Maracay (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾaˈkai]) is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of the Girardot Municipality. The population as per the 2001 census was 750,000. In 2008, Maracay and its surroundings have an estimated population of 1,767,217.