CUMANA  , a

city and port of Venezuela, capital of the state of Bermudez, situated on the Manzanares river about r m. above its mouth, 52 ft. above sea-level and 18o m . E. of Caracas . It is the oldest existing European settlement on the South American continent, 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 again in 1797 . Slight shocks are very frequent, some of them severe enough to cause considerable damage to the buildings . The mean annual temperature is 83° F. and the climate is enervating . In colonial times the city was rich and prosperous and enjoyed a lucrative trade with the mother country, its population at that time being estimated at 30,000, but much of its prosperity has disappeared and its population is now estimated at 10,000 . Excellent fruits are produced in its vicinity, and its exports include cacao, coffee, sugar, hides, tobacco and sundry products in small quantities . A tramway connects the city with its port at the mouth of the Manzanares .