View source for Venezuelans

{{more citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox ethnic group|
| group = '''Venezuelans'''<br />''{{small|{{lang|es|Venezolanos}}}}''
| flag = [[File:Flag of Venezuela.svg|border|200px]]
| flag_caption = [[Flag of Venezuela]]
| population = {{circa}} '''33.5 million'''<br /> Diaspora {{circa}} '''4.1 million''' <br/> 0.44% of world's population
| popplace = '''{{Flag|Venezuela}}'''{{nbsp|5}}{{UN_Population|Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)}} (2016){{UN_Population|ref}}
| region1 = {{Flag|Colombia}}
| pop1 = 1,641,000
| ref1 = <ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.infobae.com/america/venezuela/2019/09/18/los-venezolanos-ya-son-el-34-de-la-poblacion-total-de-colombia/}}</ref>
| region2 = {{Flag|Peru}}
| pop2 = c.860,000
| ref2 = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2019/12/23/inei-venezolanos-en-peru-cerca-de-8-de-cada-10-extranjeros-en-el-peru-son-de-venezuela-extranjeros-en-el-peru/|title=INEI: 8 de cada 10 extranjeros en el Perú son venezolanos|publisher=[[La República]]|date=23 December 2019}}</ref>
| region3 = {{Flag|Chile}}
| pop3 = 455,494
| ref3 = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ine.cl/prensa/detalle-prensa/2020/03/12/seg%C3%BAn-estimaciones-la-cantidad-de-personas-extranjeras-residentes-habituales-en-chile-bordea-los-1-5-millones-al-31-de-diciembre-de-2019|title=Según estimaciones, la cantidad de personas extranjeras residentes habituales en Chile bordea los 1,5 millones al 31 de diciembre de 2019|publisher=INE|date=12 March 2020}}</ref>
| region4 = {{Flag|United States}}
| pop4 = 418,366
| ref4 = <ref name=2015AmericanCommunitySurvey>{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk=table|title=US Census Bureau 2017 American Community Survey B03001 1-Year Estimates HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY SPECIFIC ORIGIN|website=Factfinder.census.gov|accessdate=July 7, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>–500,000
| region5 = {{flag|Spain}}
| pop5 = 323,575 {{small|(2019)}}
| ref5 = <ref name="INE2018nacidos">{{cita web |url=http://www.ine.es/jaxi/Datos.htm?path=/t20/e245/p08/l0/&file=01006.px|title=Población (españoles/extranjeros) por País de Nacimiento, sexo y año |year=2019|publisher=[[Instituto Nacional de Estadística de España|Instituto Nacional de Estadística]]|accessdate=30 April 2020}}</ref>
| region6 = {{Flag|Ecuador}}
| pop6 = 263,000
| ref6 =<ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region7 = {{Flag|Brazil}}
| pop7 = 212,000
| ref7 = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://internacional.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,onu-estima-que-30-mil-venezuelanos-ja-fugiram-ao-brasil-e-que-fluxo-vai-aumentar,70001890102|title=Entidade da ONU estima que mais de 30 mil venezuelanos já fugiram para o Brasil - Internacional - Estadão|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="Godinho 2008">{{cite web|last=Godinho|first=Neide Maria de Oliveira|title=O impacto das migrações na constituição genética de populações latino-americanas|url=http://repositorio.unb.br/handle/10482/5542
|publisher=Universidade de Brasília|accessdate=1 August 2012|year=2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2019/10/29/numero-de-refugiados-e-migrantes-venezuelanos-no-mundo-vai-superar-em-breve-o-de-sirios.ghtml|accessdate=3 November 2019}}</ref>
| region8 = {{Flag|Italy}}
| pop8 = 150,000
| ref8 = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/venezuela-es/article2039010.html/|publisher=}}</ref>
| region9 = {{flag|Argentina}}
| pop9 = 131,000
| ref9 = <ref>{{cite news|title=Argentina es la nueva Miami de América Latina para los venezolanos|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/sociedad/argentina-nueva-miami-america-latina-para-los-venezolanos_225616|accessdate=10 March 2018|work=[[El Nacional (Caracas)|El Nacional]]|date=5 March 2018|language=es}}</ref>
| region10= {{Flag|Dominican Republic}}
| pop10= 90,000
| ref10= <ref>{{Cite News |title= "Más de 90 mil venezolanos ingresaron a RD por diferentes aeropuertos en 2019 |url=https://www.listindiario.com/amp/s/listindiario.com/larepublica/2020/01/17/600442/mas-de-90-mil-venezolanos-ingresaron-a-rd-por-diferentes-aeropuertos-en-2019|accessdate=17 January 2020|agency=[[Listin Diario]]|}}</ref>
| region11= {{Flag|Portugal}}
| pop11= 100,000
| ref11= <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve">{{cite web|url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jq2FifZP-0Y/VMJImlJsblI/AAAAAAAAGQE/ph3UElCiBOQ/s1600/01.png|title=Últimas Noticias (2014), Venezolanos en el exterior|publisher=}}</ref>
| region12 = {{Flag|Panama}}
| pop12 = 94,400
| ref12 = <ref>{{cite web|URL=https://www.dw.com/es/onu-ya-son-3-millones-los-migrantes-venezolanos-en-el-mundo/a-46217900|work=[[Deutsche Welle|DW]]}}</ref>
| region13 = {{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
| pop13 = 40,000
| ref13 = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.local10.com/news/2019/09/21/trinidad-and-tobago-organizations-need-help-to-support-venezuelan-refugees/|title=Trinidad and Tobago organizations need help to support Venezuelan refugees|date=2019|access-date = 16 January 2020|website = Local10|}}</ref>
| region14= {{Flag|Canada}}
| pop14= 34,000
| ref14= {{cn|date=March 2020}}
| region15 = {{Flag|France}}
| pop15  = 30,000
| ref15  = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve">{{cite web|url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jq2FifZP-0Y/VMJImlJsblI/AAAAAAAAGQE/ph3UElCiBOQ/s1600/01.png|title=Últimas Noticias (2014), Venezolanos en el exterior|publisher=}}</ref>
| region17 = {{flag|Germany}}
| pop17 = 20,000
| ref17 = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.local10.com/news/2019/09/21/trinidad-and-tobago-organizations-need-help-to-support-venezuelan-refugees/|title=Trinidad and Tobago organizations need help to support Venezuelan refugees|date=2019|access-date = 16 January 2020|website = Local10|}}</ref><ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region18 = {{flag|Mexico}}
| pop18 = 17,000
| ref18 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region19 = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| pop19 = 15,000
| ref19 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region20 = {{flag|Cuba}}
| pop20 = 15,000
| ref20 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region21 = {{flag|Australia}}
| pop21 = 10,000
| ref21 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region22 = {{flag|Uruguay}}
| pop22 = 7,300 
| ref22 = <ref>{{cite web|url= https://venezolanosenuruguay.com/2016/03/07/venezolanos-en-uruguay-los-numeros/|title=Venezolanos en Uruguay|}}</ref>
| region23 = {{flag|Ireland}}
| pop23 = 5,000
| ref23 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region24 = {{flag|Costa Rica|state}}
| pop24 = 3,000
| ref24 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region25 = {{flag|Guyana}}
| pop25 = 3,000
| ref25 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region26 = {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
| pop26 = 2,500
| ref26 =<ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region27 = {{flag|Bolivia|state}}
| pop27 = 2,000
| ref27 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region28 = {{flag|New Zealand}}
| pop28 = 2,000
| ref28 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region29 = {{flag|Sweden}}
| pop29 = 1,610
| ref29 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region30 = {{flag|China}}
| pop30 = 1,000
| ref30 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region31 = {{flag|Japan}}
| pop31 = 1,000
| ref31 = {{source needed|date=June 2019}}
| region32 = {{flag|Netherlands}}
| pop32 = 1,000
| ref32 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region33 = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
| pop33 = 1,000
| ref33 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| region34 = {{flag|South Africa}}
| pop34 = 1,000
| ref34 = <ref name="ultimasnoticias.com.ve"/>
| langs = Primarily [[Venezuelan Spanish]] (96.6%)<ref name="Ethnologue"/>
{{Collapsible list|framestyle=border:none; padding:0;|title=Other languages|[[Chinese language|Chinese]] (1.33%)<ref name="Ethnologue">{{cite web|title=Venezuela|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/VE|website=Ethnologue|accessdate=23 January 2017}}</ref>|[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] (0.84%)<ref name="Ethnologue"/>|[[Italian language|Italian]] (0.66%)<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bernasconi|first1=Giulia|title=L'Italiano in Venezuela|journal=Italiano LinguaDue|volume=3|date=2012|issue=2|page=20|doi=10.13130/2037-3597/1921|url=https://www.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doajarticles::e2c6e2d8ae5915079007d321c21defb0|accessdate=22 January 2017|publisher=Università degli Studi di Milano|language=Italian|quote=L'italiano come lingua acquisita o riacquisita è largamente diffuso in Venezuela: recenti studi stimano circa 200.000 studenti di italiano nel Paese}}</ref>|[[Wayuu language|Wayuu-Goajiro]] (0.63%), [[Pemon language|Pemon]] (0.1%) and other [[Languages of Venezuela#Indigenous languages|Amerindian languages]] (0.33%)<ref>https://www.ethnologue.com/country/VE/languages Indigenous languages in Venezuela</ref>|[[Arabic language|Arabic]] (0.36%)<ref name="Ethnologue"/>}}
| rels = Christian majority: [[Roman Catholicism]] (71.0%), [[Protestantism]] (Evangelicals) (22.0%), other Christians: [[Orthodox Church]], [[Mormonism]], [[Jehovah Witnesses]]
[[Irreligion]], [[Deism]], [[Agnosticism]] and [[Atheism]]: (8.0%)
minorities: [[Santería]] (1%), [[Muslim]] (0.4%), [[Judaism]] (0.05%)<ref name="grumilla"/>
| related = [[Spaniards]], [[Mestizo]], [[Amerindians]]
}}
'''Venezuelan people''' are people identified with [[Venezuela]]. Venezuelans are predominantly [[Roman Catholicism in Venezuela|Roman Catholic]] and speak Spanish. The majority of Venezuelans are the result of a mixture of [[Ethnic groups in Europe|Europeans]], [[List of ethnic groups of Africa|Africans]] and [[Amerindian]]s. Approximately 51.6% of the population are [[Mestizos in Venezuela|Mestizo]]s of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, and 43.6% of Venezuelans identify as [[Venezuelans of European descent|European]] or Middle Eastern. An additional 3.6% identify as full or partially Black/African-descendants, while 2.7% identify as fully Amerindians.<ref name="Census-ethnics">{{cite web |url=http://www.ine.gob.ve/documentos/Demografia/CensodePoblacionyVivienda/pdf/nacional.pdf |title=Resultado Básico del XIV Censo Nacional de Población y Vivienda 2011 (Mayo 2014) |page=29 |publisher=Ine.gov.ve |accessdate=8 September 2014}}</ref>

==Historical and ethnic aspects==

===Pre-Colombian period===

Writing was not used in pre-Colombian times, a historical stage where various groups began to move throughout the Americas, thus making it difficult to find evidence of the people who began to populate this land. However, archaeological excavations show evidence of certain periods that were taking place on the continent.

Venezuela was probably first settled by humans 16,000 years ago, due to migration flows from other indigenous cultures of America, from the south to the Amazon, from the west through Los Andes and north by the Caribbean Sea.

There are four periods of diversity that develop in the current Venezuela, which also entering a new period, it did not mean the end of the previous.

The first migrations to the continent were probably from East Asia to 15,000 years. C. These early migrants (called forth by the generic name "Indians") came at first to be located in North America, later moving to the territory of present Venezuela. Now for their offspring, it was clear verify the Asian features on their faces that will adapt to the climate and lifestyle.

During this period, various mammals were disappearing by climatic changes already beginning to take place from 5000 years ago, so the population in the mainland, starts to move towards the coast and spread to some nearby islands, trying to find new feeding alternatives.

===Colonization===
On August 2, 1498 (516 years), [[Christopher Columbus]], and the Spanish colonizers ships, landed for the first time in American mainland and did so in the current Venezuelan territory. With the rapid colonization process despite small local indigenous rebellions, the Spaniards manage to conquer the territory, beginning during this period the most significant crossbreeding process that will define later the social profile of the country.

With the passage of time, and the introduction of the African continent, a third race, the Africans, started to integrate into the population, creating heterogeneity in the faces of the society of the time.

During colonial centuries in Venezuela began to settle the "peninsular whites", coming directly from the Iberian Peninsula and which were those who held positions in the crown, representing only 15% of the population. Another group of whites who were born in Venezuela were originally called "Creole", representing 20% of the population: they were mostly from the Canary Islands and they worked mainly in petty trade. The other two smaller groups were the original inhabitants and indigenous blacks brought from Africa: they were about 5% of the population. Soon the original groups started to have interbreedings and this created a process of "fusion" between the different racial groups: The "brown" were descendants of the unions between Whites, Indians and Blacks and by the 18th century were the largest racial and social group being more than 60% of the population.

This process is currently responsible for the majority of Venezuelans who are of mixed race.

===Current ethnic groups===
[[File:German_Venezuelans_celebrating_Oktoberfest_at_Colonia_Tovar_(Venezuela).jpg|thumb|[[German Venezuelans|Venezuelans]] of German descent from [[Colonia Tovar]] in [[Aragua (state)|Aragua]] state.]]
The country has a diverse population that reflects its rich history and the people that have lived here since antiquity to the present. The historic amalgam of different principal groups form the basis of the current demographics of Venezuela: the European immigrants, the Amerindian peoples, African, [[Asian people|Asian]], Middle Eastern and other recent immigrants.

Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed by the mixed population, but the remaining 500,000 currently represent more than 85 different cultures.

European immigrants were mainly Spanish colonists, but another large and growing number are descendants of Europeans ([[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], [[Italo-Venezuelans|Italians]], [[Germans]] and [[Americans]]) who migrated to the region in mid-twentieth century during the oil growth in the country. Small numbers are descendants of [[French people|French]], [[English people|English]] and [[Poles|Polish]], as they emigrated during World War II and the Cold War.

Black Africans were brought as slaves, mostly coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century and continuing into the nineteenth century. Other immigrant populations are Asian and Middle East, particularly Lebanon, Syria and the Arab world, some Jews from southern Spain, Israel and Central European nations, East Asians like Chinese and Japanese, Dominicans, Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Haitians, Cubans, Peruvians, Argentinians, Uruguayans, Chileans, Ecuadorians and Colombians, this being the greatest social impact due to a large number of displaced individuals who entered the Venezuelan territory during the armed conflict in that country; which generated a high supply of labor, personnel and domestic economy informal.

===Ethnic-somatic characteristics===
[[File:Venezolanos in Bois de Boulogne Park, Québec, Cánada.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Venezuelan people in [[Canada]].]]
[[File:Boys_in_the_river_of_Venezuela_2.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Boys from [[Margarita Island]], [[Nueva Esparta]].]]
Currently, according to the critic D'Ambrosio and other academics,<ref>D'Ambrosio, B. ''L'emigrazione italiana nel Venezuela''. Edizioni "Universitá degli Studi di Genova". Genova, 1981 [http://researchomnia.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html Aspectos etnico-somaticos de la poblacion venezolana en 1981 (in Spanish)]</ref> about 51.6% of Venezuelans are mestizos or mulattos (called ''Criollos'': the 40% of them are with mostly white features, 20% with mostly black features and 10% with mostly Indians features), 45% are white, 2% are black and 1% Indians.

Notably, according to these scholars, is the fact that virtually there are no pure whites, blacks nor indigenous people in Venezuela. With the exception of direct descendants of immigrants or specific indigenous tribes. 

In addition, according to a genetic autosomal DNA study conducted in 2008 by the University of Brasilia (UNB), the composition of the population of Venezuela is: 60.60% European, 23% of Native American contribution and 16% of Africa's contribution.<ref name="Godinho 2008"/>

==Demography==
{{Main|Demographics of Venezuela}}
[[Image:Protests opposing Bolivarian Revolution in São Paulo, Brazil 12.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Venezuelans in a protest against the [[Bolivarian Revolution]] in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]].]]
[[Image:Venezuelan diaspora map.svg|300px|right|thumb|Venezuelans in the world]]
The population of approximately 28 million people (in 2011) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gob.ve/documentos/Demografia/CensodePoblacionyVivienda/pdf/ResultadosBasicosCenso2011.pdf|title=Ine.gob.ve|publisher=}}</ref>
made Venezuela the sixth-most populous country in [[Latin America]] (after [[Brazil]], [[Mexico]], [[Colombia]], [[Argentina]] and [[Peru]]). Approximately more than one million (4-6% of the total population) are living in other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altag.net/casi-6-de-la-poblacion-venezolana-vive-en-el-exterior/|title=Altag.net|access-date=2016-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002232156/http://www.altag.net/casi-6-de-la-poblacion-venezolana-vive-en-el-exterior/|archive-date=2014-10-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>

More than ninety percent of the Venezuelans live in urban areas – a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (98 percent) in Venezuela is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth slightly exceeds the world average. A large proportion of Venezuelans are young, largely because of recent decreases in the infant mortality rate. While 30 percent of the people are 14 years old or younger, just 4 percent are aged 65 or older.

==Ethnic groups==
[[File:Birthday of Venezuelan Family 1961.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Family in 1961.]]
[[File:Children_performing_artistic_dance_-_Danza_artística_ejecutada_por_niños.JPG|thumb|200px|Venezuelan girls dancing.]]
The country has a diverse population that reflects its colorful history and the peoples that have resided there throughout. The historic amalgam of the different main groups forms the basics of Venezuela's current demographics: [[European ethnic groups|European]] immigrants, [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindian peoples]], [[Ethnic groups of Africa|Africans]], [[Asian people|Asians]], [[Arab diaspora|Middle Easterners]] and other recent immigrants. The autosomal DNA genetic composition of population in Venezuela, is 60.60% of European contribution, 23% of indigenous contribution, and 16.30% of African contribution.<ref name="Godinho 2008"/>

{{Multiple image
 | align = center
 | direction = horizontal
 | width1 = 150
 | width2 = 150
 | width3 = 150
 | width4 = 150
 | image1 = Venezuela 2011 Moreno (Brown) population proportion map.png
 | caption1 = [[Mestizos in Venezuela|Moreno (Mestizo)]] population of Venezuela in 2011.
 | image2 = Venezuela 2011 White population proportion map.png
 | caption2 = [[White Venezuelan|White]] population of Venezuela in 2011.
 | image3 = Venezuela 2011 Ameridian population proportion map.png
 | caption3 = [[Indigenous peoples in Venezuela|Amerindian]] population of Venezuela in 2011.
 | image4 = Venezuela 2011 Black and Afrodescendant population proportion map.png
 | caption4 = [[Black Venezuelan|Black and Afrodescendant]] population of Venezuela in 2011.
}}

===Mestizos===
{{main|Mestizo Venezuelan}}

Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the [[Mestizos in Venezuela|Mestizo]] population, because of the heavy mixture of European and African people. They represent over half of the country's population (about 51.6%).<ref name="Census-ethnics" />

===European or White===
[[File:German Venezuelan Family.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Venezuelan girl of Venezuelan father and maternal German descent.]]
[[File:Venezuelan people of Scandinavian ancestry.png|200px|thumb|Venezuelan children of [[Scandinavia]]n descent.]]
{{main|European Venezuelan|History of the Jews in Venezuela}}
Early European settlers and post-independence immigrants were mostly [[Spanish people|Spanish]] colonists, but a high number of other Europeans brought in were from [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], [[Italian Venezuelan|Italian]], and [[German Venezuelan|German]] immigrants to the region in the middle 20th century by the [[History of the Venezuelan oil industry|Petroleum Growth]], and in much smaller numbers of [[French people|French]], [[English people|English]], [[Polish Venezuelan|Polish]], [[Russian Venezuelan|Russian]], [[Greek Venezuelan|Greek]], [[Scandinavian Venezuelan|Scandinavian]], [[Romanian Venezuelan|Romanian]], [[Ukrainian Venezuelan|Ukrainian]] and [[Hungarian Venezuelan|Hungarian]] communities who immigrated during the [[Second World War]] and the [[Cold War]]. 300,000 Italians and an equal numbers of Spaniards immigrated in the 1940s and 1950s, and earlier who were fleeing from the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1930s).

Up to 95% of Venezuelans live principally in important urban areas like [[Greater Caracas]], [[Maracaibo]], [[Maracay]], [[Valencia, Venezuela|Valencia]], [[Diego Bautista Urbaneja Municipality|Lecheria]], [[Barquisimeto]]/[[Cabudare]], [[Colonia Tovar]], [[Punto Fijo]]; the [[Andean Region (Venezuela)|Andean States]], [[Margarita Island]] and [[Araya Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gob.ve/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=95&Itemid=26|title=Censos de población y vivienda|website=www.ine.gob.ve}}</ref> They represent almost half of the population with 43.6% self-identifying as ‘blanco’ (white) in the 2011 census.<ref name="Census-ethnics" />

===Black and African===
[[File:NercelySotoHeat200mWomenGORio2016.jpg|thumb|110px|[[Nercely Soto]], afro-Venezuelan athlete.]]
{{main|Afro-Venezuelan}}
[[Black people|Black Africans]] were brought as [[slave]]s, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the 16th century, and continuing into the mid 19th century. 
Although they are located in almost the entire country, the Black and African population are concentrated in places where they used to be slaves and worked as farm hands on subsistence farms of [[Plantain (cooking)|plantains]], [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]], [[tobacco]], [[sugar cane]] and [[cotton]] in the [[w:es:Municipio Veroes|Aroa Valley]], [[Litoral varguense]], [[Falcón|Eastern Falcon state]]; [[Gibraltar, Venezuela|Gibraltar]], [[Bobures]] and [[Palmarito]] in the [[Sur del Lago]] Region; and in areas where slaves would run away during [[Colonial Venezuela]] and formed cumbes, communities in mountainous and isolated areas, such as, the [[Sierra de Falcón]], [[Barlovento, Venezuela|Barlovento Region]] ([[Acevedo, Venezuela|Acevedo]], [[Andrés Bello, Miranda|Andrés Bello]], [[Brión, Venezuela|Brión]], [[Buroz]] and [[Páez, Miranda|Páez]] municipalities), [[Ocumare de La Costa]], [[Choroní]]; [[El Callao Municipality|El Callao]] and [[Paria Peninsula]] (where [[Afro-Trinidadian]] also migrated); and through [[Los Llanos, Venezuela|Los Llanos]], well dispersed in small to decent percents. They represent 3.6% of the population.<ref name="Census-ethnics" />

===Indigenous peoples===
[[File:Homelessness in Venezuela.jpg|thumb|200px|Venezuelan [[Wayuu people|Wayuu]] family in [[Zulia]].]] 
{{main|Indigenous peoples in Venezuela}}

Before the Spanish colonization of the region that would become the country of Venezuela, the territory was the home to many different [[indigenous peoples]]. Today more than fifty different indigenous ethnic groups inhabit Venezuela. Most of them speak languages belonging to the [[Arawakan languages|Arawakan]], [[Cariban languages|Carib]]an, and [[Chibchan languages|Chibcha]]n languages families. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise around 2 percent of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Intute&nbsp; – World Guide&nbsp; – Venezuela |url=http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/worldguide/html/856_people.html |accessdate=2007-03-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083706/http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/worldguide/html/856_people.html |archivedate=September 29, 2007 }}</ref> There are 101 languages listed for Venezuela in the Ethnologue database, of which 80 are spoken today as living languages. Today, they're mostly located south of the [[Orinoco]], in the [[Guayana Region, Venezuela|Guayana Region]], an area that covers half of the country but the population represents just 2.7% of Venezuelans; other important regions where they're located are on [[Zulia]] state, [[Apure]] state, the [[Eastern Region, Venezuela|Eastern Region]] and [[Orinoco Delta]].

===Arab and Middle Easterner===
{{main|Arab Venezuelan|Lebanese Venezuelan}}
Arab immigration to Venezuela started as early as the 19th and 20th centuries. They came mostly from [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]], and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. They are mostly located in the most important urban areas and [[Margarita Island]], representing around 5% of the population in Venezuela.<ref name="thedailybeast.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/15/abdel-el-zabayar-from-parliament-to-the-frontlines|title=Abdel el-Zabayar: From Parliament to the Frontlines|first=Mac|last=Margolis|date=15 September 2013|website=The Daily Beast}}</ref> In religion, the majority of [[Arab Venezuelan|Arab-Venezuelans]] are Christians who belong to the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[Eastern Orthodox Churches|Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Eastern Rite Catholic Churches]]. There are few [[Muslims]].

Israel has been chosen by many [[History of the Jews in Venezuela|Venezuelan Jews]], along with the United States and other countries.<ref>[http://www.timesofisrael.com/post-chavez-venezuelan-jews-plant-roots-elsewhere/ Post-Chavez, Venezuelan Jews plant roots elsewhere] - The Times of Israel.</ref>

According to the Venezuelan Institute of Statistics, about one million Venezuelans have Syrian origins and more than 20,000 Venezuelans are registered in the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gomez|first1=Diego|title=EL LEVANTE Y AMÉRICA LATINA. UNA BITÁCORA DE LATINOAMÉRICA EN SIRIA, LÍBANO, JORDANIA Y PALESTINA|url=http://distintaslatitudes.net/el-levante-y-america-latina-arabe-con-acento-espanol-una-bitacora-de-latinoamerica-en-siria-libano-jordania-y-palestina|website=distintaslatitudes.net|accessdate=15 January 2017|language=Spanish|date=Feb 2012|quote=de acuerdo con el Instituto de Estadística de Venezuela, cerca de un millón de venezolanos tienen orígenes sirios y más de 20 mil venezolanos están registrados en el catastro del consulado sudamericano en Damasco.}}</ref> Other sources stated that there is around 60,000 [[Syrian-Venezuelans]] living in Syria.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vasquez|first1=Fidel|title=Venezuela afianza relaciones con Siria|url=http://aristobulo.psuv.org.ve/2010/10/20/%C2%A1uh-%C2%A1ah-chavez-no-se-va/venezuela-afianza-relaciones-con-siria/#.WHrDJtLhDIW|accessdate=15 January 2017|publisher=Aristobulo Isturiz PSUV|date=October 2010|language=Spanish|quote=en Siria residen más de 60 mil ciudadanos sirio-venezolanos.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162255/http://aristobulo.psuv.org.ve/2010/10/20/%C2%A1uh-%C2%A1ah-chavez-no-se-va/venezuela-afianza-relaciones-con-siria/#.WHrDJtLhDIW|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> More than 200,000 people from the [[Sweida]] area carry Venezuelan citizenship and most are members of [[Druze people in Syria|Syria's Druze]] sect, who immigrated to Venezuela in the past century.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chavez tells Israelis to disobey 'genocidal' govt|url=http://www.26sep.net/news_details.php?lng=english&sid=56858|accessdate=15 January 2017|publisher=26 September News|date=Sep 2009|quote=More than 200,000 people from the Sweida area carry Venezuelan citizenship and most are members of Syria's Druse sect, who immigrated to Venezuela in the past century.}}</ref>

===Asian===
{{main|Chinese Venezuelan|Japanese Venezuelan|Korean Venezuelan|Indian Venezuelan}}
The largest sub-groups are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Mainland China, India, Japan and Korea. The first wave of immigrants began in 1847 and consisted of mainly Cantonese immigrants; then the second wave during beginning of the 1940s and 1950s, consisted of Chinese and Japanese immigrants;<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/?id=8P2SAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=Population+of+Japanese+in+Venezuela#v=onepage&q=Venezuela&f=false|title=Japanese Diasporas: Unsung Pasts, Conflicting Presents and Uncertain Futures|first=Nobuko|last=Adachi|date=3 October 2006|publisher=Routledge|via=Google Books|isbn=9781135987237}}</ref> reaching a peak in the mid-1970s in connection with the [[History of the Venezuelan oil industry#1940.E2.80.931976.E2.80.94The road to nationalization|oil boom]], where Korean<ref>{{cite news|first=Byung-Keun|last=Lim|title=Photos Show Daily Lives of S. Korean Residents in Venezuela: "Kyopo: Koreans in Venezuela"|url=http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=12550&PHPSESSID=41bbb94478bf5cb72a4ff6a03bec8a9d|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The Seoul Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Byung-Keun|last=Lim|title=Venezuelans Excited about Korean Culture|url=http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=12119&PHPSESSID=41bbb94478bf5cb72a4ff6a03bec8a9d|accessdate=16 September 2015}}</ref> and Indian immigrants (mostly [[Indo-Caribbeans]]) formed a new group to the country. Asian people represent around 1% of the Venezuelan population.

The [[Chinese Venezuelan|Chinese]] in Venezuela are the 4th largest diaspora in [[the Americas]] after the [[United States]], [[Canada]] and [[Peru]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==Religion==
{{main|Religion in Venezuela}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:100%" | Religious affiliation in Venezuela. (2011)<ref name="grumilla">{{cite news|last1=Aguire|first1=Jesus Maria|language=Spanish|title=Informe Sociográfico sobre la religión en Venezuela|url=http://www.gumilla.org/biblioteca/bases/biblo/texto/SIC2012745_211-222.pdf|accessdate=5 April 2015|publisher=El Centro Gumilla|date=June 2012}}</ref><ref name="state.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90271.htm|title=Venezuela|publisher=}}</ref>
|-
! Affiliation
! colspan="2"|% of Venezuela population
|-
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|88.3||2||background:darkblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Catholic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|71||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Protestant]]
|align=right| {{bartable|17||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Mormon]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.3||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| Non-Christian faiths
|align=right| {{bartable|2.7||2||background:yellow}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Jewish]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.05||2||background:lightgreen}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Muslim]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.4||2||background:lightgreen}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Santería]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:yellow}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| Other Non-Christian faiths 
|align=right| {{bartable|1.25||2||background:lightgreen}}
|-
| [[Irreligion|Unaffiliated]]
|align=right| {{bartable|9||2||background:purple}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Agnosticism|Agnostic]]/indifferent
|align=right| {{bartable|6||2||background:#A020F0}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Atheism|Atheist]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2||2||background:#A020F0}}
|-
| Don't know/refused answer
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:#A020F0}}
|-
| '''Total''' || {{bartable|100||2||background:grey}}
|}

According to a 2011 poll, 88.3 percent of the population is Christian, primarily [[Roman Catholic]] (71%), 17 percent [[Protestant]], and the remaining 0.03 percent [[Mormons]] ([[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS Church]]).<ref>{{cite web |url= https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/venezuela | title = LDS Starics | publisher = Mormon Newsroom}}</ref> The Venezuelans without religion are 9% ([[atheist]] 2%, [[agnostic]] or indifferent 6% and doesn't know/doesn't respond 1% ), almost 3% of the population follow other religions (1% of them are of [[santeria]]).<ref name="grumilla"/><ref name="state.gov"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Venezuela}}
*[[List of Venezuelans|List of notable Venezuelans]]
*[[Culture of Venezuela]]
*[[Venezuelan Americans]]
*[[Venezuelans in Spain]]
*[[Venezuelans in Uruguay]]
*[[Venezuelan Mexicans]]
*[[Bolivarian diaspora]]
*[[Latin Americans]]
*[[Race and ethnicity in Latin America]]

==References==
{{Citation style|date=August 2018}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html Venezuela at CIA.gov]

{{commons category|People of Venezuela}}

{{Ethnic groups in Venezuela}}
{{Venezuelan diaspora}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venezuelan People}}
[[Category:Venezuelan people| ]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Venezuela]]
[[Category:South American people by nationality]]
[[Category:Venezuelan society|People]]