Gulf of Venezuela

A 54 km (34 mi) strait connects it with Maracaibo Lake to the south.

Colombia and Venezuela have had a longstanding dispute over control of the gulf that has not been resolved, despite the decades-long negotiations conducted by a bilateral commission.

The gulf was first seen by Europeans in 1499, when an expedition commanded by Alonso de Ojeda, in which he was accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci, explored the Venezuelan coasts.

They compiled information and named the new lands; this expedition arrived at the gulf after passing through the Netherlands Antilles and the Peninsula of Paraguaná.

Their industry uses the gulf to ship products from their wells and refineries in Lake Maracaibo to the world markets.