Venezuela

Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country located on the northern coast of South America. It is known for its geographic diversity, ranging from the Andes mountains to the Amazon rainforest and extensive Caribbean coastline.

Its name comes from 15th century Spanish explorers who, upon observing the indigenous stilt houses on Lake Maracaibo, compared it to the city of Venice, Italy, calling it "Little Venice" or Venezuela.

The first historical references to Venezuela date back to the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1498 during his third voyage to the Americas. However, formal exploration and colonisation did not begin until the 16th century with the arrival of Spanish explorers and conquistadors. Throughout the following centuries, Venezuela was part of the Spanish Empire until its independence in the 19th century.