Disputes about ownership of the Gulf of Venezuela continue to this day. Colombia and Venezuela cannot divide it in any way. What is hidden in this important strait? Why are armed clashes taking place in the waters of the Gulf of Venezuela? We will help you understand this issue and tell you about the location and features of the water area.
Where is the Gulf of Venezuela. Description
The bay is located in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, north of South America, between the Paraguana and Guajira peninsulas, whose waters and coasts belong to Venezuela (Zulia and Falcon states) and Colombia (La Guajira department).
As seen in the photo, the Gulf of Venezuela is connected to Lake Maracaibo through a navigation channel. It should be noted that the Los Monges archipelago is used as the formal border between the Caribbean Sea and the bay.
The length of the bay is 231 km, the width at the entrance is 98 km, the total area of the bay is 15,000 sq. km, the depth in different parts is from 18 to 71 meters. The height of the tides does not exceed 1meters.
At least 15 species of stony corals are located on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Venezuela, forming shallow reef areas of a new geological formation. The underwater world is distinguished by its diversity and beauty.
According to a study by the Technical University of Berlin led by Professor B. Eileen-Willige, the Venezuelan coast poses a risk of tsunami in several areas, including the bay and Lake Maracaibo, which can be triggered by avalanches and landslides.
Opening the Gulf of Venezuela
In 1499, an expedition led by Admiral Alonso de Ojeda and Juan de la Cosa, accompanied by the Florentine merchant Amerigo Vespucci, after whom America was named, set off to explore the coastal coast, collecting data and naming new, previously unknown lands. Scientists arrived at the bay after passing through the Netherlands Antilles and the Paraguan Peninsula.
To this day, disputes continue over how the bay was originally named. Some sources claim that the harbor gave the name "Venice". This is due to the fact that houses were located off the coast, reminiscent of Venetian housing.
The expedition managed to discover not only the bay, but also the tribes of the natives. Travelers themselves write that they tried to respect the locals. However, there are records claiming that the expedition brought several hundred Indians from overseas countries asslaves.
Travelers described their incredible surprise and admiration for the beauties of the local nature. They were captivated by the singing of unknown colorful birds, monkeys jumping through the trees and giant snakes crawling.
Who owns the bay
Due to the lack of a clearly defined maritime border, a long-running border dispute has arisen between the two countries. According to various sources, 91 - 94% of the territory belongs to Venezuela, the remaining 6 - 9%, located off the coast of Colombia, is still disputed.
Colombia insists that the Los Monges Archipelago, like the uninhabited islets 20 nautical miles off the Colombian coast, does not create a continental shelf.
Crisis of the Corvette Caldas
August 9, 1987, the diplomatic crisis between the republics of Venezuela and Colombia escalated sharply, as a result of the introduction of the Colombian fleet into the waters of the Gulf of Venezuela, where there was no border officially accepted by both countries.
The problem was caused by a dispute over the sovereignty of maritime and underwater areas, the issue of the boundaries of which is still being negotiated between the parties. Both Venezuela and Colombia have unilaterally divided territory, leading to dangerous overlaps in their naval patrol areas. A real war was brewing. However, the trouble did not happen: on the orders of the Colombian President, the fleet left the disputed territory and returned to the coast of Colombia. The crisis situation lasted 19 days. Since then, the questionthe delimitation of the water area was suspended.
The Caldas corvette crisis was not the first time that an armed confrontation was threatened in the disputed territory.
Economic and strategic importance of the Gulf
The bay is considered to be of great strategic importance because of the oil, which is one of the reasons for the dispute between the parties. However, there are also large reserves of natural gas. It has not yet been mined, but the fields are considered a strategic reserve of Venezuela, the main producer and exporter of crude oil in the Americas.
Black gold is mined in Lake Maracaibo, which connects the Gulf of Venezuela with the Caribbean Sea. It is also important for oil exports.
There are a large number of oil refineries in the bay, of which the most important and large-scale one can be distinguished - the Amuaysky refinery. It is built in a harbor that belongs to the bay. This is very convenient, as the largest processing center in the country is located here.
Second oil refinery - "Cardon", located southwest of Paraguana.
It is not known how soon (if at all) countries will be able to resolve this contentious issue. But the attention of many states is riveted to this problem, since the aggravation of the conflict carries an international threat.
