Cabimas, Oil industry city in Zulia State, Venezuela
Cabimas lies on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo and spreads across a large area with multiple residential neighborhoods and industrial zones. The city developed around oil production, with extraction facilities and infrastructure shaping its urban structure.
Oil discovery at the Santa Barbara well in 1917 transformed the small settlement into a major center for Venezuelan petroleum production. This event sparked rapid development and turned the settlement into an industrial hub.
The name comes from indigenous Carib languages and refers to a tree with medicinal properties that once grew across the region. This linguistic connection shows how the original inhabitants understood and valued the local plants around them.
Getting around in Cabimas relies mainly on private minivans that connect different parts of the city. It helps to learn about local transportation routes before traveling, as the system runs differently from typical public transit.
The Barroso No. 2 well experienced a major oil blowout in 1922 that marked the start of large-scale petroleum extraction in the region. This event became a turning point that shaped the city's industrial future.
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