Lake Maracaibo

Located in Venezuela, Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America, covering an area of 5,150 miles, stretching 75 miles wide, and extending 130 miles inland in northwest Venezuela.

It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by the Tablazo strait of 34 miles long.

The lake was discovered in 1499 by Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda.

Lake Maracaibo is one of only 17 ancient lakes on earth and is predicted to be the second oldest, being created approximately 36 million years ago.

Lake Maracaibo is in the extremely hot and humid lowlands of the Maracaibo basin. This basin region, almost entirely enclosed by mountains, is semiarid in the north and has an average annual rainfall of 50 inches. The Maracaibo basin is also one of the major oil-producing areas of the world.

As of June 2004, a large portion of the surface of Lake Maracaibo is covered by duckweed. Duckweed is any small, free-floating aquatic flowering plant.

Despite pollution from agricultural runoff and oil spills, fish are still caught in the lake and the area supports 20,000 fishermen.

Lake Maracaibo

The lake's primary flow of fresh water is from the Catatumbo River. The lake is overall somewhat saline because of its connection to the Gulf of Venezuela.

The lake produces about two-thirds of Venezuela’s total petroleum output. Its oil fields are situated along the eastern shore, extending 20 miles into the lake.

Regarding the oil spill crisis in the lake, the state oil company said about 2,000 people have been working to manage the leaks and remove oil from the shores, estimating the coastal cleanup should be finished in less than four weeks. Fishermen and environmentalists have criticized the spill during the past month saying it is causing major harm to fish and birds.

Lake Maracaibo

Bibliography. www.travelphotos.com www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0831687.html www.worldlakes.org/lakedetails.asp?lakeid=9069 www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/lakemaracai

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