Lagunillas, Mérida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lagunillas
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City
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Urao lagoon
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.svg)
 Lagunillas
Location in Venezuela
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| Country | Venezuela | |
| State | Mérida | |
| Municipality | Sucre | |
| Elevation | 1,070 m (3,510 ft) | |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 42,717 | |
| Time zone | UTC -4:30 | |
| Area code(s) | 0274 | |
| Climate | Aw | |
Lagunillas is a city in Venezuela. It is the main city of the Sucre municipality in Mérida state. Lagunillas is about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away from the city of Mérida. This town is famous for its beautiful old buildings. People also love the many unique crafts made here from local materials.
Contents
The Urao Lagoon
Lagunillas is in a dry, warm area near the Chama River. The city's climate is often hot and dry. However, it has a special natural feature: the Laguna de Urao. This lagoon helps to cool the air and add moisture to the area.
What is Urao?
The lagoon is named after an old local word for a mineral called sodium sesquicarbonate. This mineral is found in the lake's water. Long ago, people used this material to make a traditional product called chimó llanero. The water in the lagoon is brackish, which means it is a mix of fresh and salty water.
Discovering Minerals
In 1826, a French scientist named Jean-Baptiste Boussingault found a new mineral in the Urao Lagoon. He named it Gaylussite. This name honors another French chemist, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac.
Protecting the Lagoon
The Urao Lagoon was officially made a natural monument on June 18, 1979. This was done to protect it. However, areas around the lagoon were still allowed to be built on. This led to the lagoon slowly getting smaller and its water quality getting worse.
In 2016, a group was started to help protect the lagoon. By 2017, many local people were worried. They said the lagoon was drying up. They believed this was due to new buildings and changes in the climate. They asked local leaders to do more to protect this important natural site.
Other Interesting Facts
In 1954, a special living area was built in Lagunillas for workers from Shell Venezuela, an oil company. This camp was designed by an architect named José Lino Vaamonde. He also designed a craft training center in Lagunillas in 1953.
Earthquakes Near Lagunillas
Lagunillas has experienced some earthquakes. On November 7, 2015, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake happened about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of the city. It was 13.5 kilometers (8.4 miles) deep. A few weeks later, on November 22, 2015, another 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred. This one was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of Lagunillas and 28.1 kilometers (17.5 miles) deep.
See also
In Spanish: Lagunillas (Mérida) para niños
