What was Venezuela’s Precolonial history?

During its pre-colonial period, Venezuela was a haven for natives who lived in its vast arable lands, tropical forests, grassland, and natural resources. Indigenous tribes like the Carib, Arawak, Chibcha, Guajiro, Onoto, Motion, and Pemon were skilled hunter-gatherers, farmers, fishermen, and builders. The most prominent among the aforementioned tribes were the Chibchas, who resided near the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountain Range. The Chibchas had a formidable agricultural skill, and they had built advanced irrigation systems. In 1498, Christopher Columbus landed in Peninsula de Paria, making him the first European to reach Venezuela during his third voyage to the New World. During his explorations, he trod near the coast of Rio Orinoco Delta and discovered that the new area he was exploring was more than another Caribbean island. (Nichols and Morse, 2010). After Columbus’ feat, other explorers ventured into Venezuela’s territory. One of them was Alonso de Ojeda, who coined the country’s name. Venezuela is a direct translation to “Little Venice”. Ojeda thought that stilt houses built by the natives in Lake Maracaibo reminded him of the city of Venice, thus naming the region, Veneziola.

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