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History
From Europe's point of view, Zulia was first seen in 1499 during an expedition commanded by Alonso de Ojeda. During the Spanish colonial period, its lands were part of the Venezuela Province until 1676, when its lands were added to the Province of Mérida del Espiritu Santo de la Grita,[3] becoming the province Espiritu Santo de Maracaibo, or Maracaibo Province.[4] In 1789, this provincecovered the territory of the current Venezuelan states of Zulia, Apure, Barinas, Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo. In 1810, Mérida and Trujillo separated. The Zulia Province declared independence from Spain on January 28, 1821.
Geography
Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America, lies within Zulia. The Lake Maracaibo Basin covers the largest oil and gas reserves in the western hemisphere. Along and mostly uninhabited border separates Venezuela from Colombia to the north and west from the Guajira Peninsula to the Perijá Mountains. Venezuela's Andean states of Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo border Zulia State at the Southern end of Lake Maracaibo and finally the states of Lara.
Location
Zulia State is located northwest of Venezuela, around Maracaibo Lake. This lake is the largestwater body of its kind in Latin America and its basin covers one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the Western hemisphere.

Museums, cultural centers and theaters
* Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del estado Zulia (MACZUL).
* Museo General Rafael Urdaneta.
* Museo Municipal de Artes Gráficas "Balmiro León".
* Centro de Bellas Artes de Maracaibo.
* Centro de Arte de Maracaibo"Lía Bermúdez".
* Teatro Baralt.
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Places of interests

* Iglesia de Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia's Church)
* Casa de laCultura (Culture House)
* Muro de contencion del Lago de Maracaibo (Lago de Maracaibo's Containment Wall)
* Plaza Alonso de Ojeda (Alonso de Ojeda park)
* Plaza Simón Bolívar (Simón Bolívar park)
* El Mural Más Grande (The Biggest Mural)
* Traki
* Farmatodo
* Tienda's Ho S.A.
* Estadio José Pachencho Romero, constructed in 1971 for the Juegos DeportivosBolivarianos, and redesigned in 1998, for the Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos y del Caribe. It is named after an athlete from Zulia. Its capacity of 26 000 spectators was extended to 35 000 for the 2007 Copa América.
* team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional,and is based in the Estadio Luis Aparicio El Grande. 
*  Gaiteros del Zulia in basketball, a team that participates inthe Liga Profesional de Baloncesto de Venezuela, whose home is the 5.000-people Pedro Elías Belisario Aponte stadium.

Our Lady of Rosary of Chiquinquirá
Is one of the many popular representations of the Virgin Mary in Venezuela. The image is most venerated in Maracaibo. The story of discovery of the virgin dates from the 18th century. An old lady would make a living by washing other people'sclothes, a job she did every morning at the shores of the lake. On 18 November 1709, she had taken a bulk of clothes, and as usual, headed to the lake to start washing them. This old lady was at her chores when she saw a wooden board floating towards her. She picked it up thinking that it might be of some use. When she finished her work, she went home carrying the clothes, the board and a smallvase with fresh water. She then placed the board on top of the vase. Then, she noticed a small figure in the board but could not tell what it was like.
She fell asleep, and when she awoke up it was already late and dark. She decided to go to a local grocery store to buy some candles. On her way back a small gathering of people had formed outside her house, and after coming closer she noted that...