Place details
Place nameVenezuela
Other namesRepública Bolivariana de Venezuela, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, VEN, VE, ISO862, VE00, República de Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, République de Venezuela, Estados Unidos de Venezuela, United States of Venezuela
Latitude8
Longitude-66
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Area settled extensively by 2000 BC; various tribes of Caribs & Arawaks developed cultures in area that linked Andes civilizations & those of Caribbean & Amazon basin; sighted by Columbus 1498; settled by Spanish by 1520; part of Gran Colombia 1823-1830; official language is Spanish, though various Amerindian dialects are also spoken.