It is an important urban, industrial, commercial and transportation center of the country, recognized as the fourth-largest city by population and area in Venezuela after Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.

Barquisimeto was founded in 1552 by Juan de Villegas, as a headquarters and to have better control of the territory believed to be rich in gold.

The city was rebuilt 102 km (63 mi), but in 1562 they inhabitants asked for permission to move to another site due to strong winds blowing in the place.

He fixed the streets and avenues and buildings were built, like the Jacinto Lara Headquarters, the Government Palace and the Ayacucho Park.

According to the German adventurer Nikolaus Federmann, the Caquetío aborigines used to call it Variquicimeto, which translates as "ash-colored river", the name with which the natives distinguished the water stream near the city.

The Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess) is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, with a lamb at her side.

Barquisimeto is located on the terrace of the same name, on the banks of the Turbio River, 622 metres (2,040 feet) above sea level and a population of 930,000 inhabitants.

Located in that region, Barquisimeto records 550 millimetres or 21.7 inches of rain per year and its average temperature ranges 25 °C (77 °F).

Barquisimeto is a city with a historic vocation by academic knowledge, and boasts a considerable sample of universities and institutes of higher education in Venezuela, has a high and growing student population from all over the country.

When construction began, in 2006, the system was projected to serve an average of 170,000 people per day when completed, using 80 trolleybuses operating along 30 km (19 mi) of exclusive lanes, across the metropolitan area.

[7] In addition to reasons of cost, an inadequate supply of electricity with which to power the system was cited in the announcement of the decision.