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.
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.
It was "discovered" by the Western civilization 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.
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 ti tge 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.
