Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela | |
|---|---|
 Panorama view of downtown San Matias area and Lake Maracaibo | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: "La Ciudad Petrolera", "Ojeda" | |
.svg)  Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela | |
| Coordinates:10°12′0″N71°18′0″W / 10.20000°N 71.30000°W /10.20000; -71.30000 | |
| Country | Venezuela |
| State | Zulia |
| Counties | Lagunillas Municipality |
| Demonym | Citojense |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | José Mosquera (2021–2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 975 km2 (376 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
• Total | 128,941 |
| • Density | 130/km2 (340/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (VET) |
| Postal code | 4019 |
| Area code | 265 |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | Página web de la Alcaldía |
Ciudad Ojeda is a city located in the northeastern shore ofLake Maracaibo inZulia State in northwesternVenezuela. It is theshire town of theLagunillas Municipality. Its population as of the 2005 census was listed as 128,941.[needs update]
Ciudad Ojeda was founded on January 19, 1937, by PresidentEleazar López Contreras as a settlement for the inhabitants of Lagunillas de Agua.[1] Today, it is a major center for theoil and gas industry in theLake Maracaibo region.
On 13 November 1939, an important fire destroyed Lagunillas de Agua, causing over 200 fatalities. There are several hypotheses about the cause of the fire that prompted the final and decisive transfer of population to the mainland. The truth is that the oil industry was an oily layer on the lake, which had the potential to ignite the wooden houses built on stilts in the lake. One hypothesis is the accidental fall of a kerosene lamp to the lake from the Bar Caracas. Another is a fire caused by an oil company when he was going to beat his concession, that company helped reconstruction and retained the award after all, there is no evidence of this fact.[2][unreliable source]
Ciudad Ojeda was named in honor ofAlonso de Ojeda, the Spaniard who was the first European to discover Lake Maracaibo.
Ciudad Ojeda is medium-sized among Venezuelan cities, with a population of approximately 130,000 inhabitants. The majority ofCitojenses are ofVenezuelan origin. It is also home to numerous foreign communities ofItalian,Portuguese,Chinese andArabs who have the biggest commercial businesses in the city.
