CUMANA, a city and port of Venezuela, capital of the State of Sucre, situated on the Manzanares river about im. above its mouth, 52ft. above sea-level and 18om. E of Caracas. It is the oldest existing European settlement on the South American conti nent, having been founded by Diego Castellon in 1523 under the name of Nueva Toledo. The city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake in 1766, and also in and 1929; shocks were experienced in 1812 and 18J3, when little remained of the origi nal structures of the town. Slight shocks are very frequent, some of them severe enough to cause considerable damage to the build ings. The mean annual temperature is 83° and the climate is enervating. In colonial times the city was rich and prosperous and enjoyed a lucrative trade with the mother country Spain. Pop. (1926) 18,737. The products consist of coffee, cacao, brown sugar ("papelon"), tobacco, rum, coconut oil, divi-divi, fruits, cotton goods, dried fish, and furniture made from the fine native woods. There is excellent tobacco and cotton land along the shores of the bay and there are a good many settlements and small towns along the southern shore. The district is one of considerable promise for the future if the labour problem can be solved. A tramway connects the city with its port at the mouth of the Manzanares. In recent years several manufacturing enterprises have been established, among which are a coconut oil extraction plant, a textile factory, electric light plant and other utilities.