For most of its existence the province was subject to the legal and administrative supervision of the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo (except for two short periods from 1717 to 1723 and 1739 to 1742).

Administrative supervision was transferred to the Viceroyalty of New Granada when this was created in 1717, and in 1777 to the new Captaincy General of Venezuela.

Legal supervision by Santo Domingo ended in 1786 when the Royal Audience of Caracas became functional within the new Captaincy General.

Towards the end of the Venezuelan War of Independence it was incorporated into Gran Colombia, initially dissolved within the Venezuela Department which represented the entire Captaincy General.

Following the Federal War, the States of Venezuela were created in 1864, and the province ceased to exist.