Maracaibo

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Maracaibo

Maracaibo , city (1990 pop. 1,249,670), capital of Zulia state, NW Venezuela, at the outlet of Lake Maracaibo. It is Venezuela's second largest city, a commercial and industrial center, and the oil capital of South America. Besides oil, exports include lumber, processed textiles, and soap. Maracaibo was founded in 1571. In the 17th cent., it was sacked five times, notably by Sir Henry Morgan in 1669. Until the establishment of the oil industry after 1918, Maracaibo was extremely underdeveloped; but exploitation by foreign interests of the vast petroleum resources of the Maracaibo basin resulted in a rapid expansion and modernization of the city. The dredging of the lake also increased Maracaibo's importance as a shipping point for inland products. The c.5-mi-long (8-km) Gen. Rafael Urdaneta Bridge is south of the city. Maracaibo has a university.

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Maracaibo

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Maracaibo City and port in nw Venezuela, between Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela. Founded in 1529, it was sacked in 1669. It expanded after the discovery of oil in 1917, and is now Venezuela's second-largest city. Industries: oil processing, coffee, cacao, sugar. Pop. (2000) 1,372,724.

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The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition entry for Lake Maracaibo

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	IHG Signs Agreement for New InterContinental Maracaibo in Venezuela. Business Wire; 2/27/2008
	Maracaibo: conducto de riquezas y desdichas: esta ciudad venezolana, que fuera un prístino centro comercial en la época de la colonia, enfrenta problemas ambientales y sociales vinculados a sus recursos petroleros. Magazine article from: Américas (Spanish Edition); 3/1/2003
	InterContinental Hotels Group Opens Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo Casino & Convention Center. Business Wire; 11/21/2006

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	IHG Signs Agreement for New InterContinental Maracaibo in Venezuela. Business Wire; 2/27/2008; 700+ words ; ...InterContinental Hotels & Resorts 11-story property in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Slated for opening by the end of 2008, InterContinental Maracaibo will join the Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo Casino & Convention Center as the second IHG brand...
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