Maracaibo is nicknamed La Tierra del Sol Amada ("The Land that the Sun Loves"). Founded in 1571, it is the capital of the Zulia State and is Venezuela's second-largest city. The 1990 census assigned a population of 1,249,670 a number that many considered to be understated. Maracaibo is located at 11°2' North, 71°35' West.

   Estado Zulia is one of Venezuela's 23 states (estados). The state capital is Maracaibo. The state covers a total surface area of 63 100 km² and, in 2001, had an estimated population of 2,983,679. It is located in the northwestern part of the country.
   Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America, lies within Zulia. The Maracaibo Lake Basin covers one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world, bringing enormous wealth to the country.