Gulf of Venezuela
The Gulf of Venezuela (formerly known as the Gulf of Maracaibo ) is located in the north of Venezuela. It stretches from the Caribbean (in the north) to Lake Maracaibo in the south and is bordered by the Paraguaná peninsulas ( Venezuela , in the east) and Guajira ( Colombia , in the west).
Most of its surface belongs to Venezuela. It extends over 17,840 km² (or 18,500 km² if you include the “El Tablazo” bay). The length is about 120 km, the width 200 km and the depth 15 to 60 meters.
history
The first known inspection took place on August 24, 1499 by the Spaniards Alonso de Ojeda and Juan de la Cosa and the Italian Amerigo Vespucci . They also reached Lake Maracaibo and, according to legend, inspired by its stilt houses, which are reminiscent of Venice, gave the country its name Venezuela .
From 1528 to 1545, the land around the Gulf was pledged to the Welsers as Little Venice . In 1529 Ambrosius Ehinger came with colonists to Coro , the then provincial capital of Venezuela, which was now called "New Augsburg". But the efforts of the Welser were unsuccessful and the fiefdom was withdrawn from them.
In 1957 test drillings were carried out in the hope of finding oil , as in Lake Maracaibo . These remained unsuccessful, however, a dispute developed with Colombia over the course of the border in the Gulf , which reached its peak in August 1987 when a Colombian corvette penetrated Venezuelan territorial waters (the Gulf) and thereby almost provoked a military conflict between the two countries.
Economical meaning
The Gulf is particularly important as a connection between the Caribbean and Lake Maracaibo (and its oil). There are also likely to be deposits of oil and natural gas under the surface of the Gulf . However, these are not yet funded, but rather kept as a strategic reserve .
The Gulf is also an important fishing area, which is also home to numerous shrimp and crabs .
Web links
- The Gulf as an oil field (Spanish)