GULF OF VENEZUELA

The 'Gulf of Venezuela' is a gulf of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia and Falcón and the Colombian Department(State) of Guajira. A 54 km strait connects it with Lake Maracaibo to the south.

Contents

Location

History

Economic importance

Location

The Gulf is located in the north of South America, between the peninsulas of Paraguaná of the Falcón State in Venezuela and Guajira's in Colombia and is connected to the Lake Maracaibo through an artificial navigation canal. There is currently a dispute between Colombia and Venezuela over the gulf that has not been resolved, despite the decades-long negotiations conducted by a bilateral commission.

History

It was discovered by westerners in 1499 when an expedition commanded by Alonso de Ojeda in which he was accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci, explored the Venezuelan coasts compiling information and naming the new lands, said expedition arrived to the gulf after passing through the Netherlands Antilles and the Peninsula of Paraguaná.

Economic importance

The main factor that gives importance to these waters is the fact that serves to connect between the Lake Maracaibo and the Caribbean Sea, as it still is known, in the lake and adjacent areas to the east is extracted a great quantity of crude petroleum, which comes from the wells to the refineries and markets of the world through ships, but, not only is it a connection, but what also is found in the large quantities of natural gas and petroleum that are not exploited and that are maintained as strategic reserves.