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101-738: The El Limón River is a river in Zulia in northwestern Venezuela . It flows into the Caribbean Sea . Tributaries include the Socuy River and Guasare River . This article related to a river in Venezuela is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Zulia Zulia State is in northwestern Venezuela, bordering Lake Maracaibo , the largest body of water of its kind in Latin America . Its basin covers one of

202-563: A Venezuelan citizen by birth and without any other nationality in full enjoyment of civil rights and older, to reside in the Federal Entity at least four years before the election according to Article 69 of the State Constitution, to be older than 25 years, not to be a minister of religious worship or to occupy positions in the national, state or municipal administration, and in case of being an official, to be separated from

303-461: A great diversity of landscapes plants which, according to Huber's classification, can be grouped into tree, shrub and herbaceous formations. Tree formations include coastal mangroves, dry to semi-deciduous lowland forests, lowland evergreen forests, and mountain forests. It is estimated that the total area of mangroves in Zulia State occupies an area of 116.3 km (44.9 mi ), located in

404-469: A high risk of extinction in the medium term. Among the different species of mammals, the palm tree bear ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ), which lives especially in the northeast of the Lake Maracaibo basin, is threatened by poaching and is often rolled up on the tracks. The cunaguaro ( Leopardus pardalis ), often in thorny forests, thickets and even in mangrove forests, this species - a house today -

505-642: A horst tectonic that starts in the valley of the Intermedio river, lengthening and narrowing in a south–north direction ending in the Oca mountains, from which the lowlands of the Guajira isthmus follow. The Perijá mountain range comprises five large landscape units: Sierra de Motilones, Sierra de Perijá, Sierra de Valledupar, Montes de Oca and the foothills of mountains and valleys. Between the Perijá mountain range and

606-551: A humid mountain climate (Cfbi); and the highest parts of the last two mountain ranges, a tropical alpine climate (ETH). Barinas has two ecoregions: the Llanos and the Northern Andes , the latter being its center of endemism. The Llanos constitute extensive grasslands and abundant gallery forests. In its flora, there are many trees, such as the apamate; jabillo ; samán; ceiba ; mango ; merecure; cañafístola llanera; and

707-413: A large lake to which about 135 rivers flow that contribute water and sediment, an infinite number of lagoons, swamps and marshes that are in the lower parts. There are very arid zones with others of great humidity, very populated zones in small spaces and other extensive semi-populated areas. Very rich areas and others of great poverty. The Lake Maracaibo Basin covers the large to the north and west, from

808-854: A tropical rain forest climate with an annual average precipitation of 2,556 mm, and surpassing 3,500 mm per year in the heights of Serrania de Perija . The geographical location and the diversity of natural landscapes present in the state of Zulia, in addition to the presence of Lake Maracaibo, define the great variety of climates present in the state. According to Koeppen's classification, there are desert climates (Bwhi), semi-dry tropical climates (Bshi), tropical savannah and sub-humid trophy forests (Awi), tropical rainy trophy forests and savannah (Aw "i), tropical rainy monsoon (Ami), tropical rainy jungle (Afi), very humid tropical temperate (Cfi), tropical humid temperate (Cwi) and undefined mountain climates. Lake Maracaibo and its basin are factors that complement each other to produce high rainfall. However, for

909-694: Is a variant of "varinas" (the name of an indigenous ethnic group that inhabited the Piedemonte before the arrival of the Spaniards); this may have a relationship with the name "Barima", given by the tunebos to the Santo Domingo river in the Aya myth. The meaning is unknown, but according to popular belief, it means a 'strong wind that comes from the valleys of the Santo Domingo river', referring to

1010-504: Is between 358 and 665.99 mm (14.094 and 26.220 in), with a median temperature of 28 °C (82 °F). The precipitation rates increase in the western and eastern regions of Lake Maracaibo, forming a wet tropical savanna climate, with annual average temperatures from 27 °C to 28 °C, and rainfall exceeding 1,000 mm (39 in) registered in Mene Grande. In the southern lake region, increased rainfall conforms to

1111-765: Is considered "the capital of the rivers of Venezuela". All its rivers originate in the east of the Mérida mountain range and flow into the left bank of the Apure River , which has, for the most part, short upper and middle courses; the river floods the Llanos Bajos during rainy periods. The tributaries of the river in Barinas are the Portuguesa , Masparro , Santo Domingo, Caparo , Canaguá and Uribante Rivers, all of which are navigable. Some rivers that flow through

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1212-481: Is considered to be of high quality. The red deer ( Odocoileus virginianus gymnotis ), subspecies that has contracted by almost 50% in the arid zones of Zulia and in the basin of the Maracaibo lake due to the indiscriminate hunting to which it has been object, given the inexistence of a specific law to protect it. The yellow bat of the deserts ( Rhogeessa minutilla ) is distributed in the arid and semi-arid zones of

1313-400: Is illegally extracted. Two species of indigenous reptiles are named after Zulia: a turtle ( Mesoclemmys zuliae ) and a lizard ( Maracaiba zuliae ). In the humid and sub-humid Zulian sub-region, which includes the municipalities located to the southeast, south and southwest of Lake Maracaibo, live communities of animals that are largely the same as those living in the dry region, especially

1414-474: Is influenced by latitude , which generates an increase from north to south in the average annual precipitation of the Maracaibo (488 mm), Cabimas (528.9 mm) and Santa Barbara (1,366.5 mm) stations. This behavior is explained by the descending latitudinal order, at except for the El Tucuco station (2,032.9 mm), whose behavior is due to the altitudinal factor (205 meters above sea level), where

1515-686: Is made up of numerous river basins and sub-basins that cover the states of Zulia, Lara, Táchira, Mérida, Trujillo and part of the Republic of Colombia, the latter drained by the Catatumbo River and its tributaries. All of them flow into the area comprised by the lake itself, the Maracaibo Strait and the El Tablazo Bay. Some sources indicate that the Maracaibo system is made up of four distinct but closely related bodies of water:

1616-749: Is now Zulia was first seen by Europeans in 1499 during an expedition commanded by Alonso de Ojeda . Transferred by the Crown of Spain to German Businessmen (to the banking company of the Welsers of Augsburg), in 1527, the Governorship and lands of the Province of Venezuela, was its factor and governor of: the Province Ambrosio Dalfinger, the first conqueror of those regions. His expedition from Coro to Maracaibo around 1528 and 1529 and

1717-522: Is symmetrical: each entity has its own legal personality, competences, income and autonomous executive and legislative power, with authorities elected by majority rule in universal, direct and secret suffrage for four-year periods and revocable by referendum. They also have their own autonomous comptroller's and procurator's office and a council for planning and coordinating public policies. Venezuela's states are obliged to maintain independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to comply with and enforce

1818-486: Is that of the Catatumbo River , with a surface of 25,708.36 km and represents more than a quarter (32.60%) of the total area of Maracaibo Lake Basin. The soils of Zulia State, framed within the depression of Lake Maracaibo, are the result of the interaction of factors such as relief, climate, material origin, vegetation and soil formation processes. The edaphic diversity of the state of Zulia corresponds to

1919-408: Is threatened by distraction hunting; it is also destroying its habitat even though it is a species under an indefinite ban. There are others mammals in this sub-region that are at lower risk than those mentioned above, such as the endemic subspecies brownish-grey matacan deer ( Mazama gouazoubira ), which is distributed in arid areas and is persecuted as a source of subsistence food for its meat, which

2020-526: The Andes . In the Llanos, there are many reptiles, including anacondas , podocnemids , iguanas , rattlesnakes , babo, jicotea turtles, mato real, Orinoco caiman and mapanare . The rivers are inhabited by catfish , piranhas , goldfish and electric eels . There are also two species in danger of extinction: the morrocoy sabanero and tonina. Barinas is part of the Venezuelan federation , which

2121-570: The Comuneros of the Andes (1781), a fact that led to King Carlos IV granting it, in 1790, the coat of arms that today retains the state capital, along with the motto "very noble and very loyal". Barinas joined the process of the Supreme Board of Caracas on May 5, 1810, thus constituting a Board of Government and Conservation, in which the desire to break with the Crown was formed. In 1811,

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2222-702: The Declaration of Independence Act was signed, thus forming part of the First Republic , which fell the following year. After the patriotic victory in the Battle of Niquitao on July 2, 1813, Barinas became part of the Second Republic , which also fell the following year. Paez's campaigns ensured the patriotic victory in Barinas during the Third Republic , in which Venezuela's independence

2323-557: The Guajira Peninsula to the Perijá Mountains . Venezuela's Andean states of Táchira , Mérida and Trujillo border Zulia State at the southern end of Lake Maracaibo . The name Venezuela comes from the lake. When Spanish conquistadors sailed into the area, they found the indigenous peoples living in communities of huts supported by stilts along the shores of the lake. They were reminded of Venice and named

2424-541: The Gulf of Venezuela , El Tablazo Bay, the Maracaibo Strait and Lake Maracaibo. Although the estuarine portion is mainly constituted by the strait and El Tablazo, it is not possible to understand the estuarine biota without taking into account the other adjacent water bodies. The Gulf of Venezuela participates in the oceanic components, hence the importance of considering the depth, movement and chemical composition of its water body. Such physical-chemical characteristics determine

2525-607: The Viceroy of the New Granada , Jose Solis , decreed the definitive foundation of Barinas, with the name and on the current place – where the town of San Antonio de los Cerritos was by then, in order to establish a center of power closer to the new towns. Barinas was part of the Captaincy General of Venezuela since its creation. On February 15, 1786, King Carlos III decreed, over a territory that extended to cover

2626-638: The Zulia River . The Constituent Congress of 1824 divided the territory of Colombia into four departments, one of which was Zulia, composed of the provinces of Coro, Mérida and Maracaibo; but when the Great Colombia was dissolved in 1830, Maracaibo was left with the character of Province composed of its own territory and that of Trujillo. One year later the Trujillo Section was erected in Province, separating definitively from Maracaibo. With

2727-417: The araguaney , the national tree. There are also many palms, especially the llanera. Among the herbs, the water lilies and the mother-of-pearl and barina flowers stand out. The Mérida mountain range has, from its highlands to its foothills, moors, tropical mountain forests and wooded savannas. Among its vegetation, the cardón , cují, bucare and frailejones are characteristic in its upper parts, while in

2828-585: The cacique Mara, was on pilgrimage in the Pamplona region, where he fell in love with the beautiful Zulia, but she was killed in a battle against the conquerors. Gaimaral sadly returned to his father's domains, naming rivers, towns and regions for his lost love there is little historical proof, but that is the most popular theory. Indigenous peoples have been living in the region for a long time, including Yukpa , Barí , Arawakos (Western), Timotes and Cuica , Caquetío , Wayúu , and Añú (es). The area that

2929-503: The geomorphological point of view, can be defined as a depression that presents in its center a great mass of water constituted by the Maracaibo lake system, combining the heights that surround it and the flat lands that serve as coastal support. The geomorphological evolution of the state of Zulia is related to the processes generated by the collision between the South American and Pacific tectonic plates, in their interaction with

3030-407: The orography favors high rainfall. The geomorphological conformation of the state of Zulia is a semicircular depression. It defines a hydrographic pattern that can be catalogued by its shape as a radial drainage, that is, that the waters coming from the water dividers are directed towards a common outlet, Lake Maracaibo, which defines this characteristic pattern. The Zulia hydrographic network

3131-468: The Andes and, therefore, its structural pattern and relief are more moderate. Likewise, the Ziruma mountain range develops towards the southeast, considered as a pre-mountain range system of relatively lower altitudes, where only tertiary rocks emerge. . According to the most recent classification, the state of Zulia presents three basic physical-natural units: the natural region of the Perijá mountain range;

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3232-516: The Barinese wind, which blows in the Llanos Altos. According to Virgilio Tosta , the place name was first used before 1628 as an alternative name for Altamira ; in contrast, according to Betancourt Martínez , it was in the foundations of Barinitas such as Nueva Trujillo de Barinas (1628) and Barinas (1759). It expanded with the creation of the Province of Barinas in 1786 and was reduced to

3333-599: The Caribbean plate. Throughout its geological history, the Andes and Perijá became positive zones; however, an orogenic pulsation in the Upper Eocene and another one during the Miocene-Pliocene defined the current form of these mountainous systems, conditioning the depression of the Maracaibo and its surrounding plains. These orogenic processes made the Perijá mountain range suffer a less intense uplift than

3434-666: The Cocinetas, Peonias, Sinamaica and Los Olivitos lagoons , and the mouth of the Limon River. For the coastal wetlands in the entire system of Maracaibo is estimated an area of 5,683 km (2,194 mi ), highlighting in the south of the lake the swamps of Juan Manuel de Aguas Claras and Aguas Negras . The mangrove vegetation is rather dense. It comprises a set of predominant species, among which are: red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle ), black and pink mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ), white mangrove ( Laguncularia racemosa ) and

3535-635: The Constitution of 1989, its partial amendment of 1993 and 2001. The Executive Power is represented by the Governor of Zulia State. The Governor is elected by means of direct and secret universal suffrage of all Venezuelan citizens residing in the territory of Zulia State and registered in the Electoral Roll of the State's circumscription. To occupy the position of Governor, it is necessary to be

3636-643: The Court of Madrid to modify the primitive division and by Royal Decree of September 8, 1777, the Provinces of Maracaibo, Cumaná, Guayana and the Islands of Margarita and Trinidad were incorporated into the General Captaincy of Caracas. By Royal Decree of February 15, 1785, the city of Barinas and its dependencies, which corresponded to Maracaibo, were segregated to form a separate province, and instead

3737-561: The Dutch). Nueva Trujillo is considered the "gateway to the conquest of the Llanos", because from here, important settlements were founded in view of the Llanos: the town of doctrine of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Curay (1619, which is La Barinesa today), the city of Nuestra Señora de Pedraza (1951, which is Ciudad Bolivia today) and the Indian towns of Santa Bárbara and Curbatí. After

3838-682: The Guzmancism's plan for the reduction of states, it was proposed the conformation of the South State of the West from the territories of the states of Barinas, Carabobo, Portuguesa and Cojedes and the Department of Nirgua of the State of Yaracuy, denominated as "sections"; however, after the protest of Barinitas for the distance of Valencia as capital, such union was given excluding Carabobo and Nirgua. Barinas proposed to include Apure as part of

3939-530: The Indians, the development of extensive cattle raising, the general interest in evading the taxes of the Crown and the fall in demand for tobacco by the end of the 17th century caused the Barinese to abandon the table of Moromoy in order to populate the savannas around the rivers Santo Domingo, Masparro and Boconó . The Barinese established their herds there and formed important towns, such as Sabaneta , Barrancas and Obispos . For this reason, on July 11, 1759,

4040-539: The Lake. Venezuela's federal constitution , April 22, 1864, changed the denomination of "province" to "state", creating the State of Maracaibo on the same territory as the province. At the end of the same year, the state's legislation determined to change the name to the Sovereign State of Zulia, but that lasted only a few months. In 1874, its name again became Zulia State. Federal government orders in 1881 created

4141-553: The Llano Medio of Bariné, due to its good soils and infrequent flooding. This occupation is characterized by the oldest roads and mounds found in the region today, and by the ceramic complex of the El Oso stream. Their settlements were sedentary and subsisted through the cultivation of corn, hunting and fishing. During this period, El Piedemonte was an area of exchange with Andean groups. From 650 to 1200, Araucanian groups dominated

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4242-741: The Lora and Aricuaisá Rivers, and by the Tucuco and Río Negro Rivers, in their lower course, forming highly floodable lands, generating river arms, lagoons, lakes, among which the protected area known as Ciénagas de Juan Manuel National Park stands out. To the southeast of the Santa Ana, towards the southern area of the lake, the Catatumbo river system, to which the Socuavó, Tarra and Zulia rivers drain, also provides significant volumes of water and sediments to

4343-476: The Maracaibo lake there is a wide plain, very flat, which due to its topographic differences, drainage, edaphic and vegetal formations can be differentiated in two areas: a northwest area of less flat topography, with presence of hills in some sectors, scarce hydrographic network, sandy soils and low in organic matter. Between the southern area of the Palmar River and the northern area of the Catatumbo River,

4444-410: The Piedemonte give rise to depressions around it. There are three reservoirs in the state: those of the rivers Boconó, Masparro and Caparo. Being in the intertropical zone and extending more towards the meridians than the parallels, Barinas has a climate determined by altitude, winds and two seasons: the dry season, from October to March, and the rainy season, from April to September. Of these factors,

4545-552: The Piedemonte have been found, and more than a score of mounds and roads – long camels – that extend throughout the plain from Colombia have also been found; they may have been used for economic, military and/or religious purposes. The indigenous presence began with the inhabitants of the Agua Blanca complex, about which there is not much information. In 250, groups from the Oriente of Colombia and Ecuador started to settle in

4646-667: The Province of Maracaibo in the year of 1678 and was added, along with Mérida, to the Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada . It is entity was governed by the President of the Court, whose official seat was the city of Santa Fé de Bogotá and its jurisdiction extended, in a capricious and extravagant way, to the Provinces of Guayana, Cumaná, Maracaibo and the Islands of Margarita and Trinidad The difficulties that to its good administration offered this curious conglomerate, forced

4747-587: The Sierra Nevada, the Sierra del Tapo-Caparo and the Sierra de Calderas, with the first peak close to 4 000 m above sea level inside Barinas, and the last one has a lot of valleys. The tables of Moromoy, El Curay and Parangula are landmarks that separate the high and low parts. Two large passes are found, both to the north: the pass of the valleys and the depression of the Santo Domingo River and

4848-418: The State of Apure from Barinas, making it a province, with the capital in Achaguas . In 1824, in view of the Territorial Division Law, the Department of Venezuela disappeared and the Department of Apure was created, which consisted of the provinces of Barinas and Apure. Two years later, these provinces became part of the Department of Orinoco, along with Guayana. After the dissolution of the Great Colombia,

4949-447: The State. Despite the fact that the South West later acquired the name "Zamora", the centre of power was not in Barinas, but in Ospino , provisionally, and then in Guanare . At the end of the 1880s and in view of the secessionist movement of Cojedes , the idea of the disintegration of the South West in Barinas was promoted. This led to the separation of the sections of Zamora on April 22, 1899, by Ignacio Andrade 's government. However,

5050-452: The Upper Plains, up to 200 m above sea level. This plain ends abruptly where Troncal 5 passes, in a line that goes from the town of Las Veguitas to Punta de Piedras , from which the Mérida mountain range begins, the final part of the Andina. The lowest and least rugged section of this part of the mountain range is the Sierra del Piedemonte, in which hills, small mountains, depressions and mesas predominate. The highest and most rugged parts are

5151-413: The altitude modifies the temperatures more forcefully. The cold winds that flow from the east of the Mérida mountain range to the Llanos Altos cause the characteristic phenomenon of the Barinese wind. According to Köppen's classification , the Sierra del Tapo-Caparo and the Llanos have a savanna climate (Aw) ; the Piedemonte and Alto Apure, a monsoon climate (Am); the Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Calderas,

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5252-419: The arid conditions that characterize the continental territory that borders it. The most important hydrological contributions are not located in the sector of the marabine coast, but come from the mountainous system of the state of Falcon. In the Maracaibo Lake basin, 21 major sub-basins have been identified, some of which go beyond the political-territorial limits of the State of Zulia. The most important basin

5353-496: The birds. At As for mammals , there are new species, such as the spider monkey, also known as the marimonda ( Ateles belzebuth hybridus ), a species that lives in the humid forests of the Maracaibo Lake Basin (includes the forests of the Perijá mountain range). In the Perijá sub-region (mountainous area), the ecosystem is made up of a great diversity of animal communities: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Representatives of some species of mammals in this subregion are:

5454-435: The buttonwood mangrove ( Conocarpus erectus ). The category of dry semi-deciduous lowland forest occupies the largest area in the state, 18,872.7 km (7,286.8 mi ). These plant formations are located above the western coast, in the municipalities Paez, Mara, Maracaibo, Jesus Enrique Lossada, San Francisco, La Cañada de Urdaneta, Rosario de Perijá, Machiques de Perijá, part of Catatumbo and Jesus Maria Semprum. On

5555-451: The cantons of Guanare, Ospino and Araure initiated managements to segregate themselves from the Province of Barinas, which would occur in 1851, when the National Congress erected the Province of Portuguesa. During the Federal War (1859–1863), General Ezequiel Zamora maintained federalist control of all the Western Plains from Barinas, and consolidated it with the Battle of Santa Inés on December 10, 1859; after this victory, Zamora left

5656-410: The capacity to absorb and dilute the contaminating elements that may be present in this water body. The Gulf of Venezuela, with a total surface of 17,840 km , without including the bay of El Tablazo, is located to the north of the outer portion of the marabinal depression. Its shape is approximately rectangular, with the major axis in the northeast–southwest direction. The outer limit of the gulf with

5757-533: The city of Trujillo was incorporated, which was part of the province of Caracas. In 1789, the province covered the territory of the current Venezuelan states of Zulia, Apure , Barinas , Táchira , Mérida and Trujillo . In 1810, Mérida and Trujillo were separated as new provinces. At the beginning of the 19th century, the province of Maracaibo had, besides the capital of its name, the cities of Mérida, Trujillo, San Cristobal, El Rosario de Perijá and San Bartolomé de Sinamaica, with their respective dependencies; but once

5858-450: The coastal area to the foothills of the Oca mountains. The fauna is distributed according to the terrestrial or aquatic habitat of fresh and marine water, lentic and lotic waters, and also ecotone fauna. The dry sub-region includes the municipalities of Paez, Mara, Maracaibo, Miranda, Jesus Enrique Lossada, Cabimas , La Cañada de Urdaneta and Lagunillas. This sub-region is home to vulnerable animal communities, considered to be taxa that face

5959-438: The combined Falcón Zulia state . Its autonomous state status continued until April 1, 1890, when congress legislated the separation of the Falcon-Zulia State. It suffered further territorial changes towards the end of the 19th century, until the current delimitation in 1899 was finally drawn. Since that time the name has remained Estado Zulia . The state of Zulia is a compendium of diverse geographical areas. Plains, mountains,

6060-411: The cultivation of yucca and establishing trade routes throughout the Orinoco basin. The Tunebos explored and occupied the Piedemonte and the Llanos Altos of the state, starting from the Sierra Nevada of El Cocuy and the savannas of Casanare , following their tradition of occupying three altitudinal levels and bringing a large part of the Chibcha element to the region. Before the colonization,

6161-451: The current states of Apure and Portuguesa , the creation of the Province of Barinas , separating it from Maracaibo . During this period, there was a remarkable diversification and economic growth, stimulated by the trade and cultivation of tobacco , sugar , indigo , cocoa , cotton , onoto and coffee . The Spaniards also built the first prison and hospital. There was a great population growth, as census records show. Barinas defeated

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6262-451: The dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, it was named Maracaibo Province and was one of the 11 provinces of Venezuela . In 1835 the territory of the Province of Maracaibo was divided into the five Cantons: Maracaibo, Perijá, Zulia, Gibraltar and Altagracia. By Decree of April 9, 1850 were added. the territory of the Province of Trujillo the parishes of La Ceiba and La Ceibita, belonging to Maracaibo, so that that Andean Province had an exit to

6363-414: The diversity of resources given by the nature of its geography, geology and hydrography, drawing in its territory a heterogeneous mosaic of potentialities for the economic, social and cultural development, manifested in the practice of agriculture, livestock, forestry, mining, fishing and tourism, with areas under special administration. These elements make Zulia a federal entity capable of contributing within

6464-484: The eastern coast they are distributed in the municipalities of Miranda, Santa Rita, Cabimas, Simón Bolívar, Lagunillas and part of the municipality of Valmore Rodriguez. In the municipality of Paez, these plant formations develop in dry climates with an annual average temperature of 28 °C (82.4 °F), average annual rainfall of 125 mm to 250 mm (5 inches to 10 inches) and in Aridisols and Entisols soils. The vegetation varies in size, density and species from

6565-477: The economic activities, a complex industrial marked by its uniqueness, reinforced by the routes and means of lake-marine communications that facilitate the entry and exit of products and goods to the international market . Consequently, it is a nodal center of development in the western geography of Venezuela that manages and concentrates its internal flows and placed at any point of the planet by its expeditious air, land, sea and lake routes. The state of Zulia, from

6666-505: The effects of the activities human) stand out: the flamingo ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) , distributed in the swamp of Los Olivitos, Miranda municipality, and in the Gran Eneal lagoon, Paez municipality. Although this species cannot be classified as particularly threatened, the loss of its habitats, feeding and nesting areas, together with the lack of adequate management of its shelters, has led to important studies and pro-conservation campaigns, in order to protect and ensure its integrity. Among

6767-527: The foothills, pardillo, granadilla , caobas and vera grows. There are more than 450 species of birds, among which are the prey species – especially the Andean condor , herons, storks, ducks, the parachute, the Orinoco woodpecker and the carrao. Mammals are the most abundant vertebrates, highlighting the deer, foxes, otters , anteaters , honey bears , cachicamos, cunaguars , jaguars , spider monkeys , capuchins , rabbits and chigüires . Rabbits, spectacled bears , porcupines and shrews are only found in

6868-429: The governor of La Grita Province , Francisco de Cáceres , founded the city of Altamira de Cáceres while choosing a mountainous place. Altamira was a small city. Its inhabitants led a dangerous life being close to the jirajaras and had limited space. Due to the city's precarious conditions, Varela resigned his post as mayor a few months after founding it, and, a decade later, its inhabitants desired to move. In spite of

6969-401: The governor of the Province of Mérida and La Grita, Juan Pacheco Maldonado, the city was refounded as "Nueva Trujillo de Barinas" – today Barinitas. This was because the plateau was closer to the Llanos, which they wanted to conquer, while having better land for livestock and tobacco cultivation (which had become intensive due to the high demand and had generated a great deal of smuggling led by

7070-480: The inconveniences, Altamira was populated for four decades thanks to cattle raising and tobacco cultivation, and was able to compete with Cuba in the beginning. The population of the city did not prosper as expected, reaching only sixteen Creoles and 250 Indians, in spite of the fact that, according to Virgilio Tosta, " tobacco turned the primitive Barinas into a globally famous name". The citizens of Altamira gradually moved towards El Llano, until in 1628, by order of

7171-426: The independence of Mérida, was segregated with the character of a province, while Maracaibo continued under the Spanish regime until January 18, 1821, on which date it joined the Great Colombia , proclaiming its independence from the Government of Madrid. Zulia Province declared independence from Spain on January 28, 1821. During the Gran Colombia period in 1824, it received the name of " Zulia Department ", honoring

7272-430: The lands are very flat and low, particularly those closest to Lake Maracaibo are flooded during rainy periods or when there is an overflow of rivers, giving rise to alluvial sandy-clay soils. This natural region includes the 21 municipalities that make up the state of Zulia and occupies an area of 24,377.81 km , representing 75.51% of the state. In the center of the depression is the engraved tectonic pit occupied by

7373-490: The largest oil and gas reserves in the Western Hemisphere . Zulia is economically important to the country for its oil and mineral exploitation, but it is also one of the major agricultural areas of Venezuela, highlighting the region's contribution in areas such as livestock, bananas , fruits, meat, and milk. There are several competing theories about the origin of the state's name. One is that Guaimaral, son of

7474-514: The marshes. Towards the southeast of the lake, in the sector located between the Pocó and Escalante rivers, there is close contact with the northwestern Andean slope, and there is a reduced relief of excrement cones, terraces and torrential lava flows that sometimes manifest themselves in low, rounded hills. In the northern sector a semi-arid climate prevails, with an irregular pluviometric regime. The annual medial precipitation registered in Maracaibo city

7575-745: The natural region of the Corian sierras and the natural region formed by the depression of the Maracaibo lake and the coastal plains of the gulf of Venezuela. The natural region Cordillera de Perijá or western Andean mountain range is located in the west of Zulia state. This unit occupies an area of 4,170.55 km , which represents 12.92% of the state. Part of the most western sectors of the Machiques de Perijá, Rosario de Perijá, Jesús Enrique Lossada, Mara and Guajira municipalities are located in this natural region . The Perijá mountain range can be considered

7676-515: The northeast and northwest of the state of Zulia. The decrease in vegetation as a result of livestock activity has generated a destruction of their habitat . Among the bird species, the little cardinal ( Carduelis cucullata ) is considered the most threatened not only in Zulia, but in the whole country. The cause of this situation is related to its capture and trade: the beauty of its plumage has been used as an ornament for hats. In less risk (prone to

7777-552: The one he carried out at the end of 1529 along the eastern shore of the lake up to the mouth of the Motatán river, were the first occasions, after the discovery, in which they made contact the Europeans with the Indians living in Lake Maracaibo. These risky enterprises, for which a great deal of value and energy was required, were interesting subjects that inspired the chronicler Juan de Castellanos much of his poetic work concluded by

7878-686: The pass of the Boconó River valleys. In the Paleozoic , the Merida mountain range was formed as an island. The sediments of this mountain range accumulated to the east and west, giving way to the formation of the Llanos, around the Mesozoic. The most important geological formations in the state are Palmarito; Caparo, with fossiliferous shales; and Sabaneta, with sandstone. Barinas is characterized by an abundance of rivers, so many that its capital

7979-414: The physiographic and climatic characteristics of the entity, hence to differentiate the types of existing soils the sectorization of the state is used, even though spatially they do not always maintain continuity, but similarity in the existing types of soil. The state of Zulia, due to its great territorial extension and the great variability of type of landscapes , climate and soil, allows the existence of

8080-428: The place "Little Venice" or Venezuela . The lake has a number of islands, some of which are populated. Near the mouth of the Catatumbo River , where it empties into Lake Maracaibo, is the famous Catatumbo lightning ( Relámpago del Catatumbo ) which is represented on the state's flag and coat of arms by lightning bolts. Due to its geographical location, Zulia has geostrategic and geopolitical advantages combined in

8181-484: The position. The term of office of the state governor is four years. A governor may be re-elected an undetermined number of times. Barinas (state) Barinas State ( Spanish : Estado Barinas , IPA: [esˈtaðo βaˈɾinas] ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela . The state capital is Barinas . Barinas State covers a total surface area of 35,200 km (13,600 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 970,689 in 2015. The toponym "Barinas"

8282-476: The present region in 1859. Because of this toponym, Senna aculeata – a low, thorny and yellow-flowered shrub in the state – is sometimes called the barinas flower, which is why it is the state flower. Georg von Speyer and Nikolaus Federmann explored the region in 1534 on their way to the Andes . In 1542, Philipp von Hutten traveled from Coro over this area en route towards Colombia. In 1547, Alonso Pérez de Tolosa, who came from El Tocuyo , also crossed

8383-586: The previous degree of autonomy was not granted. In 1989, the states were granted greater political autonomy with the country's first regional elections . The Western Plains predominate. The plains extend from the Camaguán marshes in the far east and rise in height towards the west, thus dividing into the Lower Plains, up to 120 m above sea level, the Middle Plains, up to 160 m above sea level, and

8484-567: The proclaimed state to besiege San Carlos, at which he was killed. In honor of him, Barinas was renamed "Zamora" in 1862, recovering its original name in 1936. As for all the other provinces, Barinas became a de jure state since the proclamation of the United States of Venezuela , with the Constitution of 1864 , thus repealing the ephemeral merger it had with Apure during the last year of the war. On April 30, 1879, in accordance with

8585-535: The region, who inhabited its wooded areas and brought with them the chiefdoms and war relations. The period is also characterized by a remarkable population growth and an extension of the groups to the vicinity of the current Guanarito. A possible influence of the groups from central-west Venezuela can also be seen in the use of ceramics. During different periods, the Arawak moved around the region, from which they left for Zulia and central-western Venezuela, introducing

8686-487: The reptiles, the following stand out: the coastal caiman ( Crocodylus acutus ), whose distribution is severely reduced at present, is located mainly in the Pueblo Viejo dam, municipality of Lagunillas. It is an endangered species, threatened mainly by the commercialization of its skin. In lesser risk is a species of turtle, Morroccoy sabanero ( Geochelone carbonaria ), which is distributed in dry forest areas, and

8787-520: The rivers Araure, Mene, Ulé, Tamare, Pueblo Viejo, Machango and Misoa. This landscape corresponds to flat lands, of recent origin and scarce height, which varies between 50 and 100 meters above sea level. The swampy landscape of Zulia State corresponds to the southern lands of Lake Maracaibo . They occupy an area of 1,766.53 km , which represents 5% of the state. In this plain, the Santa Ana River system converges, formed on its left bank by

8888-402: The rivers Limón, Guasare, Cachirí and Socuy (municipalities Mara and Jesús Enrique Lossada); the rivers Palmar, San Juan and Apón (municipalities Rosario de Perijá, Machiques de Perijá and La Cañada de Urdaneta); in the western alluvial plains, while in the eastern alluvial plains (municipalities of Miranda, Cabimas, Santa Rita and Lagunillas) they are the result of the deposition of sediments from

8989-568: The sacking of Maracaibo and the burning of Gibraltar by the Dutch (1641), the Barinese thought of alternate trade routes; thus, in 1647, Miguel de Ochogavia undertook the successful expedition to discover the Santo Domingo-Apure-Orinoco connection, through which the subsequent conquest of Apure was carried out. This discovery led to the subsequent emergence of the ports of Torunos and Nutrias. The progressive pacification of

9090-404: The specific case of the northern part of the state, the wind added to the flat relief causes dry climates, with values that vary between 200 mm and 600 mm of average annual precipitation, and a higher average annual evaporation than the precipitation, such as that which occurs in Maracaibo for the period 1993-2003 of 2,339 mm. The distribution of precipitation in the state of Zulia

9191-475: The spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ), which is in a category of threat (critical danger) due to the pressure exerted by the hunt, which has caused the decrease of the populations of these animals, in spite of being distributed in areas protected by the Venezuelan laws. Since the creation of the Sovereign State of Zulia on February 17, 1864, with the approval of the first State Constitution, it regulates

9292-458: The state due to colonization, but in many cases, their names remained as place names throughout the state, as is the case of Torunos and Barrancas. In 1535, Europeans started to explore the region, this time on behalf of the Welsares, when the then governor, Jorge de Espira , crossed Barinas along with his group during his expedition in search for El Dorado del Meta and faced jirajaras along

9393-438: The state was populated by numerous tribes, who were already organized in communal agricultural societies including the canaguaes, capas, cúcuaros, curaguas, caquetíos, curayes, dásaros, duriguas, guahibos, güeros, orúes, ticoporos, michayes, suripaes, torunos, tobores, tucuriguas, puyures and the varinas, among which the apures, aitures, amaibas, achaguas, baraures, barrancas stand out. These tribes disappeared or became extinct from

9494-505: The structure and function of the government of Zulia. Like all Venezuelan State Constitutions, it is subject to national judicial review. Any of the provisions of the Constitution may be annulled if they conflict with national law and the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Constitution of the State of Zulia was promulgated on August 13, 2003, and partially amended in 2011, currently in force, thus repealing

9595-663: The territory. The pre-Columbian history of the Western Plains develops mainly around the present-day territory of Barinas, which was a highly mobile area where numerous indigenous ethnic groups from the Orinoco , the Amazon and the Andes interacted, using the rivers and highlands as convenient communication routes. Starting in the 11th century and ending with the colonization, it is believed there were several successive occupations. At least 33 petroglyphs and many lithic types in

9696-512: The uplifts of the Perijá and Andean mountain ranges that occurred during the Tertiary period (late Eocene and Oligo-Miocene), and the Falcón mountain ranges (Oligo-Miocene). This pit occupies about 12,870 km of surface. This type of landscape is formed by the deposition of sediments from the rivers of the western and eastern margins of the state of Zulia, specifically in the lower courses of

9797-658: The water masses of the Maracaibo Lake system, "where more than 10,000 m3 of sediments have been accumulated, whose ages are from the Cretaceous (Mesozoic) to the Recent (Cenozoic). These deposits of both marine and terrestrial origin contain an important accumulation of hydrocarbons that make it one of the richest oil basins in South America. The tectonic fossa is a product of the orogenesis directly related to

9898-521: The waters of the Caribbean Sea, on the north side, is given by a line between Punta Espada and Punta Macolla. The distance between both points is 111.12 km. The gulf of Venezuela is a body of water that presents the following movements: of sea, of tides , marine currents and investments of water mass, which provides a high capacity to oxygenate itself and to dilute the pollutants and sediments. Scarce fluvial currents flow into this gulf, due to

9999-491: The way. Nicolás Federmán passed by the present Arismendi the same year. Philip of Utre, who had accompanied Espira, repeated his expedition in 1541. Alonso Pérez de Tolosa also crossed Barinas in 1549, heading for El Tocuyo , after he failed in a conquest entrusted to him by the then governor Juan Pérez de Tolosa. The colonization of Barinas began on June 30, 1577, when Captain Juan Andrés Varela, commissioned by

10100-635: The year of 1590 under the title of "Elegies of Illustrious Men of the Indies. During the Spanish colonial period, its lands were part of the Venezuela Province until 1676, when its lands were added to the Province of Mérida del Espiritu Santo de la Grita , becoming the province Espiritu Santo de Maracaibo , or Maracaibo Province . The territory that covers the State of Zulia was erected in

10201-633: Was consolidated. Young Barineses like José Antonio Páez and Pedro Briceño Méndez were important heroes of the Independence. During the existence of Greater Colombia, there were several political-administrative changes. In 1821, the Congress of Cúcuta created the Department of Venezuela , which included Barinas. Two years later, the Congress of the Republic separated the current territory of

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