Episode 2 of 2
Naming of Venezuela
- When
- 24 August 1499
- Where
- Lake Maracaibo region
- Part of
- Discovery of Lake Maracaibo
Vespucci named the region Venezuela after seeing stilt houses that resembled Venice, though local etymologies are also proposed.
The Añú people's stilt houses inspired the name Veneziola. However, historical accounts also note that local populations may have called themselves Veneciuela, suggesting an indigenous origin for the name.
Sources
- Lake Maracaibo Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-16
- Alonso de Ojeda Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-07
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.