Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela. It sits on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. The city serves as the capital of Zulia state.
As the second-largest city proper in Venezuela after Caracas, Maracaibo has an estimated population of 1,752,602, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 2,727,957 as of 2019. The city is commonly known by the nickname "La Tierra del Sol Amada."