Maracaibo

At the western end of Venezuela, in Zulia State, is Maracaibo, Venezuela's second largest city and together with the East Coast Lake, is a major oil center. Maracaibo is located on the shores of the lake that bears his name and which was discovered on August 24, 1499, by the sailor Alonso de Ojeda, companion of Columbus on his second voyage. It is a very important city because of its proximity to the East Coast of Lake Maracaibo and Paraguaná Peninsula, where it is extracted and processed much of Venezuelan oil, respectively, and also the second commercial, cultural, educational Country .

The Zulia State Government and the Institute for the Conservation of Lake Maracaibo Basin (Iclam) initiated a dialogue to establish joint projects towards the recovery of the main basin located in the western entity.

 In the center of the city are kept traditions that are reflected in its local architecture, with narrow streets and colorful houses, old theaters and churches, plazas, museums and other colonial sites of interest.

Location | Surface | Population

geographic location

The state of Zulia is located to the Northwest of the country, and its boundaries the Gulf of Venezuela in the north, Colombia to the west, Tachira, Trujillo and Mérida to the south and the states of Lara and Falcon in the east. Zulia state history begins with the discovery of the Gulf of Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo by Alonso de Ojeda on August 22, 1499.

Area: 63,100 km2

6.92% of the territory nacional.Población (as INE projections for 2010): 3,821,068 inhabitants

12.92% of the country.

                       

Relief

Zulia state covers about 63,100 km ², including land and Lake Maracaibo and part of the Gulf of Venezuela, representing approximately 6.90% of all of Venezuela, making it the fourth largest institution in Venezuela surface after the states of Bolivar, Amazonas and Guarico.

The Zulia is surrounded by two mountain branches of the Andes Mountains on the west, the Sierra de Perijá, which borders with the Republic of Colombia, south of Mérida Cordillera, which extends to the northeast in the mountainous areas of Trujillo State, as with Siruma saw bordering the states of Lara and Falcon.

The territory of the state of Zulia, is a very homogeneous as, topographically speaking. The 63.9% of the continental area are flat areas and the remaining 16% is composed of surfaces alternating between flat or undulating areas markedly steep reliefs.

Hydrography

The Zulia form a broad tectonic depression in its center is Lake Maracaibo. If you are considered a lake, the Maracaibo is the largest in South America. However, according to other definitions should be considered a sea as it is connected by a narrow 54 km (34 miles) to the Gulf of Venezuela, and from there to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean (the only freshwater lake in the world that has a direct connection, and natural, with the sea). Its main flowing from the Rio Catatumbo, but many other smaller rivers contribute to its waters from the nearby Andes mountains. The economic importance of this basin is outstanding because of the prosperity of agriculture and livestock in it have taken root. In addition, there are the main sources of Venezuela's oil wealth.

Lake Maracaibo is part of what is geographically known as the System of Lake Maracaibo, which is completed by the Strait of Maracaibo, the Bay The Tablazo and the Gulf of Venezuela. On its waters are native Indian villages whose houses are known stilt houses (houses built within the lake supported by stakes).

To the south of the state, through flood plains, flowing rivers originating in the Andes, which provide considerable sediment load that enriches the soil. Among them are the Chama, Capable, and Motatán Torondoy. On the east coast and from the Sierra de Ciruma rivers flow hydraulic reservoir constituting the sector. Cities like Cabimas, Lagunillas and Ciudad Ojeda, rely on them as sources of water supply, among the most important include the Rio Pueblo Viejo, Rio and Rio Misoa Machango

                  

  Climate and Vegetation

 The climate in Zulia state is dominated by warm and semiarid conditions. The annual average temperature varies between 28 º C and 40 º C in the lowlands and reaches temperatures up to cold temperate in western areas Perijá. Rainfall varies from 300 mm in the Guajira and 4500 mm per year in the Mission of El Tokuko, southwest of the state.

The mountainous formation Perijá, has an effect on the northeast trade winds, forcing them to ascend, when they must download all the moisture they bring the sea. This shock causes the phenomenon known as Catatumbo Lightning. Due to continuous thunderstorms in the evening the Catatumbo phenomenon is almost unique in the world, amazing in its beauty, but also for the utility offered in the past to craft penetrating Lake Maracaibo, which could orient night by the glow, why was also known to this phenomenon as the Lighthouse of Maracaibo.  

                                  

Tourism

The conquest Zulia both domestic and foreign tourists for the variety of activities offered. Just go their ways from Headgear, facing the Gulf of Venezuela, to the bottom of the lake and end at the north end of the east coast, to find hundreds of possibilities and interesting places to visit. From trips to national parks and estates full of natural attractions such as the Park and Bogs Perijá Catatumbo, to tours of museums and historical monuments full of crafts and folklore.

The shores of Lake Maracaibo and marine shores facing the Gulf of Venezuela, traveler provide excellent beaches, but also the historical spectacle colonial castles such as Castle of San Carlos, Castillete Zapara and Paijana fortified redoubt. In Zulia state, living in different communities (Guajiro Wayuu north and the Guajira peninsula, south Yukpas and state Barí between Machiques and Perijá and Paraujanos), which still retain many of their traditions and native crafts . For tourists visiting the area, it becomes a real cultural experience.

                                    

Lago de Maracaibo

has a great biodiversity. species such as herons, alligators, shrimp, iguanas, catfish, grouper, mullet, bocachicos, armadillos fish, pelicans and coconut plants are most common in the lake, is also rarely have detected the presence of peacocks, dolphins and even penguins .

There is a species of freshwater fish and water called old old lake that is only found in the Lake Maracaibo Basin, is the Lamontichthys maracaibero.4perteneciente the Loricariidae family.

The Lemna or Duckweed is an aquatic plant that grows in environments rich in nitrogen, an element that has been organically built Lake Maracaibo no conscience whatsoever for wastewater departments of local hydrological company to pour raw sewage treat the lake.

 It has tried to link the occurrence of Lemna obscura (Austin) Daubs with waste from industries settled on the banks of Lake Maracaibo, but still be true that these industries discharge pollutants, there is no doubt that the pollution caused by waste more than 5 million people living along its banks is the worst of its ills.

Numerous oil spills, attributable at least in part to poor maintenance chores and indiscriminate discharge of untreated sewage, significantly deteriorated water quality to the point that in the Zulia catches have fallen to levels that prevent their exploitation and in some places the water has dangerous levels of pollution for health. Within polluting activities has added more recently in the exploitation of coal, which contributes an additional fee load of pollutants to the watershed.Also, called streams, which are casual drainage courses, crawl to the large amounts of trash lake from human settlements that are in its path.

Parque Nacional Sierra de Perija

Is a National Park, located in the Cordillera de Perijá. It spans the municipalities of Perijá and Colon Zulia state in Venezuela. It was established on December 12, 1978. The vegetation consists of deciduous forests basimontanos ombrophilous located between 100-300 meters, these forests are characterized by dense with heights ranging from medium to high and numerous lianas.

The fauna is rich in species which include:

• Puma (Puma concolor)
• White Face Monkey (Cebus capucinus)
• Araguato
• Spectacled Bear (Spectacled Bear)
• Lapa (Agouti paca)  
  
  
  
  The bird life is abundant and varied, have been reported:
  • King vulture or condor Real (Sarcoramphus Pope) 
  • Paují pompadour (Pauxi pauxi) 
  • Green Macaw (Ara militaris) 
  • Black Parrot (Psittacinae)
  • Perico red forehead (Aratinga wagleri wagleri)
  
  
  
  One of the main attractions of this beautiful place is the beauty of its unspoiled landscapes, peace and breathe there. Tutari Peak has 3,750 m above sea level, which is a real show, and two indigenous communities the Yucpa and Bari. It houses two beautiful spas that of Kunana and Rio Black, both with tourist facilities, such as cabins and public bathrooms.   
  
  
  
  
  

Parque Nacional Cienagas del Catatumbo

Marshes National Park Catatumbo is a protected area of Venezuela, the second Zulia State Natural Park, located on the wide plain between the Perijá and Lake Maracaibo.

The area is known around the country for a strange magnetic phenomena, only place in the world to introduce a feature like. It is an unusually frequent shock falling on the plain and does not thunder, Catatumbo Lightning.

Venezuela is also known as White Water and Wastewater or Cienegas Juan Manuel. Flora is of little importance naturalistic, characterized predominantly by herbaceous layer of the bog species. Some residual limb permanently flooded forest along the banks of the River Catatumbo, represent the last intact riparian vegetation formations Venezuela.

The aquatic fauna is abundant, especially birds. Sightings are common egrets, blue herons (Egretta caerulea), waiters soldiers (Jabiru Mycteria), ducks (Anatidae), gulls, terns and various raptor species locally known as caracaras.