| Catatumbo River | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Countries | |
| Department (CO) | Norte de Santander |
| State (VE) | Zulia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • elevation | 2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
| Mouth | Maracaibo Basin |
| Length | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Basin size | 22,317 km2 (8,617 sq mi) |
The Catatumbo River (Spanish: Río Catatumbo) is a river rising in northern Colombia, flowing into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The Catatumbo River is approximately 340 kilometres (210 mi) long. It forms a part of the international boundary between the two countries. The river's name means "House of Thunder" in the language of the Bari people.[1]
The river flows through the Catatumbo moist forests ecoregion.[2] It then flows through the Maracaibo dry forests ecoregion before emptying into Lake Maracaibo.[3] Prior to emptying into Maracaibo, the Catatumbo River also merges with the Zulia River.
Together with the nearby Escalante River, Catatumbo is a producing area for cocoa beans of the Criollo cultivar.
- ^ "Eternal Thunder: This Place in Venezuela Has the Highest Concentration of Lightning Strikes in the World". earthlymission.com. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ Locklin, Claudia, Northern South America: Northern Venezuela (NT0108), World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 2017-04-23
- ^ Locklin, Claudia, South America: Northwestern corner of Venezuela (NT0222), WWF: World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 2017-04-24