Los Roques, until it officially became part of the Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory in 2011 through a presidential decree with the rank of Organic Law.

Geography

The islet possesses an estimated surface area of barely 1.1 hectares, which is equivalent to approximately 0.011 square kilometers, making it one of the smallest and most compact terrestrial formations within the eastern barrier reef of Los Roques archipelago. It is specifically localized at the geographic coordinates of 11°49'53.41"N 66°36'01.79"W, positioning itself in the immediate vicinity of other important insular structures and geographical features of the archipelago, such as the Boca de Cuchillo, Cayo Cuchillo, La Culebra, Isla de Muerto, and the Yere Channel. The entire surface area of Cayo Ciempiés and its adjacent waters are legally classified and cataloged under the strict figure of an Integral Protection Zone due to the extreme fragility of its benthic ecosystems and the delicate surrounding coastal environment.

See also

• Insular Region of Venezuela
• List of islands of Venezuela