A country of northern South America on the Caribbean Sea. Inhabited by a variety of Arawakan and other peoples, the region was discovered by Columbus in 1498 and settled beginning in the 1520s, becoming part of the Spanish colony (later viceroyalty) of New Granada. Venezuela won independence in 1821 in federation with Colombia and Ecuador and broke away to form a separate country in 1830. Caracas is the capital and Maracaibo the largest city. Population: 26,000,000.
Ven'e·zue'lan adj. & n.
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