Editing Apure (section)

{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{Expand Spanish|Apure|topic=geo|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name           = Apure
| native_name             = <small>Estado Apure ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])</small>
| native_name_lang        = es
| settlement_type         = [[States of Venezuela|State]]
| image_skyline           = Aterdecer En Los Llanos De Apure (46754808).jpeg
| image_alt               = 
| shield_link             = Armorial of Venezuela
| image_caption           = 
| image_flag              = Flag of Apure State.svg
| flag_size               = 
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Escudo del Estado Apure.svg
| shield_size             = 75px
| shield_alt              = 
| blank_emblem_alt        = 
| nickname                = 
| national anthem         = 
| motto                   = 
| anthem                  = ''[[Apure State Anthem|Himno del Estado Apure]]''
| image_map               = Apure in Venezuela.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location within [[Venezuela]]
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_mapsize         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Venezuela]]
| subdivision_type1       = 
| subdivision_name1       = 
| subdivision_type2       = 
| subdivision_name2       = 
| established_title       =  Created 
| established_date        = 1901
| founder                 = 
| named_for               = 
| seat_type               = Capital
| seat                    = [[San Fernando de Apure]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| government_type         = 
| leader_title4 = [[National Assembly (Venezuela)|Assembly delegation]]
| leader_name4 = [[National Assembly (Venezuela)#Representatives per state, 2016-2021|5]]
| leader_party            = 
|governing_body=[[List of Venezuela state legislatures|Legislative Council]]
| leader_title           = [[List of Governors of States of Venezuela|Governor]]
| leader_name             = [[Ramón Carrizales]] <small>(2017&ndash;2021)</small>
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 76500
| area_rank               = [[Ranked list of Venezuelan states#By area|3rd]]
| area_note               = 8.35% of Venezuela
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| population_footnotes    = 
| population_total        = 459025
| population_as_of        = 2011 est.
| population_rank         = [[Ranked list of Venezuelan states#By population|19th]]
| population_density_km2  = 
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 1.63% of Venezuela
| timezone1               = [[Venezuelan Standard Time Zone|VET]]
| utc_offset1             = &minus;4
| blank2_name_sec1       = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank2_info_sec1       = 0.639<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/VEN/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=1&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|access-date=2021-07-31}}</ref><br/>{{color|#fc0|medium}} · [[Ranked list of Venezuelan states#By Human Development Index|24th of 24]]
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:VE|VE-C]]
| blank_name_sec1         = [[List of emblematic trees of Venezuela|Emblematic tree]]
| blank_info_sec1         = Merecure licania {{nowrap|<small>(Licania pyrifolia)</small>}}
| website                 = {{url|1=http://www.apure.gob.ve}}
| footnotes               = 
}}

'''Apure State''' ({{langx|es|Estado Apure}}, {{IPA|es|esˈtaðo aˈpuɾe|IPA}}) is one of the 23 [[States of Venezuela|states]] of   [[Venezuela]]. Its territory formed part of the provinces of [[Mérida (state)|Mérida]], [[Maracaibo]], and [[Barinas (state)|Barinas]], in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial authorities.  In 1824 the Department of Apure was created, under jurisdiction of Barinas, which laid the foundations for the current entity.  In 1856 it separated from Barinas and for the first time Apure appeared as an independent province, which in 1864 acquired the status of state.  In 1881, however, a new territorial division combined Apure and [[Guayana Region|Guayana]] to form a single state named ''Bolívar.''  In 1899 it reestablished its autonomy and finally, by means of the Constitution of 1909, gained its current borders.
[[File:La vegetación más abundante señala el canal de los ríos.jpg|thumb|Santos Luzardo National Park, Apure State]]
The territory was famous for heron plumes, which adorned European courts.  At the same time, it was the scene of armed encounters that marked the evolution of the [[Venezuelan War of Independence|War for Independence]], as well as numerous battles during the civil war.  In the Apurean environs, [[Rómulo Gallegos]] was inspired to write his novel [[Doña Bárbara]], which describes the magnitude of this land.

The state capital is [[San Fernando de Apure]].

Based on the 2011 census information, the estimated population of Apure State in 2011 is 459,025 inhabitants.