Lake Maracaibo - an amazing pond in Venezuela

Surely the name of this pond you heard as a child. It beckons with exoticism and mystery, stories about pirates, Spanish conquistadors and untold treasures. But even without these beautiful legends, Lake Maracaibo is attractive at any time of the year. It is large, picturesque and unique, and therefore it is worthwhile that it was seen at least once in your life.

A bit of history and facts

So where is Lake Maracaibo and what does it represent? Located this amazing pond in South America, in a country called Venezuela. It is not only the largest on the mainland, but also one of the oldest on the planet. Today, its banks are covered with plantations of sugar cane and cocoa, but it was not always so.

A large brackish pond, which later acquired the name of Lake Maracaibo, was discovered by Europeans in 1499. The Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda was struck by the natives' dwellings built on stilts: the panorama reminded him of Venice, therefore he called the open lands "Little Venice", that is, Venezuela. The port of Maracaibo appeared here after three decades.

Lake Maracaibo, whose photo can be seen in our article, is actually a lagoon. With the Venezuelan Gulf it is connected by a small strait in the north. It feeds on a body of water from a large number of rivers and streams, and on its vast shores a quarter of the country's population lives.

The appearance of the pond

Lake Maracaibo (South America) is very ancient. It is believed that this is the second reservoir of the existing, which arose on our blue-eyed planet. This later, in 1823, there will be a famous battle, the outcome of which allowed Venezuela to become an independent state. But in the era of shaping the Earth's relief, people were not here. It is believed that the lake has a glacial origin. However, there is another opinion. Some researchers believe that in the past, a meteorite fell here, which formed a giant crater. Over time, the depression was flooded with water and a lake arose.

Maracaibo City

Lake Maracaibo sheltered many settlements on its shores, but the largest of them is the town of the same name with a pond. It has several foundation dates, but it is generally accepted and most probable on July 24, 1499 - the day when the Spaniards' expedition for the first time discovered a huge pond, declared these lands the possession of Spain and laid the first settlement.

In the sixteenth-seventeenth centuries, these beaches were the favorite place of pirates (remember Captain Blood - the hero R. Sabatini). They were repairing ships here, resting from hiking, maybe hiding treasures. Later on the shore of the strait grew a fortress, called Gibraltar. But it was destroyed by the rebellious Indians. The city grew slowly and developed, in part because of the settlers of the sea. The real heyday he gained after drilling the first oil well in the late nineteenth century.

Two suns of Maracaibo

Lake Maracaibo is known for another feature: you will be told that there are two suns - white and black. Black is oil, whose deposits on the bottom of the reservoir are truly colossal. It gives life to the city, it forces it to grow and develop. Despite the fact that the extraction of black gold (if only Pizarro knew that real gold is hidden not in Peru but in Venezuela!) Is very active here, the water in the lake remains crystal clear.

The white sun of Maracaibo is called the products created by local craftsmen. Knitting with lace is made of white thread. Intricate patterns are different each time, so there is not a single napkin that looks like another. And this is one of the favorite souvenirs of these places.

Lightning Catatumbo

Maracaibo is known for another phenomenon called Lightning Catatumbo. Over the place where the Katatumbo tributary flows into the lake at an altitude of about five kilometers, glow is constantly observed. Lightning without thunder occurs here about 1.2 million times a year. They can be seen at a distance of up to four hundred kilometers, so in the past they were often guided by sailors. For many centuries people could not explain the strange phenomenon, so they invented beautiful legends. Modern science knows the reason for such a strange phenomenon: it is hidden in a large cluster of warm gases above the water column, which rise into the cold layers of the atmosphere and there react. Anyway, but the famous lightning adorn the coat of arms of the state of Zulia and are a real landmark of the region.

And at last I'll tell you ...

Luxurious in its size and beauty, the lake not only gives life to people living on its shores. In the water column of Maracaibo, there are numerous species of fish and other underwater inhabitants. The shores were overgrown with lush tropical forests and agricultural lands.

The origin of the name Maracaibo is not known for certain. Some researchers believe that the Indians called this area "Maara Ivo", that is, a land where there are many snakes. Others believe that the Indians, during the battle, suddenly shouted "Mara kayo", which meant Mara fell, perished (Mara - the name of the warrior). But anyway, this lake is a real gem not only of the Caribbean region, but of the whole of our planet.