estado (state), north-central Venezuela, bounded north by the central highlands and south by the Orinoco River. It has an area of 25,091 sq mi (64,986 sq km). Until the 1960s life in the Llanos (plains) state was dominated by cattle raising. With the completion of the Guárico River Reclamation Project near Calabozo, however, more than 50,000 ac (20,000 ha) of the plains were brought under irrigation. Rice is a major crop, and Guárico ranks first among Venezuela's states in its cultivation. Cotton, corn (maize), coffee, tobacco, and feed crops are also grown. Petroleum production was formerly important but decreased in the 1970s. Highways traverse the state, linking the capital, San Juan de los Morros, with the major urban centres of northern Venezuela. Pop. (2007 est.) 745,124.