Lake Maracaibo

Lake Maracaibo is a large brackish bay in Venezuela. It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by Tablazo Strait which is wide at the northern end and fed by numerous rivers, the largest being the Catatumbo. It is sometimes considered a lake rather than a bay or lagoon, and at it would be the largest lake in South America. The geological record shows that it has been a true lake in the past, and as such is one of the oldest lakes on Earth at 20–36 million years old.