Maracaibo

Port in northwest Venezuela, and capital of the state of Zulia, 500 km/300 mi west of Caracas; population (2007 est) 2,054,000. Situated on the west bank of the channel connecting Lake Maracaibo with the Gulf of Venezuela, it is the centre of Venezuela's main oil-producing region and the second-largest city in the country. Exports include sugar, coffee, and cocoa; industries include oil refining and petrochemicals. There is an airport.

The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge spans the lake at the neck of the channel; it is 8 km/5 mi long, and has the world's longest pre-stressed concrete span. The University of Zulia was built here in 1891, and a second university was established in 1973. The city was founded in 1574.