The Indians living in Venezuela in the 1500s built their houses on stilts over the waters of Lake Maracaibo and elsewhere.
These structures reminded an early Spanish explorer of the buildings and homes in Venice, which are perched over water.
The navigator Amerigo Vespucci called the land Venezuela, which means “little Venice” in Spanish.
Venezuela has a population of about 26,414,816, and is one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America.
Much of Venezuela’s nineteenth century history was characterized by political turmoil and dictatorial rule.
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