The name New Andalusia (Spanish: Nueva Andalucía) refers to two separate regions of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.
The first was a Spanish governorate created as one of Charles V's grants of 1534, establishing the adelantado Pedro de Mendoza as its first governor, captain general, and chief justice. The territory was described as extending 200 leagues down the Pacific coast from Diego de Almagro's grant of New Toledo, but was understood to involve the exploration, pacification, and settlement of the Rio de la Plata along the Atlantic. While this province in theory included all of modern Uruguay and Paraguay and large segments of Chile, Argentina and Brazil, the adelantados were only able to effectively colonize the Paraná River, losing other territories to subsequent grants. After the establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru, it was replaced by the province of the Rio de la Plata and the Paraguay under the supervision of the Audience of Lima.
New Andalusia and Paria on a Spanish map of
1562.
The second was a Spanish province in the 1500s. It was first colonized by Spaniards in 1569, led by explorer Diego Hernández de Serpa. It comprised what is now eastern Venezuela, western Guyana, and far northern Brazil. In the following centuries, its jurisdiction was reduced to Cumaná and Barcelona, Anzoátegui and was synonymous with the Province of Cumaná. For most of its existence, the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo oversaw its administrative and judicial matters. In the late 18th century, it was incorporated into the newly created Captaincy General of Venezuela.
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