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DERVISH

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 667 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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DERVISH . See also:

MARACAIBO (sometimes MARACAYBO)

MARACAIBO; a large See also:

lake of western See also:

VENEZUELA

Venezuela, extending southward from the Gulf of Venezuela, into which it opens through a See also:

long See also:

NECK (O. Eng. hnecca; the word appears in many Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch ride, Ger. Nacken; in O. E. the common word was heals; cf. Ger. Hals)

neck, or strait, obstructed at its mouth by islands and bars, and having a large drainage See also:

basin bounded on the W. by the Eastern See also:

CORDILLERA

Cordillera, on the S.E. by the Cordillera de See also:

Merida, and on the E. by a See also:

low range of mountains extending N. by W. from See also:

Trujillo to the See also:

COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast. The lake is roughly quadrangular in shape, and extends from the 9th to the iith parallel of S. See also:

lat. and from the 71st to the 72nd See also:

meridian. It opens into the Gulf through 13 channels, the See also:

DEPTH

depth on the See also:

bar in the See also:

main channel ranging from 7 ft. at low See also:

WATER

water to 12 ft. at high water. Inside the bar the depth is about 30 ft., and the lake is navigable for vessels of large See also:

SIZE

size. It receives the See also:

WATERS, TERRITORIAL

waters of many See also:

rivers, principally on its See also:

west and See also:

south sides, the largest of which are the Catatumbo and Zulia, Escalante, Chanudo, Ceniza, Sant'See also:

Ana, See also:

NEGRO (from Lat. eager, black)

Negro, Apan and Palmar. The first three have navigable channels for See also:

RIVER

river steamers. There are a number of small lakes near Lake Maracaibo's See also:

SOUTHERN

southern and western margins, the largest of which is the See also:

LAGUNA, or LA LAGUNA

Laguna de Zulia. The heavy rainfall on the eastern slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, which is said to exceed 86 in. per annum, is responsible for the See also:

GREAT

great See also:

VOLUME

volume of water discharged into the lake. The See also:

AVERAGE

average See also:

ANNUAL

annual precipitation over the whole basin is said to be 70 in. In the upper See also:

HALF

half of the lake the water is sweet, but below that, where the tidal See also:

INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence is stronger, it becomes brackish. The only See also:

PORT

port of consequenceon the lake is Maracaibo, but there are small ports at its upper end which are in See also:

DIRECT

direct communication with the inland cities of Trujillo, Merida and See also:

San Cristobal.

The Catatumbo River, which enters from the west near the See also:

north end of the lake, and its See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal tributary, the Zulia, are navigable as far as Villamizar, in See also:

COLOMBIA

Colombia, and afford an excellent transportation route for the See also:

COFFEE (Fr: cafe, Ger. Kaffee)

coffee and other products of See also:

Santander.

End of Article: DERVISH

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