Situated on a fresh water lake of approximately the same size as Lake Erie, the Port of Maracaibo drains a large hinterland. Coffee and petroleum are its two important exports. Besides that of Venezuela, much coffee of Colombian origin is exported from the port. It may also be noted that there is an ever increasing exploitation of petroleum and a corresponding demand for harbor facilities. Physically the port enjoys a great advantage in being located on a large lake fed by numberless rivers.
The lake itself could accommodate vessels of thirty-foot draft, while three of the largest rivers, the Catatumbo, Lulia and Escalante can be travelled by river steamers of fair size. The two former streams are navigable as far as Villamizar in Colombia, and afford a fine transportation route for the coffee and other products of Santander. However, the port suffers a great disadvantage, as the main channel leading into the port is obstructed by a bar. The depth of water on this bar ranges from seven feet at low tide to twelve feet at high tide. The project of dredging the channel seems to be entirely feasible and if accomplished would add greatly to the general prosperity of Venezuela.
PUERTO CABELLO
Deriving its name from the fact that its waters were considered so placid that a vessel might anchor within its protection sustained by a single strand of hair, Puerto Cabello remains the most sheltered port of Venezuela. Equipped with a floating dock 282 feet long, 80 feet wide and 21 feet high, it is able to take care of vessels up to 2,000 tons and has proved especially serviceable for the small steamers that serve the coast cities of Venezuela and Colombia. Coastwise vessels of light tonnage are constructed here and repairs of an extensive nature may be made. Many improvements to the ship building plant and repair docks are under way and the new floating dry dock when completed will permit the docking of vessels up to 4,000 tons, which means that it will be capable of accommodating practically all vessels that touch Venezuelan ports. The average depth of the harbor is 28 feet. Cattle are an important export, large consignments being made from the surrounding country. A frozen meat establishment controlled by English interests is of considerable value to the port, the meat being shipped to England in special ships. Puerto Cabello is 20 miles distant from Valencia and has railroad connections with both it and Caracas. Other exports besides cattle are coffee, cacao, dyewoods, hides, skins, and copper ores.
CIUDAD BOLÍVAR
A river port situated on the right bank of the Orinoco 240 miles above its mouth, Ciudad Bolívar is the commercial center of the Orinoco basin. A bar which blocks the river channel prevents ships of more than twelve feet draft from navigating the harbor. Due to the large quantity of sand deposited by the river and its tributaries, dredging is practically an impossibility. Vessels of less than twelve feet draft can go up the Orinoco as far as San Fernando de Apure. The principal exports are cattle, horses, mules, tobacco, cacao, rubber, tonka beans, bitters, hides, timber and other forest products. The port has connections with government land lines, regular communication with the lower and upper Orinoco and steamship lines to New York and the Antilles. The government imposes a surtax of 30% on imports from the West Indies which greatly diminishes the commerce of the port.
MINOR PORTS
Carúpano is well located for commerce, being on the Caribbean coast at the opening of two valleys. It is the commercial center of the rich and populous hinterland of the valleys of Tunapui and Pilar and the valuable forests of Coiguar. The principal exports are coffee, cacao, cotton and forest products. Although possessing fair wharves, the harbor is very open and cargo must be moved in lighters and launches to the piers. Traffic is almost entirely of a coastwise nature with La Guaira.
Guanta is one of the eastern ports of the country and has an excellent natural land-locked harbor. Its wharf can accommodate trans-Atlantic steamers, although commerce from abroad is light. The wooden pier, formerly in very bad condition, is being replaced by one of concrete. Guanta is connected by twenty-four miles of railroad with the coal mines of Naricuse and furnishes fuel for coastwise vessels. Large numbers of cattle are raised in the surrounding country and upon the completion of improvements the harbor should have a very bright future. By a government decree of 1917 the port was closed to import commerce and depends almost entirely upon exports for its functioning.
Puerto Sucre is situated west of the city of Cumaná at a distance of less than a mile. It is equipped with a wooden pier constructed by the Cumaná and Carúpano Pier Company. The depth of water varies greatly and the loading and unloading of vessels is accomplished in lighters belonging to the company. The commerce of the port is small, most being undertaken with the neighboring ports of Venezuela.