Punto Fijo

Punto Fijo
Municipality

Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): "La Ciudad del Viento"
Punto Fijo
Coordinates: 11°43′N 70°11′W / 11.717°N 70.183°W / 11.717; -70.183Coordinates: 11°43′N 70°11′W / 11.717°N 70.183°W / 11.717; -70.183
Country Venezuela Venezuela
State Falcón
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
 • Body Alcaldía de Carirubana
Elevation 6 m (20 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Rank 15
 • Urban 277,017
Demonym(s) Puntofijense
Time zone UTC-04:00 (VST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-04:00 (not observed)
Postal coded 4102
Area code 269
ISO 3166 code VE-A
Climate BWh
The area and population figures are for the municipality.

Punto Fijo is the capital city of the municipality of Carirubana in northern Falcón State, Venezuela. It is located on the southwestern coast of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Its metropolitan area includes the parishes of Norte, Carirubana, Punta Cardón and the parish of Judibana in the municipality of Los Taques. Punto Fijo is the largest city in Falcón State.

History

Punto Fijo was founded in the early 1940s, on the outskirts of two refinery operations established by Standard Oil and Shell during the 1940s. Punto Fijo has an estimated population of 270,000 (est. 2002 census) mostly in the urban center.

Punto Fijo's name is commonly attributed to the late Rafael González Estaba, former city historian, who said that the place where the city now stands was a common stop (the "fixed point") for passers-by and fishermen.

Economy

Punto Fijo has the world's largest oil refinery complex, the Paraguaná Refinery Complex (CRP is its Spanish acronym), which consists of the Amuay and Cardón Refineries (both part of the CRP). The operation refines around 1 million barrels per day, and all of these petroleum products are fuel for the local and regional economy. Also, Punto Fijo possesses the second most important fishing fleet in Venezuela, and has an industrial zone where electronics plants and light machinery plants are located. Punto Fijo includes a Free Zone for Touristic Investment allowing importation of goods free of tariffs.

The progressive development that Punto Fijo is facing currently has given incentive to local, municipal, state and national authorities to carry out public building works that the city needed years ago. This includes the main bus station, repairs to public roads, and settlement of a new thermoelectricity energy plant "Josefa Camejo". The private sector has made investments as well, like the Sambil Mall Paraguaná, and Paraguaná Mall. These new complexes now join the Centro Comercial y Recreacional Las Virtudes Mall

Transportation

Wind turbines in Punto Fijo.

Punto Fijo is crisscrossed from north to south and east to west by numerous avenues. A new bus terminal is under construction and expected to be ready by beginning 2010. The city is linked to Coro with a modern two-laned highway passing through the whole isthmus offering great views of the Médanos de Coro National Park as well as flora found in this semi-arid region. The air transport needs of Punto Fijo's are served by Las Piedras Airport, also known as Josefa Camejo International Airport.

See also

References

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