Paraguaná Peninsula
Paraguaná | |
|---|---|
Geographical map of the Paraguaná Peninsula | |
| Location | Venezuela |
| Age | Jurassic, Triassic |
Paraguaná (Spanish pronunciation: [paɾaɣwaˈna]) is a peninsula and tied island in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State, and comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques and Falcón. The island of Aruba lies 27 km (17 miles) to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly further away. Paraguaná lies in the Caribbean Sea, and is connected to the rest of the state by the natural isthmus or tombolo of Médanos.
Because it is almost completely surrounded by water, the peninsula is sometimes called Cora Island, and considered a part of the Leeward Antilles. It was in fact a separate island earlier in the Holocene, before the development of the tombolo that connected it to the mainland sometime in the last 12,000 years, and possibly as recently as 3,000 years ago. Paraguana can thus be classified as a tied island.
Geologically, Paraguana is a tabular limestone area. The eastern coast is exposed to strong wave action, where low cliffs alternate with beaches. A central hill, Cerro Santa Ana, rises abruptly to 830 m through well-defined vegetation zones. A fringing coral reef extends along the north-eastern coast. The western coast is more sheltered and low-lying, with high fault-induced cliffs only around Punto Fijo. South of Paraguana is the shallow Coro Gulf into which the Mitare River flows. The bird-foot delta of this river has grown rapidly during the past 3,000 years, sheltered by the isthmus of Medanos and the Paraguana peninsula. The eastern shore of the isthmus is exposed to strong waves, and has a long 32-km beach protected by a ledge of exposed beach rock. Dunes, including some barchans, are migrating across the southern part of the isthmus towards the Gulf of Coro. Tectonic processes, reef building, erosion, longshore drift, sediment deposition, and dune development have all been influential in the formation of Paraguana and its associated features.
The Solar eclipse of February 26, 1998 was visible from the peninsula. The center line of the eclipse crossed the northern part of the peninsula, parallel to its north-west coastline. The skies were completely clear from the peninsula. Bleachers were set up north of Punto Fijo as a designated eclipse viewing spot.