Toas island
Encyclopedia
Toas Island is a small limestone island belonging to Venezuela
. It is in the north-west of the country, north of Maracaibo Lake, just southwest of Zapara Island and to the south of San Carlos peninsula, forming part of the "Barra del Lago de Maracaibo". Administratively it falls under the jurisdiction of Almirante Padilla Municipality in the state of Zulia
.
, a small town on the west coast of the lake.
Toas island has a surface area of 3 km². There are the saltern ponds called "El Toro" and "Aracho", a mine of sulphurous lignite
, and several limestone
caves which have been exploited since Spanish colonial times. Also exploited by the Spanish are clay
caves in the southern area, and a small copper
mine. The abundance of limestone has helped the development of a small cement
industry.
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...
. It is in the north-west of the country, north of Maracaibo Lake, just southwest of Zapara Island and to the south of San Carlos peninsula, forming part of the "Barra del Lago de Maracaibo". Administratively it falls under the jurisdiction of Almirante Padilla Municipality in the state of Zulia
Zulia
Zulia State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. In June 30, 2010, it had an estimated population of 3,821,068, giving it the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is located in the northwestern part of the country...
.
Geography and geology
Toas island is located 2.5 km to the south of San Carlos peninsula (western section of Maracaibo Lake sand-bar), and 5 kilometers east of San Rafael del MojánSan Rafael del Moján
San Rafael del Moján is a locality in Zulia State in Venezuela....
, a small town on the west coast of the lake.
Toas island has a surface area of 3 km². There are the saltern ponds called "El Toro" and "Aracho", a mine of sulphurous lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
, and several limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
caves which have been exploited since Spanish colonial times. Also exploited by the Spanish are clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
caves in the southern area, and a small copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine. The abundance of limestone has helped the development of a small cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
industry.