Which large gulf in northern South America lies north of Lake Maracaibo?

The large gulf in northern South America lying north of Lake Maracaibo is the Gulf of Venezuela.

The Gulf of Venezuela occupies the southern Caribbean Sea between Venezuela’s Paraguaná Peninsula and Colombia’s Guajira Peninsula. Its waters are bordered by Venezuela’s Zulia and Falcón states and by Colombia’s La Guajira Department. A strait at the gulf’s southern end connects it with Lake Maracaibo, making the gulf an important maritime gateway to the lake and its surrounding oil-producing region.

The gulf covers roughly 17,840 square kilometres and has a maximum depth of about 50 metres. Its position has given it major economic importance: petroleum from the Maracaibo Basin has historically been transported through these waters toward Caribbean and international markets.

The Gulf of Venezuela has also been the subject of a long-running maritime boundary dispute between Colombia and Venezuela. That political issue does not change the geographic answer. The Gulf of Paria is farther east, between Venezuela and Trinidad, while the Gulf of Darién and Gulf of Fonseca are elsewhere in Central America. The gulf should also not be confused with Lake Maracaibo itself, which lies immediately to its south.