Indigenous people in Venezuela,Amerindians orNative Venezuelans, form about 2% of thepopulation of Venezuela,^[1] although many Venezuelans are mixed withIndigenous ancestry. Indigenous people are concentrated in the Southern Amazon rainforest state ofAmazonas, where they make up nearly 50% of the population^[1] and in theAndes of the western state ofZulia. The most numerous indigenous people, at about 200,000, is the Venezuelan part of theWayuu (or Guajiro) people who primarily live in Zulia betweenLake Maracaibo and the Colombian border.^[2] Another 100,000 or so indigenous people live in the sparsely populated southeastern states of Amazonas,Bolívar andDelta Amacuro.^[2]

There are at least 30 indigenous groups in Venezuela, including theWayuu (413,000),Warao people (49,000),Kali'na (34,000),Pemon (30,000),Anu͂ (21,000),Huottüja (19,000),Ya̧nomamö (16,000),Yaruro (7,000),Ye'kuana (6,000),^[2] andMotilone Barí (3,000).

Around 13 000 BCE human settlement in the actual Venezuela were the Archaic pre-ceramic populations that dominated the territory until about 200 BCE. Archeologists have discovered evidence of the earliest known inhabitants of the Venezuelan area in the form of leaf-shapedflake tools, together with chopping andscraping implements exposed on the high riverine terraces of thePedregal River in western Venezuela.^[3]Late Pleistocene hunting artifacts, including spear tips, come from a similar site in northwestern Venezuela known asEl Jobo. According toradiocarbon dating, these date from 13,000 to 7000 BCE.^[4]Taima-Taima, yellow Muaco and El Jobo inFalcón State are some of the sites that have yielded archeological material from these times.^[5] These groups co-existed with megafauna likemegatherium,glyptodonts andtoxodonts. The Manicuaroids pre-ceramic communities was formed, primarily in Punta Gorda and Manicuare that followed one another on the islands of the Margarita and Cubagua, off the eastern coast of Venezuela, and that seem to constitute a unique cultural tradition.The bone point, shell gouge, and two-pronged stone are characteristic in this places. About 5000 BCE, the archaeological site atBanwari Trace in southwesternTrinidad island is the oldest pre-Columbian site in the West Indies. At this time, Trinidad was still part of South America. Archaeological research of the site has also shed light on the patterns of migration of this pre ceramic peoples from mainland actual Eastern Venezuela to theLesser Antilles between 5000 and 2000 BCE. In this period, hunters and gatherers of megafauna started to turn to other food sources and established the first tribal structures. The first ceramic-using people in Venezuelan were theSaladoid indigenous, anArawak people that flourished from 500 BCE to 545 CE. The Saladoid were concentrated along the lowlands of the Orinoco River. Around 250 BCE entered Trinidad and Tobago to later moved north into the remaining islands of the Caribbean sea untilCuba and theBahamas. After 250 CE a third group, called theBarrancoid people migrating up the Orinoco River towardTrinidad and other island of the Antilles navigating in wooden canoes. Following the collapse of Barrancoid communities along the Orinoco around 650 CE, a new group, called theArauquinoid expanded up the river to the coast. The cultural artifacts of this group were encountered in the northeast Venezuela and only partly adopted in Trinidad and adjacent islands, and as a result, this culture is calledGuayabitoid in these areas. The Timoto-Cuica culture was the most complex society in Pre-Columbian Venezuela; with pre-planned permanent villages, surrounded by irrigated, terraced fields and with tanks for water storage.^[6] Their houses were made primarily of stone and wood with thatched roofs. They were peaceful, for the most part, and depended on growing crops. Regional crops included potatoes andullucos.^[7] They left behind works of art, particularly anthropomorphic ceramics, but no major monuments. Theyspun vegetable fibers to weave into textiles and mats for housing. They are credited with having invented thearepa, a staple ofVenezuelan cuisine.^[8] Around 1300 CE the Caribs, a new group appears to have settled in the Coast Range and Orinoco Delta where introduced new cultural attributes which largely replaced the Guayabitoid culture. Termed the Mayoid cultural tradition, dividing their territory with the Arawak, against whom they fought during their expansion toward the east and navigating the Lesser Antilles until Puerto Rico.They were prolific travelers even though they weren't nomads, This represents the native indigenous which were present in 1498 whenChristopher Columbus's arrival at Venezuela. Their distinct pottery and artifacts survive until 1800, but after this time they were largely assimilated into mainstream. It is not known how many people lived in Venezuela before theSpanish Conquest; it may have been around a million people^[9] and in addition to today's peoples included groups such as the Arawaks, Caribs, and Timoto-cuicas theAuaké,Caquetio,Mariche,Pemon, andPiaroa.^[10] The number was much reduced after the Conquest, mainly through the spread of new diseases from Europe.^[9] There were two main north-south axes of pre-Columbian population, producingmaize in the west andmanioc in the east.^[9] Large parts of theLlanos plains were cultivated through a combination ofslash and burn and permanent settled agriculture.^[9] The indigenous peoples of Venezuela had already encountered crude oils and asphalts that seeped up through the ground to the surface. Known to the locals asmene, the thick, black liquid was primarily used for medicinal purposes, as an illumination source and for the caulking of canoes.^[11] In the islands ofCubagua andMargarita off the northeastern coast of Venezuela the indigenous people as expert divers harvesting the pearls that normally used as ceremonial ornaments.

Spain'scolonization of mainland Venezuela started in 1514, establishing its first permanentSouth American settlement in the present-day^[update] city ofCumaná. The name "Venezuela" is said to derive frompalafito villages discovered in 1499 onLake Maracaibo remindingAmerigo Vespucci ofVenice (hence "Venezuela" or "little Venice").^[12] Amerindiancaciques (leaders) such asGuaicaipuro (circa 1530–1568) andTamanaco (died 1573) attempted to resist Spanish incursions, but the newcomers ultimately subdued them. Historians agree that the founder ofCaracas,Diego de Losada, ultimately put Tamanaco to death.^[13] Some of the resisting tribes or the leaders are commemorated in place names, includingCaracas,Chacao andLos Teques. The early colonial settlements focussed on the northern coast,^[9] but in the mid-eighteenth century the Spanish pushed further inland along theOrinoco River. Here theYe'kuana (then known as the Makiritare) organised serious resistance in 1775 and 1776.^[14] Under Spanish colonization, several religious orders established mission stations. TheJesuits withdrew in the 1760s, while theCapuchins found their missions of strategic significance in theWar of Independence and in 1817 were brutally taken over by the forces ofSimon Bolivar.^[14] For the remainder of the nineteenth century governments did little for indigenous peoples and they were pushed away from the country's agricultural centre to the periphery.^[14]

In 1913, during arubber boom, ColonelTomas Funes seized control ofAmazonas'sSan Fernando de Atabapo, killing over 100 settlers. In the following nine years in which Funes controlled the town, Funes destroyed dozens ofYe'kuana villages and killed several thousand Ye'kuana.^[15][16]

In October 1999,Pemon destroyed a number of electricitypylons constructed to carry electricity from theGuri Dam to Brazil. The Pemon argued that cheap electricity would encourage further development by mining companies. The $110 million project was completed in 2001.^[15]

TheNational Council of Venezuelan Indians (Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela, CONIVE) was formed in 1989 and represents the majority of indigenous peoples, with 60 affiliates representing 30 peoples.^[17] In September 1999, indigenous peoples "marched on the National Congress in Caracas to pressure the Constitutional Assembly for the inclusion of important pro-[indigenous] provisions in the new constitution, such as the right to ownership, free transit across international borders, free choice of nationality, and land demarcation within two years."^[18]

Prior to the creation of the 1999constitution of Venezuela, legal rights for indigenous peoples were increasingly lagging behind other Latin American countries, which were progressively enshrining a common set of indigenous collective rights in their national constitutions.^[19] The 1961 constitution had actually been a step backward from the 1947 constitution, and the indigenous rights law foreseen in it languished for a decade, unpassed by 1999.^[19]

Ultimately the1999 constitutional process produced "the region's most progressive indigenous rights regime".^[20] Innovations included Article 125's guarantee of political representation at all levels of government and Article 124's prohibition on "the registration of patents related to indigenousgenetic resources or intellectual property associated with indigenous knowledge."^[20] The new constitution followed the example of Colombia in reserving parliamentary seats for indigenous delegates (three inVenezuela's National Assembly) and it was the first Latin American constitution to reserve indigenous seats in state assemblies and municipal councils in districts with indigenous populations.^[21]

N.º	Name	Other Name	Ethnic Group	Population	Language	Number of Speakers (2011)	State
	Arawaks
01	Wayú	Guajiros	Arahuacos	413,437	Wayú	200,000	Venezuela
02	Añú	Paraujanos	Arahuacos	21,000	Añú	17,475	Venezuela
03	Wanikua	Wanicua	Arahuacos	2,815	Wanikua	2,815	Venezuela
04	Kurripako	Baniwua-walimanaí	Arahuacos	7,351	Kurripako	6,000	Venezuela
05	Baniva	Baniwua-wakuenaí	Arahuacos	3,501	Karu	3,000	Venezuela
06	Wenaiwika	Piapoco	Arahuacos	1,333	Piapoco	1,000	Venezuela
07	Warekena	Guarequena	Arahuacos	200	Warekena	160	Venezuela
08	Baré	Bari	Arahuacos	5,000	Baré	100	Venezuela
	Yanomamis
09	Yanomam	Yaroamë	Yanomami	9,289	Waiká-Yanomám Yanomamö	6,000 3,200	Venezuela
10	Sanumá	Samatari-Chirichano	Yanomami	3,035	Sanemá	3,000	Venezuela
11	Yanam	Yanam-Ninam	Yanomami	600	Yanam-xirianá	570	Venezuela
	Kalinagos/Caribs
12	Pemón	Arekuna	Caribes	30,148	Pemón	30,000	Venezuela
13	Macuxi	Macusí	Caribes	89	Macushí	80	Venezuela
14	Kariña	Kali`na	Caribes	10,000	Kariña	4,450	Venezuela
15	Yekuana	Makiritare	Caribes	7,753	Yekuana	5,500	Venezuela
16	Eñepá	Panare	Caribes	4,688	Panare	1,200	Venezuela
17	Yukpa	Macoitas-Irokas	Caribes	10,424	Yukpa	7,500	Venezuela
18	Japrería		Caribes	95	Japrería	90	Venezuela
19	Akawayo	Waika-Waicá	Caribes	6,000	Akawayo	5,986	Venezuela
20	Yabarana	Yawarana	Caribes	440	Yabarana	30	Venezuela
21	Mapoyo	Yahuana-Wanai	Caribes	400	Mapoyo	04	Venezuela
22	Chaima	Guaga-tagare	Caribes	4,000	Chaima	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
23	Quiriquire		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
24	Mariche		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
25	Cumanagotos	Kumanagoto	Caribes	50,000	Cumanagoto Itoto Majun	100	Venezuela
26	Chagaragotos	Guarenas	Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
27	Meregotos		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela
28	Caraca		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
29	Toromaima		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
30	Characuales	Chotokon Patarü Tawatamase	Caribes	96	Pueblo cumanagoto	05	Anzoategui
31	Teques		Caribes	Extinct (†)	No data	Extinct Language (†)
	Timoto-Cuicas
32	Timoto	Timote-timoti	Timoto-cuicas	Extinct (†)	Timote	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
33	Cuica	Kuika	Timoto-cuicas	Extinct (†)	Cuica	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
	Chibchas
34	Motilón-barí	Dobocubi	Chibchas-muiscas	2,841	Barí	2,000	Venezuela
	Makús
35	Puinave	Wãênsöjöt	Makú	1,716	Puinave Norí	1,000 Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
36	Hoti	Jodï-Joti / Chicamo Yuana / Waru-wa-ru	Makú	982	Hoti	900	Venezuela  Venezuela
	Salibanas
37	Mako-Makú	Macú-Wirö	Sáliba	2,500	Wirö-Itoto o Jojod	2,000	Venezuela
38	Sáliba	Sáliva	Sáliba	344	Sáliba	344	Venezuela
39	Piaroas	Wötjüja-Dearwa	Sáliba	19,293	Piaroa-Wöthïhä tivene	10,000	Venezuela
	Guahibas
40	Guahibo-Jiwi	Guahibo-Sikuani	Guahibanos	23,953	Sikuani-Wahibo-Hiwi	8,428	Venezuela  Venezuela
41	Cuiba	Wamonae	Guahibanos	428	Cuiba	400	Venezuela
	Jirajaranas
42	Jirajara	Xirahara-Jirara	Jirajaranos	34	Jirajara	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
43	Ayamán	Ayomán	Jirajaranos	214	Ayomán	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
44	Gayón	Gayones	Jirajaranos	1,033	Gayón	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela
	Tupi-Guaranis
45	Ñe'engatú	Yeral-Ñengatú	Tupí	2,130	Ñe'engatú	2,000	Venezuela
	No linguistic connection
46	Waraos	Waros	Warao	36,027	Warao	4,066	Venezuela  Venezuela  Venezuela
47	Waikerí	Guaiquerí	Waikerí	1,900	Waikerí	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela  Venezuela
48	Yaruro-Pumé	Pumé-Yarure	Yaruro	7,269	Yaruro	4,500	Venezuela  Venezuela  Venezuela
49	Sapé	Kaliana	Sapé	08	Sapé	01	Venezuela
50	Arutani-Uruak	Awakí-Orotani	Uruak	15	Arutani	02	Venezuela
51	Jukude-itse	Makú	No data	Extinct (†)	Jukude	Extinct Language (†)	Venezuela

The main language families are

• Arawakan languages
• Carib languages
• Chibchan languages

• Panare people

• Ethnic Map of Venezuela by census

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• Ethnic groups in Venezuela

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