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Venezuela
There is debate on the origin of the name Venezuela as two stories are popularly believed. The first states that Alonso de Ojeda named the region "Veneziola" after the city of Venice since many local homes on Lake Maracaibo stood on stilts, much like Venice. This name, from Ojeda's visit in 1499, translates to mean "little Venice." The second prominent story comes from Martin Fernandes de Enciso who, a sailor on Ojeda's ship, claimed the local people called themselves "Veneciuela."
Introduction:
Venezuela's lands are fairly diverse as the country moves from the high mountains to the Caribbean coastline. This geography led to a great number of people and cultures from the past as some people lived off the seas, while others were reliant on animals and hardy root crops in the mountains. However, with the arrival of Europeans many of these past cultures were lost or dominated by the new European cultures and today Venezuelan culture remains closely tied to that of Europe, although it is fairly unique.
The indigenous people of Venezuela truly lived off the lands and seas; however these people were generally very diverse culturally and in terms of lifestyle, meaning there was little unity. When the Spanish and later Europeans arrived, this lack of organization, and the many European diseases, led to a quick collapse of these people and their cultures, although some fled to the mountains.
The flag of Venezuela is based on the flag of Gran Colombia (which broke up in 1830). The yellow represents the riches of the land, blue is for the courage of the people, and red is for the bloodshed in attaining independence. The flag also includes the country's coat of arms and eight stars. There were originally only seven stars on the flag, each of which represented one of the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence. However, an eighth star was added in 2006 to represent Guayana; eight stars were on the original flag of Simon Bolivar, "the liberator."
Name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Independence: July 5, 1811
Capital: Caracas
Currency: Bolivar
Population: 28,459,085 (2013 estimate)
Ethnicity: Spanish, Italian, & Mestizo
Language: Spanish
Religion: Catholic
The Spanish truly took over the region in every sense, although Spain had little political hold on the lands. This led to an area that provided great opportunities as many Europeans immigrated, particularly Spanish, Italians, and Germans. Like the people before them, the cultures and lifestyles varied, but these Europeans tended to settle the lands, often starting large farms or ranches. To help run these farms many of the surviving indigenous people were used as slaves as were Africans who arrived via the slave trade.
The many influences, from the indigenous people and the early Europeans to the African slaves led to a unique culture and lifestyle that integrated aspects of all these people. In the country's early history this diverse was quite pronounced as political unity was rare as people fought over lifestyle, culture, and direction. Differing ethnic groups sought different paths while the people along the coasts, on ranches, on farms, and in the mountains all saw different visions of the future.
Over the past century numerous changes have continued as the people have argued over direction, power, and culture. However, the growing trend during much of this time came in the form of social rights and power by the working class. Today the country is united as one as changes are bringing the people, culture, and lifestyle closer together, however many argue these changes come at the expense of freedoms.
These recent political changes have slowly altered the many diverse cultures and lifestyles to one that is more uniform. However, influences from the country's past are still recognizable and the culture that is authentically Venezuelan is ever growing on its own path, distinguishing this country from its neighbors in South America.
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Information for Venezuela was last updated: May, 2013 ● View our: Sources & Special Thanks