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Zulia State Estado Zulia
—  State  —
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Zulia State Anthem
Location within Venezuela
Coordinates: 9°50′N 72°15′W / 9.84°N 72.25°W / 9.84; -72.25Coordinates: 9°50′N 72°15′W / 9.84°N 72.25°W / 9.84; -72.25
Country	Venezuela
Created	1864
Capital	Maracaibo
Government
• Governor	Pablo Pérez Álvarez (2008–2012)
Area
• Total	63,100 km2 (24,400 sq mi)
Area rank	5th
	6.92% of Venezuela
Population (June 30, 2010)
• Total	3,821,068
• Rank	1st
	13.25% of Venezuela
Time zone	UTC-04:30
ISO 3166 code	VE-V
Emblematic tree	Cocotero (Cocos nucifera)
Website	www.gobernaciondelzulia.gov.ve

View of the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge.

Catatumbo lightning.

Zulia (Spanish: Estado Zulia, IPA: [esˈtaðo ˈsulja]) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. In June 30, 2010, it had an estimated population of 3,821,068, giving it the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is located in the northwestern part of the country. It is also one of the few (if not the only one) states in Venezuela where voseo is widely used.

Zulia State is located northwest of Venezuela, around Maracaibo Lake. This lake is the largest water body of its kind in Latin America and its basin covers one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the Western hemisphere.

Zulia is a large border state, separating Venezuela from Colombia in the east of the country. It is bordered to the northwest by the Guajira Peninsula and the Perija Mountains, to east by the states of Falcon and Lara, and to the south by the Andean Venezuelan states of Táchira, Mérida, and Trujillo, with Lake Maracaibo as a territorial state border.

Zulia is a territory that has brought huge wealth to the country due to its oil and mineral exploitation, but it is also one of the major agricultural areas of Venezuela, highlighting the region's contribution in areas such as livestock, bananas, fruits, meat and milk, among others.

Geography[link]

Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America, lies within Zulia. The Lake Maracaibo Basin covers the largest oil and gas reserves in the western hemisphere. A long and mostly uninhabited border separates Venezuela from Colombia to the north and west from the Guajira Peninsula to the Perijá Mountains. Venezuela's Andean states of Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo border Zulia State at the Southern end of Lake Maracaibo and finally the states of Lara and Falcón complete the boundaries of Zulia.

The name Venezuela comes from the lake, when Spanish Conquistadors sailing into this area found the indigenous peoples living in communities of huts supported by stilts along the shores of the Lake over 500 years ago and promptly named this new territory "Little Venice" (Pequeña Venecia) or Venezuela. The lake has a number of islands, some of which are populated.

Near the mouth of the Catatumbo River, where it empties into Lake Maracaibo, is the famous Catatumbo lightning (Relámpago del Catatumbo)^[1][2] which is recognised by the lightning bolts on the state's flag and coat of arms.

Toponymy[link]

There are several competing theories about the origin of the state's name. One is that Guaimaral, son of the legendary Cacique Mara, was in pilgrimage near the Pamplona region, and he married the beautiful Indian Zulia, who he love deeply, but unfortunately she was killed in a battle against the conquerors. Sadly Gaimaral returns to his father's domains naming rivers, towns and regions with his beloved name. Although there is little historical proof, this is the most accepted theory.

Alternatively, it had been said that the state was named after the Zulia river, which in Colombia is known as Batatas and leads into the Catatumbo River. Another history says that both names, river and state, came from the princess Zulia, daughter of a famous Cacique Cinera a Tribal Chief. He was an important leader of a tribal federation located in what is now Republic of Colombia's Norte de Santander Department, and the princess Zulia was well known due to her physical and moral qualities, formidable temper, and bravery.

History[link]

From Europe's point of view, Zulia was first seen in 1499 during an expedition commanded by Alonso de Ojeda. During the Spanish colonial period, its lands were part of the Venezuela Province until 1676, year in which its lands were added to the Province of Mérida del Espiritu Santo de la Grita,^[3] lately also known as Espiritu Santo de Maracaibo.^[4] In 1789 this province extended through the actual Venezuelan states of Zulia, Apure, Barinas, Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo. In 1810 was separated from Mérida and Trujillo. On January 28 of 1821, the Zulia Province decided to obtain independence from Spain. During the Gran Colombia in 1824 received the name of "Zulia Department" honoring the Zulia River. With the dissolution of the Gran Colombia in 1830, was named Maracaibo Province which was one of the 11 provinces of Venezuela during this period.

The Zulia's State category was granted from Venezuela's Federal constitution on April 22 of 1864, where the denomination of Province was changed to State conforming the State of Maracaibo, conserving the previous province's territory. At the end of the same year the state's legislation determined to change the name to The Sovereign State of Zulia but it just lasted a few months.^[5] In 1874 its name again became Zulia State. In 1881 due to federal government orders the Falcon-Zulia state was created; at this time was definitely configured its Autonomous State status until April 1 of 1890 when congress billed the separation of the Falcon-Zulia State. But suffered some conformation changes during the end of the 19th century, lastly in 1899 the actual delimitation was finally draw and the name has remain as Zulia State or "Estado Zulia".

Climate[link]

In the septentrional sector conditions of a semi arid climate prevails with an irregular pluviometric regime. With annual medial precipitation registered in Maracaibo city between 358 and 666 mm, with median temperature of 82.4 °F (28 °C). The precipitation rates increases in the western and eastern regions of Lake Maracaibo forming a tropical rain forest savanna climate, with annual average temperatures from 27°C to 28°C and rainfall superior than 1,000 mm, registered in Mene Grande. In the southern lake region and increase of the rainfall conforms a tropical rain forest and jungle climate, like in the El Tokuko region, with an annual average of 2,556 mm surpassing the 3,500 mm/year in the prominent heights of the Serrania de Perija^[6]

Municipalities and municipal seats[link]

Municipalities of Zulia

Zulia is comprised by 21 municipalities (municipios):

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zulia

Look up zulia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Gobernacion del zulia - Historia del Zulia
• Gobierno en linea Estado- Zulia
• News

References[link]

v t e Administrative divisions of Venezuela Capital District Caracas States Amazonas Anzoátegui Apure Aragua Barinas Bolívar Carabobo Cojedes Delta Amacuro Falcón Guárico Lara Mérida Miranda Monagas Nueva Esparta Portuguesa Sucre Táchira Trujillo Vargas Yaracuy Zulia Dependencies Los Monjes Archipelago Las Aves archipelago Isla Aves Los Hermanos Archipelago Islas Los Frailes Los Roques archipelago La Sola Island La Tortuga Island La Orchila Blanquilla Island Los Testigos Islands Isla de Patos Regions Andean Capital Central Central-Western Guayana Insular Llanos North-Eastern South-Western Zulian Claimed Guayana Esequiba

Yukpa is an Amerindian ethnic group that inhabits the northeastern part of the Cesar Department in northern Colombia by the Serrania del Perija bordering Venezuela. Their territory covers the eastern areas of the municipalities of Robles La Paz, Codazzi and Becerril in Resguardos (indian reserve) named Socorpa, Menkue, El Cozo Iroka and some other small areas in Venezuela. According to an Inter Press Service story, the majority of the Yukpa, who number nearly 10,000, live in Venezuela although some communities are still located in the mountains across the border in Colombia.^[1]

Some members of this ethnicity have developed genetic Dwarfism and average a height of 1.30 meters.

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• Yukpa language

External links[link]

• Ethnologue.com: The Yukpas
• everyculture.com: Yukpa
• Red de Gestores Sociales: Yukpa
• ESTUDIO SOBRE LAS CONDICIONES Y CALIDAD DE VIDA DE LA ETNIA YUKPA
• David M. Howard account of protestant missionaries among Yukpa Indians
• "Venezuela Returns More Land to Yukpa People in 2011," Indian Country Today

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