Lake Maracaibo, Natural lake in northwestern Venezuela
Lake Maracaibo is a brackish coastal lagoon in northwestern Venezuela, held mostly by Zulia state and partly by Trujillo and Mérida. It covers about 13,500 square kilometres, measures up to 160 km long and 110 km wide, and reaches 50 m deep in the rainy season. Its northern end joins the Gulf of Venezuela through a 55 km strait.
European sailors reached this coast in the late 15th century and found settlements built on poles above the water. This building style reminded them of Venice, which led to the naming of the entire region.
The Añú, who lived in stilt houses over the water, called it Coquivacoa; that name, not a chief's, is the origin recorded in the sources. When Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda entered in 1499, those stilt dwellings reminded Vespucci of Venice, giving the region the name Venezuela. Wayuu, Caquetíos and Quiriquires also lived around its shores.
The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge connects both shores and is easily reached by car or bus. Boats run regularly from ports along the coast and allow views of the open water and surrounding facilities.
Thunderstorms frequently appear over the southern part at night, producing lightning in extraordinary numbers. These electrical discharges glow so regularly during certain months that sailors once used them for navigation.
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