Catatumbo River
Encyclopedia
The Catatumbo River is a river rising in northern Colombia
, flowing into Lake Maracaibo
in Venezuela
. The Catatumbo River is approximately 210 miles (338 km) long. It forms a part of the international boundary between the two countries.
Together with the nearby Río Escalante, Catatumbo is a producing area for cocoa beans of the Criollo cultivar.
) is a phenomenon that occurs over the marshlands at the Maracaibo mouth of the river, where lightning
storms occur for about 10 hours a night, 140 to 160 nights a year, for a total of about 1.2 million lightning discharges per year. The light from this storm activity can be seen up to 400 km away and has been used for ship navigation; it is also known as the "Maracaibo Beacon" for this reason.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, flowing into Lake Maracaibo
Lake Maracaibo
Lake Maracaibo is a large brackish bay in Venezuela at . It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by Tablazo Strait at the northern end, and fed by numerous rivers, the largest being the Catatumbo. It is commonly considered a lake rather than a bay or lagoon, and at 13,210 km² it would be the...
in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. The Catatumbo River is approximately 210 miles (338 km) long. It forms a part of the international boundary between the two countries.
Together with the nearby Río Escalante, Catatumbo is a producing area for cocoa beans of the Criollo cultivar.
Catatumbo lightning
The "Faros del Catatumbo" or "Relámpago del Catatumbo" (Catatumbo lightningCatatumbo lightning
The Catatumbo Lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela. It occurs strictly in an area located over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo...
) is a phenomenon that occurs over the marshlands at the Maracaibo mouth of the river, where lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
storms occur for about 10 hours a night, 140 to 160 nights a year, for a total of about 1.2 million lightning discharges per year. The light from this storm activity can be seen up to 400 km away and has been used for ship navigation; it is also known as the "Maracaibo Beacon" for this reason.