Venezuela

Name

The name "Venezuela" is believed to have originated from the cartographer Amerigo Vespucci, who in 1499 led a naval exploration of the northwestern coast (known today as the Gulf of Venezuela), along with Alonso de Ojeda. On reaching the Guajira Peninsula, the crew observed the stilt villages (palafitos) that the Añu natives had built over the water. This reminded Vespucci of the city of Venice and as a result the region was named Venezuela, which means Little Venice. On the other hand, spanish conquistador and geographer Martín Fernández de Enciso, member of the same crew, says in his work Summa de Geografía that the above mentioned population was called Veneciuela, and that it was built on a large, plain rock. Therefore, the name Venezuela would be autoctonal. Nevertheless, the first version remains today as the most popular and widely accepted, and by far regarded as the most likely.

Related Topics:
Cartographer - Amerigo Vespucci - 1499 - Gulf of Venezuela - Alonso de Ojeda - Guajira Peninsula - Palafitos - Añu - Venice - Conquistador - Geographer - Martín Fernández de Enciso - Summa de Geografía

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~