Apure is one of the twenty-three states that, together with the Capital District and the Federal Dependencies, form the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Its capital is San Fernando de Apure. It is located in the southwest of the country, in the region of Los Llanos, bounded on the north by Táchira, Barinas and Guárico, on the east by Bolívar, on the southeast by Amazonas and on the south by Colombia. With 76 500 km² it is the third most extensive state -behind Bolívar and Amazonas-, with 555 909 inhabitants. In 2011, the fifth least populated - ahead of Vargas, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro and Amazonas - and with 6 hab / km², the third least densely populated, ahead of Delta Amacuro and Amazonas.
It has 7 autonomous municipalities and 26 civil parishes. Its main cities are: San Fernando de Apure, Guasdualito, Achaguas, Biruaca, Bruzual. In the environment apureño Rómulo Gallegos was inspired to write his novel Doña Bárbara, which describes the magnitude of this land.