Punto Fijo
Encyclopedia
Punto Fijo is the capital city of Carirubana Autonomy County of Falcón
State, Venezuela
. This city are formed for the Urban Parishes of Carirubana and Norte (North). Is the largest city in the Paraguaná Peninsula
. Punto Fijo is located on the north-western shores of the Venezuelan state of Falcón
. With a population well over 300,000. One of the world's largest oil refinery
complexes, the Paraguana Refinery Complex, is located there.
and Shell
during the 1940s. Punto Fijo has an estimated population of 270,000 (est. 2002 census
) mostly in the urban center.
Punto Fijo's name is commonly attributed to the late Rafael González Estaba, former city historian, who said that the place where the city now stands was a common stop (the "fixed point") for passers-by and fishermen.
Nowadays Punto Fijo is experiencing growth in its commercial activity because of the implementation of a Free Zone for Turistic Investment, that allows to import goods (electronics, alcoholic beverages, textiles, and so on) free of national taxes. Now the city boasts growing settlements of important investment groups. This has made it necessary to improve roads, hotels, electric power grids, and general services infrastructure.
The progressive development that Punto Fijo is facing currently has given incentive to local, municipal, state and national authorities to carry out public building works that the city needed years ago. This includes the main bus station, repairs to public roads, and settlement of a new thermoelectricity energy plant "Josefa Camejo". The private sector has made investments as well, like the Sambil Mall Paraguaná, and Paraguná Mall. These new complexes now join the most important mall in the city: Centro Comercial y Recreacional Las Virtudes.
found in this semi-arid region. The air transport needs of Punto Fijo's are served by Las Piedras Airport, also known as Josefa Camejo International Airport
.
Falcón
Falcón State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Coro.-Demographics and geography:Falcón State covers a total surface area of 24,800 km² and, in 2010, had an estimated population of 950,057. The Paraguaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the...
State, 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...
. This city are formed for the Urban Parishes of Carirubana and Norte (North). Is the largest city in the Paraguaná Peninsula
Paraguaná Peninsula
The Paraguaná Peninsula is a peninsula in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State. The island of Aruba lies 27 km to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly further away. The Paraguaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the state by a natural isthmus of Médanos. The Peninsula...
. Punto Fijo is located on the north-western shores of the Venezuelan state of Falcón
Falcón
Falcón State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Coro.-Demographics and geography:Falcón State covers a total surface area of 24,800 km² and, in 2010, had an estimated population of 950,057. The Paraguaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the...
. With a population well over 300,000. One of the world's largest oil refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
complexes, the Paraguana Refinery Complex, is located there.
History
Punto Fijo was founded in the early 1940s, on the outskirts of two refinery operations established by Standard OilStandard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
and Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
during the 1940s. Punto Fijo has an estimated population of 270,000 (est. 2002 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
) mostly in the urban center.
Punto Fijo's name is commonly attributed to the late Rafael González Estaba, former city historian, who said that the place where the city now stands was a common stop (the "fixed point") for passers-by and fishermen.
Economy
Punto Fijo has the world's largest oil refinery complex, the Paraguaná Refinery Complex (CRP is its Spanish acronym), which consists of the Amuay and Cardón Refineries (both part of the CRP). The operation refines around 1MM barrels per day, and all of these petroleum products are fuel for the local and regional economy. Also, Punto Fijo possesses the second most important fishing fleet in Venezuela, and has an industrial zone where electronics plants and light machinery plants are located.Nowadays Punto Fijo is experiencing growth in its commercial activity because of the implementation of a Free Zone for Turistic Investment, that allows to import goods (electronics, alcoholic beverages, textiles, and so on) free of national taxes. Now the city boasts growing settlements of important investment groups. This has made it necessary to improve roads, hotels, electric power grids, and general services infrastructure.
The progressive development that Punto Fijo is facing currently has given incentive to local, municipal, state and national authorities to carry out public building works that the city needed years ago. This includes the main bus station, repairs to public roads, and settlement of a new thermoelectricity energy plant "Josefa Camejo". The private sector has made investments as well, like the Sambil Mall Paraguaná, and Paraguná Mall. These new complexes now join the most important mall in the city: Centro Comercial y Recreacional Las Virtudes.
Transportation
Punto Fijo is crisscrossed from north to south and east to west by numerous avenues. A new bus terminal is under construction and expected to be ready by beginning 2010. The city is linked to Coro with a modern two-laned highway passing through the whole isthmus offering great views of the Médanos de Coro National Park as well as floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
found in this semi-arid region. The air transport needs of Punto Fijo's are served by Las Piedras Airport, also known as Josefa Camejo International Airport
Josefa Camejo International Airport
Josefa Camejo International Airport , is an airport serving Paraguana. It goes to destinations in major cities in Venezuela, and nearby islands.-Airlines and destinations:...
.