Cabimas City Map Poster

About Cabimas

Cabimas is the site of an oil refinery owned by PDVSA, Venezuela's national petroleum company. The city also has a large cement plant and several other industries. The town was founded in 1883 as "San José de Cabimas" on the shore of Lake Maracaibo by Francisco Pérez Carreño, who had been sent to explore for new sites for settlement in Zulia State (then called Maracaibo Province). It was originally named after Saint Joseph but later renamed after its founder. In 1884 it became capital of Mene Grande County; then from 1886 until 1888 it served as capital of Zulia State when that entity replaced Mene Grande County; finally in 1889 it became part of Maracaibo Province again when that entity replaced Zulia State.