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64-514: Maracaibo is considered the economic center of western Venezuela, owing to the petroleum industry that developed in the shores of Lake Maracaibo . It is sometimes known as "The First City of Venezuela", for being the first city in Venezuela to adopt various types of public services, including electricity, as well as for being located in the shores of Lake Maracaibo, where the name of Venezuela allegedly originates. Early indigenous settlements around

128-500: A Spanish treasure ship, which he captured, along with its rich cargo of cacao , gemstones and more than 260,000 pieces of eight . In March 1669, Henry Morgan sacked Maracaibo , which emptied when his fleet was first spied, and moved on to the Spanish settlement of Gibraltar on the inside of Lake Maracaibo in search of more treasure. A few weeks later, when he attempted to sail out of the lake, Morgan found an occupied fort blocking

192-399: A flat bottom is steep and the northwestern edge is gentle. The southern part is lighter due to river water injection, while the northern part is slightly salty due to tidal influence. The Catatumbo River forms a bird-foot-shaped delta in the southwest of the lake basin, and the surface lake water in the delta has a salinity of only 0.13%. However, the intrusion of seawater from the mouth of

256-667: A lake it would be the largest in South America , ahead of Lake Titicaca, as well as one of the oldest lakes on Earth , having formed 36 million years ago in the Andes Mountains . The lake is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela to the north by a narrow spit . It is fed by numerous rivers, the biggest being the Catatumbo River . The fault in the northern section has collapsed and is rich in oil and gas resources. It

320-448: A large metropolitan city, comprising two municipalities: the municipality of Maracaibo proper, and the municipality of San Francisco , established in 1995, to the south. In recent years, due to political/economic and cultural reasons, many have moved to Maracaibo from rural areas and other cities (including Caracas ). Maracaibo also boasts one of the best universities in the country, the state university, La Universidad del Zulia (LUZ)

384-564: A protected harbour, the city is located on the shores of the lake where the narrows, which eventually lead to the Gulf of Venezuela , first become pronounced. The Dutch corsair Henrik de Gerard plundered Maracaibo in 1614, and in 1642 the city was attacked by the British pirate William Jackson . In 1667, l'Olonnais with a fleet of eight ships and a crew of six hundred pirates sacked Maracaibo and Gibraltar. En route, l'Olonnais crossed paths with

448-605: A three-year letter of marque from the Earl of Warwick , he set sail commanding a fleet including such prominent privateers as Samuel Axe , William Rous and Lewis Morris in 1642. Although Jackson's later activities are not recorded, another Captain William Jackson led a small fleet consisting of over 1,000 buccaneers from St. Kitts and Barbados looting and plundering throughout the Spanish Main including looting

512-545: A year on average. The nocturnal thunderstorms occur on average about 297 days per year. At its peak in September, the lake area can experience up to 280 lightning strikes per hour, approximately 28 lightning strikes per minute, lasting up to 9 hours, and is capable of illuminating nighttime navigation. The aboriginal Añú  [ es ] people who lived on the banks of the lake refer to it as Coquivacoa. The tribes of Wayuu , Caquetíos , and Quiriquires also lived in

576-583: A young native who valiantly resisted the Spaniards and died fighting them. Legend says that when Mara fell, the Coquivacoa shouted " Mara cayó! " (" Mara fell! "), thus originating the city name—although it would be strange for them to shout in Spanish. Other historians say that the first name of this land in the local language was "Maara-iwo" meaning "Place where serpents abound". The first indigenous settlements were of Arawak and Carib origin. Around

640-465: Is twinned with: Lake Maracaibo Lake Maracaibo ( Spanish : Lago de Maracaibo ) is located in northwestern Venezuela , between the states of Zulia , Trujillo , and Mérida . While Maracaibo is commonly referred to as a lake, its current hydrological characteristics may better classify it as estuary and/or semi-enclosed bay connected to the Gulf of Venezuela . With a surface area of 13,512 km (5,217 sq mi), if counted as

704-402: Is 210 kilometers long from north to south, 121 kilometers wide from east to west, covers an area of 13,512 square kilometers, the deepest is 35 meters, the shore length is about 1000 kilometers, and the volume is about 280 cubic kilometers. The largest river entering the lake, the Catatumbo River , enters the lake from west to east, providing 57% of the water entering the lake. In addition to

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768-426: Is Venezuela's main oil producing area and an important fishing and agricultural producing area. Eutrophication caused by oil pollution is a major environmental problem facing the lagoon. The area around the lagoon is inhabited by a quarter of the country's population and is also the place with the most frequent lightning on Earth. The famous Catatumbo lightning can illuminate nighttime navigation. Lake Maracaibo

832-522: Is divided into 18 parishes as follows: Maracaibo is one of the hottest cities in Venezuela and all of South America as well. The rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta gives the city a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh ) Attenuated only by the moderating influence of the lake; Maracaibo's average historical temperature is 29 °C (84.2 °F). In the past, the climate of

896-657: Is geographically a peninsula), while others like Toad have tectonic origins. The majority of the islands are located in the area of the Tablazo Bay and forms the Almirante Padilla municipality  [ es ] . The islands of Burro, Providencia, Hijacal, Pájaros, and the artificial islands are located at the neck of the lake and belong to other municipalities. Natural islands of Lake Maracaibo: Artificial islands of Lake Maracaibo: The 8,678 metres (28,471 ft) long General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge connects

960-458: Is located within the eponymous basin and is one of the oldest lakes on earth. It was formed 36 million years ago when the faults collapsed when the Andes were uplifted in the late Eocene . In the geological history, sea water and fresh water have alternated many times, and have flooded the area. At the end of the last glacial period , the sea level rose, connecting Lake Maracaibo directly with

1024-484: Is rife with stories about the creation of an independent and sovereign nation apart from Venezuela, a nation called La República Independiente del Zulia , 'the Independent Republic of Zulia', but this has never come to be. Come the 20th century, cars, buses, and lorries, with their constant flow of manufactured goods and agricultural product to and from the city port, depended on ferry services between

1088-474: Is well renowned for its excellent law, medical and engineering schools as many other disciplines. Other universities and schools include Universidad Dr. Rafael Belloso Chacín (URBE) and Universidad Rafael Urdaneta , with one of the country's leading psychology schools. However, recent political instability has led to the decline of the universidad. The Diocese of Maracaibo (23 July 1965) was elevated to Archdiocese on 30 April 1966 by Pope Paulus VI . Maracaibo

1152-517: The Atlantic Ocean , and the lighter fresh water floated on the heavier salt water, causing nutrients to be deposited on the bottom of the lake, resulting in the accumulation of more than a five kilometer thick deposit of sediment on the bedrock. In the Pliocene , the depression of today's Lake Maracaibo reached what would be practically its current form. The numerous rivers that flow into

1216-859: The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto de Venezuela. Its home is the 5.000-people Pedro Elías Belisario Aponte stadium. Other teams include the Unión Atlético Maracaibo and the Zulia FC in football , the Maracaibo Rugby Football Club and the Zulianos Rugby Club . In the 2000 Little League World Series , the Sierra Maestra Little League of Maracaibo, Venezuela defeated Bellaire Little League of Bellaire, Texas in

1280-570: The Vineta bombarded the fort, setting fire to it and destroying it, with the death of 25 civilians in the nearby town. In 1908, the Friesland , Gelderland and Jacob van Heemskerck were sent to patrol the Venezuelan coast during the second Castro crisis . Friesland guarded the entry way to Maracaibo. The dictatorial regime of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez in the 1950s set as a goal

1344-840: The West Indian manatee and the Amazon river dolphin . About 145 species of fish inhabit the lake, including many endemic species such as the Maracaibo half-hooked catfish ( Hypostomus maracaiboensis ), the Maracaibo hairy catfish ( Trichomycterus maracaiboensis ), the Maracaibo Lake Lamont catfish ( Lamontichthys maracaibero ), Lake Maracaibo tetra ( Bryconamericus motatanensis ), and Maracaibo wolf anchovies ( Lycengraulis limnichthys ) living in surface waters. The lake has been drilled about 14,000 times, and more than 15,000 miles of oil and gas pipelines criss-cross

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1408-449: The Andes at night contacts the warm and humid air on the lake surface, forming an average of 297 mm per year. The meteorological phenomenon known as Catatumbo lightning takes place in southern part of the lake, characterized by a continuous series of lightnings that are almost continuous and silent. This makes Lake Maracaibo the place with the most frequent lightning on Earth. There are about 233 lightning strikes per square kilometer in

1472-555: The Catatumbo River are the main traffic lines for the transportation of commodities in the nearby area, and the city of Maracaibo is the transshipment center of coffee produced in the Andes. The waterway can pass through large sea-going ships and oil tankers, exporting crude oil and agricultural and livestock products from the Andean mountains and lakes. The Lake District is home to a quarter of Venezuela's population, and with

1536-759: The French commander of six ships and 700 men, captured Maracaibo then followed the plundering of several smaller towns as Gibraltar , penetrating as far inland as Trujillo . In 1810, the province of Maracaibo did not join the First Republic of Venezuela and remained loyal to the Spanish crown . Maracaibo then held the seat of the Captaincy General of Venezuela . In 1821, uprisings in favor of independence began to lead to warfare and hostility. The royalists , led by Francisco Tomás Morales , fought with

1600-580: The German warship SMS Panther attempted to enter Lake Maracaibo , which was a center of German commercial activity. On 17 January, it exchanged fire with the settlement of Fort San Carlos, but withdrew after half an hour, as shallow waters prevented it getting close enough to the fort to be effective. The Venezuelans claimed this as a victory, and in response the German commander sent the SMS Vineta , with heavier weapons, to set an example. On 21 January,

1664-639: The Gothic word for "goat", which is the skin generally used for the membrane of the "furro" instrument. Other instruments used in gaita include maracas, cuatro, charrasca and tambora (Venezuelan drum). Song themes range from humorous and love songs to protest songs.The style became popular throughout Venezuela in the 1960s, and it fused with other styles such as salsa and merengue in the 1970s. Famous gaita groups include Maracaibo 15, Gran Coquivacoa, Barrio Obrero, Cardenales del Éxito, Koquimba, Melody Gaita, Guaco, Estrellas del Zulia, Saladillo, and many others. Maracaibo

1728-505: The Pérez Jiménez regime on January 23, 1958, quickly led to a less elaborate design project that was approved and funded by a democratic and more financially responsible government. The building of El Puente sobre el Lago de Maracaibo "General Rafael Urdaneta" (' General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge over Lake Maracaibo') named after the distinguished general and war of independence hero was opened to public traffic in 1962 connecting

1792-637: The area were of Arawak and Carib origin. Maracaibo's founding date is disputed. There were failed attempts to found the city—in 1529, by Captain Ambrosio Ehinger , and in 1569, by Captain Alonso Pacheco. Founded in 1574 as Nueva Zamora de la Laguna de Maracaibo by Captain Pedro Maldonado, the city became a transshipment point for inland settlements after Gibraltar , at the head of the lake, had been destroyed by pirates in 1669. It

1856-566: The area. When Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci and Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda 's fleet sailed here on August 24, 1499 (the first time Europeans entered this area), the stilt houses in which the Añú lived in reminded Vespucci of the Italian city of Venice , so he named the region Veneziola ( Venezuela in Spanish), or "Little Venice". Spain made two attempts to establish settlements around

1920-461: The bottom of the lake to float to the surface of the lake, which in turn allowed the duckweed to rapidly multiply and triggered a bloom that lasted for up to eight months. The blooms were noted in June to have covered 18% of the lake, and the local government had to begin spending about $ 2 million per month on cleanup work. Numerous oil spills , at least partly attributed to deficient maintenance, and

1984-624: The championship game of the 54th Little League World Series. The Coquivocoa Little League team from Maracaibo placed third in the 1974 Little League World Series . Rugby in Venezuela was first played in Maracaibo, thanks to the influence of the English community based on the Zulia State Team: Culture in Maracaibo maintains strong Indigenous influences, from its gaitas , desserts, style, and other customs. Most major houses of advertising in Venezuela acknowledge how different

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2048-431: The cities of Maracaibo and Trujillo during 1642 and 1643. Anchoring in the harbor of present-day Kingston on March 25, he led a party of 500 men against the nearby town of St. Jago de la Vega which he captured after heavy resistance by the town's defenders at a cost of around forty men. Threatening to burn the town, he received a ransom of 200 cattle, 10,000 pounds of cassava bread , and 7,000 pieces-of-eight. Many of

2112-542: The city and the eastern shore which was poorly connected to the country's motorway system. Maracaibo and the Lake Maracaibo region's economy was more linked to Colombia and the Caribbean than to eastern Venezuela due to the natural route available through Lake Maracaibo then leading to the sea. In January 1903, as the naval blockade of Venezuela continued during the negotiations with presidente Cipriano Castro ,

2176-407: The city of Maracaibo, the lake water is contaminated with E. coli from feces, oil pollution, and eutrophication caused by agricultural sewage discharged into the lake, as well as domestic and industrial wastewater, resulting in the blooms of duckweed and green algae . The presence of large amounts of duckweed blocks the passage of sunlight, significantly affecting biological cycles, preventing

2240-447: The city to its opposite shore neighbors and the rest of the country through a new system of highways. The project was completed on schedule in 40 months. This bridge construction project was a remarkable feat. Built under very difficult conditions, when completed, it became the longest prestressed concrete bridge in the world. The structure is in constant use and remains today as the most important link between Maracaibo, along with much of

2304-402: The city, indeed all along the coast of Lake Maracaibo, was unhealthy due to the combination of high temperatures with high humidity. Today, control of plagues and the effects of urban development has largely eradicated these health problems. The registered high temperature of the city is 43.6 °C (110.5 °F), and the lowest is 18.8 °C (65.8 °F). Several universities are based in

2368-557: The city: Due to the regionalistic nature of Marabinos, they strongly support their native teams. Maracaibo, and the rest of Zulia, are represented in baseball by the Águilas del Zulia , a Venezuelan winter league team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional , and is based in the Estadio Luis Aparicio El Grande . The city's basketball team is Gaiteros del Zulia , which plays in

2432-419: The construction of a bridge connecting the two lake shores. Various bridge projects for the spanning of the Lake Maracaibo narrows near the city were in the works. The general's government had decided that this "city of independent thought" should be more "connected" to the rest of the country. Proposals for a bridge design that included rail transport and tourist facilities were seriously considered. The fall of

2496-436: The culture of Maracaibo is from that of Caracas. Studies of both prove, for example, that Caracas' leading soft drink brand is Coke , while in Maracaibo it is Pepsi . This has made many brands create special localized advertising of their products (including several Pepsi commercials spoken by local celebrities). The Gaita is a style of Venezuelan folk music from Maracaibo. According to Joan Corominas , it may come from gaits,

2560-440: The development of native algae and plant species. Additionally, duckweed residues accumulate at the bottom, generating a layer of organic elements that produces large amounts of ammonium, methane and other compounds whose saturation causes eutrophication of the waters. In the spring of 2004, heavy rains fell in the Lake Maracaibo basin, causing a large influx of fresh water into the lake. This caused nutrients originally deposited on

2624-463: The indiscriminate discharge of sewage without prior treatment, have significantly deteriorated the water quality, to the point that in some parts of the Zulia area, the water presents levels of contamination that are very dangerous for health. Within the existing polluting activities, the mining of mineral coal has started more recently, which further contaminates the basin with pollutants. Likewise,

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2688-483: The influence of the prevailing wind, the lake water circulates counterclockwise. There are also the Santa Ana River, Chama River , Motatán River , Escalante River , and about fifty other rivers which drain into it. Lake Maracaibo is deep in the south and shallow in the north. The northern half of the lake, which looks like a bottleneck, is 55 kilometers long. The southeastern edge of the lake basin with

2752-471: The influx of farmers from the nearby Andes, the population of the Lake District increased from about 300,000 in 1936 to over 3.62 million in 2007. Lake Maracaibo possesses highly oxygenated waters which makes it rich in algae, and in turn fish, making it very biologically diverse. It is home to clams, blue crabs , shrimp and other aquatic products, and is also home to two endangered aquatic mammals,

2816-740: The inlet to the Caribbean, along with three Spanish ships. These were the Magdalena , the San Luis , and the Soledad . He destroyed the Magdalena and burned the San Luis by sending a dummy ship full of gunpowder to explode near them, after which the crew of the Soledad surrendered. By faking a landward attack on the fort, thereby convincing the Spanish governor to shift his cannon, he eluded their guns and escaped. In June 1678, Michel de Grammont ,

2880-410: The lake connecting Maracaibo and Santa Rita was completed in 1962. Lake Maracaibo is rich in oil and gas resources and is known as the "oil lake". The first Spaniards who arrived used tar seeping from the lake to fill ship cracks. The Maracaibo oil field was discovered in 1914, the first oil well was constructed in 1917, and large-scale exploitation began in 1922. The oil fields are concentrated in

2944-437: The lake floor, but most of these pipelines are half a century old, with oil leaking from many aging underwater pipes. Before the 1950s, the lake water could still be used directly for domestic use, but then due to the intrusion of tidal salt water caused by the widening of the lake mouth channel, the salinity of the northern lake area increased by about 1,000%, and the south also increased by 300–500%. In lakeside towns such as

3008-728: The lake have been defining its banks, especially those that form the southern delta of the lake, where the Escalante , Catatumbo and Santa Ana rivers converge. Lake Maracaibo is located in the Maracaibo lowland in the faulted basin between the Perija Mountains and the Merida Mountains of the Eastern Cordillera Mountains in northwestern Venezuela. The lake is in the shape of a vase. It

3072-518: The lake in 1529 and 1569, but it was not until 1574 that the city of Maracaibo was successfully established. The Privateer Henry Morgan raided settlements on the lake in the Spring of 1669 and defeated a Spanish squadron sent to intercept him. On July 24, 1823, Venezuela won the famous Battle of Lake Maracaibo on the lake during the Venezuelan War of Independence . The original depth of

3136-421: The lake makes the salinity of the bottom lake water higher, reaching 0.2–0.3%. The north is connected with the Gulf of Venezuela , and the spit at the mouth of the lake extends for about 26 kilometers. The annual average temperature of the lake area is 28 °C, the precipitation is more in the south and less in the north, and the average annual rainfall in the south is 1400 mm. The mountain wind from

3200-409: The lake mouth, which was only more than 4 meters deep, was increased to 8 meters after dredging in the 1930s, and the 3-kilometer-long stone breakwater was further increased to 11 meters after its completion in 1957, allowing ocean-going tankers to enter the lake, At the same time, the northern part, which was originally fresh water, became brackish. The 8,678-meter General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge over

3264-716: The main group were the Añu tribe who built rows of stilt houses all over the northern riviera of Lake Maracaibo. The first Europeans arrived in 1499. The city was founded three times: the first time was during the Klein-Venedig period (1528–1546), when the Welser bankers of Augsburg received a concession over Venezuela Province from Charles I of Spain . In August 1529, the German Ambrosius Ehinger made his first expedition to Lake Maracaibo , which

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3328-432: The northeast and northwest of the lake, and the oil-producing layers are mainly Tertiary sandstone and Cretaceous limestone, with a hydrocarbon-bearing area of 1,300 square kilometers, mainly concentrated in the coastal waters 105 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide in the east of the lake. On the northwest coast is the capital of Zulia State , the second largest city in Venezuela and an important oil export port in

3392-504: The patriots, led by Rafael Urdaneta , to take back control over the province in the Juana de Ávila Battle, and Morales brought back Spanish rule in 1822 until he was defeated in the Battle of Lake Maracaibo on 24 July 1823, culminating Venezuela's struggle for independence. For about 380 years, Maracaibo remained isolated and separated from the rest of the country. Transportation to the area

3456-499: The so-called cañadas , which are random drainage courses, drag large amounts of garbage from the human settlements that are in their path to the lake. In addition to this, residential waste such as plastic bags and bottles are also added. These pollutants all eventually get carried into the lake. There are many islands in the lake. Some primarily consist of sedimentary rock , such as the Zapara, Pescadores, and San Carlos islands (which

3520-473: The state of Zulia, and the rest of Venezuela. François de Pons , an agent to the French government in Caracas, provides some historical insight into the people of Maracaibo in his travel journal ( de Pons 1806 ). The following excerpts describe the local population of Maracaibo: He also notes the appreciation of literature, the arts, education, and culture among the people of Maracaibo: Maracaibo has become

3584-528: The western and eastern coast of the lake together. It held the record for being the longest cable-stayed concrete bridge in the world at the time of its inauguration in 1962. Located in the southern part of the Strait of Maracaibo, it is a vehicles-only bridge that accommodates both directions of traffic, while its height allows for the passage of vessels up to 45 meters in height. William Jackson (pirate) William Jackson ( fl.  1639–1645 )

3648-417: The world. The lake area is also an important fishing and agricultural production area in Venezuela, supporting more than 20,000 fishermen, many of whom live in colorful traditional stilt houses built with iron sheets on the lake. The main crops on the south bank of the lake are bananas, peanuts, cocoa, coconut, sugar cane and coffee, the western shore of the lake developed dairy industry. Lake Maracaibo and

3712-426: The zone made Nikolaus Federmann evacuate the village in 1535 and move its population to Santa Marta near the then capital of Venezuela Province , Santa Ana de Coro . A second attempt by Captain Alonso Pacheco in 1569 suffered a brief setback when the city had to be evacuated in 1573 due to ferocious attacks by native local tribes. The European settlement returned a short while later, in 1574, however, for which it

3776-774: Was an English privateer who, based in Guanaja and Roatan , was in the service of the Providence Island Company from 1639 until around 1641. During that year, he captured a Spanish slave ship at the Honduran port of Trujillo and received a ransom of 8,000 pounds of indigo as well as 2,000 pieces-of-eight and two gold chains. Leaving the Providence Island Company, he sailed to England where he sold sugar and indigo to obtain supplies for another privateering expedition and, upon receiving

3840-450: Was bitterly opposed by the indigenous Coquivacoa . After winning a series of bloody battles, he founded the settlement on 8 September 1529. Ehinger named the settlement New Nuremberg ( German : Neu-Nürnberg ) and the lake after the valiant chieftain Mara of the Coquivacoa, who had died in the fighting. The city was renamed Maracaibo after the Spanish took possession. The lack of activity in

3904-412: Was not until the first decades of the 17th century that the first town was settled. Petroleum was discovered in 1917, leading to a large increase in population from migration. Maracaibo is served by La Chinita International Airport . The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge connects Maracaibo to the rest of the country. The name Maracaibo is said to derive from the brave cacique (indigenous chief) Mara,

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3968-588: Was possible through the lake via boats and ferries. Commerce and culture flowed between Maracaibo and the Caribbean Sea, particularly the Dutch Antilles, Colombian coastal cities, Cuba, Hispaniola and later on Miami, New York and Hamburg. This isolation from the rest of Venezuela was both a challenge and an advantage. The very nature of the city's location made for a population known for their independent thought and character. The history of this region

4032-474: Was re-founded by Captain Pedro Maldonado under Governor Diego de Mazariegos 's command and assuming the name of Nueva Zamora de Maracaibo. "Nueva Zamora" comes from Mazariego's place of birth, Zamora, in Spain. Since its definite foundation, the town began to develop as a whole. It is based on the western side of Lake Maracaibo , the dominant feature of the oil-rich Maracaibo Basin . Favored by prevailing winds and

4096-580: Was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Since November 2000, its Archbishop has been Ubaldo Ramón Santana Sequera . In 2019, power outages and widespread poverty caused a citywide wave of violence and looting, resulting in mass emigration, most of which was headed to the United States. Zulia's main income comes from oil extraction and refining, agriculture (coffee, rice, maize, cassava, cocoa, sugar cane), livestock production, and mining (clay, limestone, coal and sand). The municipality of Maracaibo

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