Maracaibo's "black gold"


by T_kogutenko - Date: 2007-05-23 - Word Count: 541 Share This!

In the north-west of Venezuela you will find a magnificent lowland that surrounds the Maracaibo lake - the second most important country's destination located in Zulia state. The state occupies only 7 per cent of Venezuela's territory, but despite this, 14 per cent of the country's population live there. It's climate is hot and humid and most part of the lowland is waterlogged and covered with forests.
In the western part of the Maracaibo basin there are plantations of cocoa, sugar-cane and other perennial crops found, while south from the lake people take dairy cattle breeding as their main occupation. But the region's main treasure is oil. Here one of the largest oilfields is found, boasting huge amounts of "black gold". Oil and accompanying gas are extracted on the coast and from the bottom of the lake.
In 16th century there was a city founded on the lake's north-western coast, but for the next four ages little was changed on this territory. Up to 1918, when they started mining oil not far from here, the city had no roadways, sewerage systems or water pipes. During a short period of time, discovery of oil and the increase in its extraction have changed the look of this provincial town and the territory all around it. Villages located close to Maracaibo were first turned into the settlements for oil industry workers and then into La Rosa, Cabimas, Lagunillas, La Salina and the other cities. Numerous derricks, oil storages and depots appeared around them. Not far from Maracaibo, in El Tablazo there buildings of the largest Latin American petrochemical complex have grown.
Maracaibo has become Venezuela's second largest city. It is the home for about 800 thousand people as well as various industrial complexes. In 50-s and 60-s wide paved avenues and blocks for semi-stored modern buildings appeared here. Needless to say, the city has its own international airport.
However, despite its economic significance and large population, Maracaibo does not attract that many tourists. Founded in 1574, it saved just a few colonial monuments, which are mainly located outside the city. At the same time, in spite of increase in oil extraction, Maracaibo lake is still rather clear. Almost all the region's routes pass through Rafael Urdaneta bridge spread over the lake's neck (its length is 8679 meters - it is therefore the longest bridge in South America), through Santa Rosa de Agua coastal village, famous for its fish restaurants and through Sinamaica - the place which Amerigo Vespucci gave the to the land, lately transformed into "Venezuela".
What you might be interested in are provincial towns - Choroni with its narrow intricate streets and colourful buildings, Ocumare de la Costa, boasting its small waterfalls and Chuao village that lays just a few kilometers from the coast and is considered to be one of the best cocoa producers in the world. There are also numerous beaches founded here, such as picturesque Playa Grande coast with many palm trees, greenish-blue water, yellow sand and magnificent mountains in the background, Playa Cuyagua - a popular surfer's destination, and beautiful La Cienaga lagoon with its splendid underwater world and mangrove forests.
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