Editing Demographics of Venezuela (section)

== Ethnic groups ==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Races in Venezuela (2011)<ref name="Census-ethnics">{{cite web |url=http://www.ine.gob.ve/documentos/Demografia/CensodePoblacionyVivienda/pdf/nacional.pdf |title= Censo 2011 |page=29 |publisher= | website= ine.gov.ve |access-date=8 September 2014 |archive-date=5 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190805193838/http://www.ine.gob.ve/documentos/Demografia/CensodePoblacionyVivienda/pdf/nacional.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Moreno Venezuelans|Multiracial]] 
|value1 = 51.6
|color1 = Grey
|label2 = [[Venezuelans of European descent|White]]
|value2 = 43.6
|color2 = Blue
|label3 = [[Afro-Venezuelans|Black]]
|value3 = 3.6
|color3 = Green
|label4 = Others
|value4 = 1.2
|color4 = Black
}}
According to an autosomal DNA genetic study conducted in 2008 by the [[University of Brasília]] (UNB), the composition of Venezuela's population is: 60.60% of European contribution, 23% of Amerindian contribution and 16.30% of African contribution. According to the [[Statistics National Institute (Venezuela)|Statistics National Institute of Venezuela]],  individuals of [[Moreno Venezuelans|mixed race]] constitute the largest demographic group nationwide, comprising approximately half of the population (50%). Following closely are individuals of [[Venezuelans of European descent|white ethnicity]], accounting for around 43% of the population and predominantly distributed across various regions of the country. These regions include traditional destinations for European immigrants, such as the [[Venezuelan Coastal Range|Coastal Mountain Range]], [[Venezuelan Andes|Andean cordillera]], the [[Insular Region, Venezuela|Caribbean islands]], and significant urban centers.

While [[Afro-venezuelan|afro-descendants]] are dispersed throughout the country, comprising around 3.6% of the population, they tend to be concentrated in areas with historical ties to colonial-era slavery, such as the north-central coast ([[Barlovento, Venezuela|Barlovento region]], [[Ocumare de la Costa de Oro Municipality|Ocumare de la Costa]]) and the southern region of [[Lake Maracaibo Lowlands]]. Over time, some black communities have migrated to larger metropolitan areas during the post-colonial period.

Indigenous populations primarily inhabit the southern half of Venezuela, the region known as [[Guayana natural region|Guayana]] south-along the [[Orinoco River]]. Additionally, Indigenous communities can be found in the [[Guajira Peninsula]] and the eastern part of the country. Together, Indigenous peoples represent approximately 2% of the total population in Venezuela.<ref name=Census2011>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gob.ve/documentos/Demografia/CensodePoblacionyVivienda/pdf/nacional.pdf|title=Resultado Básico del XIV Censo Nacional de Población y Vivienda 2011 (Mayo 2014)|page=29|publisher=Ine.gov.ve|access-date=8 September 2014}}</ref>

=== Mixed-Race/Moreno Venezuelans ===
{{Main|Mestizo Venezuelans}}
Approximately 50% of Venezuelans identify themselves as mixed-race, indicating mixed ancestry with intermediate features reflecting indigenous, European, and/or African phenotypes (to a lesser extent, this category can include individuals with Arab or Asian ancestry mixed with the aforementioned groups). The intermingling of races in Venezuela commenced in the 16th century when Spanish conquerors and settlers intermarried with indigenous women, owing to the absence of European women in the region. Subsequently, with the introduction of enslaved Africans, a process of racial fusion emerged among the indigenous, European, and African populations. This process persisted over the decades as additional waves of migration from Europe, the Middle East, North America, Latin America, and Asia contributed to Venezuela's diverse genetic landscape. Diverses genetic studies indicate that the mestizo Venezuelan population predominantly possesses a European genetic component (54 - 71.9%), followed by Amerindian (18.6 - 32%), and to a lesser extent, African (9.5 - 16.3%) ancestry, with notable regional variations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salazar-Flores |title=Admixture and genetic relationships of Mexican Mestizos regarding Latin American and Caribbean populations based on 13 CODIS-STRs |journal=HOMO |date=Feb 2015 |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=44–59 |doi=10.1016/j.jchb.2014.08.005 |pmid=25435058 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018442X14001036 |access-date=14 February 2024 |issn=0018-442X|hdl=11336/15953 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Castro de Guerra |title=Gender Differences in Ancestral Contribution and Admixture in Venezuelan Populations |journal=Human Biology |date=June 2011 |volume=3 |issue=83 |pages=345–361 |doi=10.3378/027.083.0302 |pmid=21740152 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51477813 |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Godinho |first1=Neide |title=O impacto das migrações na constituição genética de populações latino-americanas |url=http://repositorio2.unb.br/jspui/handle/10482/5542 |website=UnB |publisher=Universidade de Brasília |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=2008}}</ref>

Mestizos are distributed throughout most of the country, with significant concentrations primarily along the northern strip of the Orinoco River (the northern half of the country). Noteworthy towns in the Los Llanos region, such as El Pao (Cojedes), San Antonio (Barinas), Trinidad de La Capilla - Guanarito (Portuguesa), La Union (Barinas), Florida (Portuguesa), and Libertad de Orituco (Guárico), boast a majority of residents belonging to this ethnic group, with over 75% mestizo population. States with the highest proportion of mestizos include Apure, Cojedes, Guárico, and Portuguesa, all part of the Los Llanos region in the central-western interior, with slightly over 60% of their population identifying as mestizo. Conversely, areas with minimal mestizo presence are observed in jungle regions of the Upper Orinoco in Amazonas, as well as portions of the Orinoco Delta and Alta Guajira (Zulia), where they represent less than 1% of the total population. States with the lowest percentage of mestizo population include Amazonas (less than 10%) and Delta Amacuro (less than 35%), both situated in the Guayana region of southern Venezuela, characterized by low population density historically dominated by Native American Indians.<ref name=Census2011></ref>

=== White Venezuelans ===
{{Main|Venezuelans of European descent}}

Around 42-43% of the population are identified as White Venezuelan. The highest concentrations, ranging from 65 to 80%, are found in the [[Venezuelan Andes]] ([[Mérida, Mérida|Mérida]], [[San Cristóbal, Táchira|San Cristóbal]], [[Tovar Municipality, Mérida|Tovar]], [[Valera]], and numerous others towns), [[Venezuelan Coastal Range| the Coastal Range]] ([[Eastern Caracas]], [[San Antonio de Los Altos]], [[El Junko]], [[Colonia Tovar]], among others) and areas of the [[Eastern Region, Venezuela| north-eastern Caribbean coast]] ([[Diego Bautista Urbaneja Municipality|Lechería]], [[Porlamar]], [[Pampatar]], [[Araya Peninsula]]).<ref name=Census2011></ref>

Census data reveals that in major urban areas like [[Maracaibo]], [[Valencia, Venezuela|Valencia]], [[Maracay]], [[Barquisimeto]], [[Ciudad Guayana]], [[Puerto La Cruz]], among others, several [[Parishes of Venezuela|districts or parishes]] boast white majorities exceeding 50%. These areas typically align with medium to higher socioeconomic levels, resembling Latin American cities of European descent such as [[Montevideo]] and [[Buenos Aires]].<ref name=Martinez2007>{{cite journal |last1=Martinez |first1=Helios |last2=Rodriguez-Larralde |first2=Alvaro |last3=Castro de Guerra |first3=Dinora |last4=Izaguirre |first4=Mary |title=Admixture Estimates for Caracas, Venezuela, Based on Autosomal, Y-Chromosome, and mtDNA Markers |journal=Human Biology |date=May 2007 |volume=2 |issue=79 |pages=201–213 |doi=10.1353/hub.2007.0032 |pmid=18027815 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5819150 |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> Conversely, regions like [[Amazonas (Venezuelan state)|Amazonas state]], [[Orinoco Delta]], and [[Guajira Peninsula|Alta Guajira]] exhibit minimal white presence, often less than 1% of the local population.<ref name=Census2011></ref>

The majority of White Venezuelans trace their ancestry to [[Southern Europe|European Mediterranean origins]], primarily [[Spanish immigration to Venezuela|Spanish]], followed by [[Italian Venezuelans|Italian]] and [[Portuguese Venezuelans|Portuguese]] contributions. [[Colonial Venezuela|European colonization of Venezuela]] commenced with the arrival of the [[Spanish people|Spanish]] in the late 15th century, with settlers predominantly hailing from regions such as [[Andalusia]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]], and the [[Canary Islands]]. The influence of the Canary Islands on Venezuelan culture and customs has been particularly significant, earning Venezuela the occasional nickname "''the eighth island of the Canary archipelago''".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Veloz |first1=Alberto |title=La octava isla de las Canarias se llama Venezuela |url=https://elestimulo.com/de-interes/2022-02-02/la-octava-isla-de-las-canarias-se-llama-venezuela/ |website=El Estimulo |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

While [[Spanish Empire|Spanish authorities]] discouraged non-Spanish migration to safeguard [[European colonization of the Americas|colonial territories from rival European claims]], although exceptions existed. The [[German colonization of the Americas|influx of Germans]] began in the early 16th century, with [[Carlos I of Spain|King Carlos I]] granting colonization privileges to German families to offset certain debts.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cervera |first1=Cesar |title=La historia olvidada de cómo Venezuela fue vendida por Carlos V a los banqueros alemanes |url=https://www.abc.es/historia/abci-historia-olvidada-como-venezuela-vendida-carlos-banqueros-alemanes-201611180346_noticia.html?ref=https:%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F |access-date=15 February 2024 |agency=ABC |date=Nov 2016}}</ref> This led to the renaming of the [[Province of Venezuela]] as [[Klein-Venedig]], with its capital established as ''Neu-Augsburg'' (now [[Coro, Venezuela|Coro]]), and the founding of ''Neu-Nürnberg'' (now [[Maracaibo]]), the country's second-largest city. In 1542, the [[Dutch colonization of the Americas|Dutch seized control]] of the Araya peninsula for its lucrative salt flats,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mirza |first1=Rocky |title=The Rise and Fall of the American Empire: A Re-Interpretation of History, Economics and Philosophy: 1492-2006 |date=2007 |publisher=Trafford Publishing |isbn=9781425113834 |pages=514 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubuq0oO-0aIC}}</ref> subsequently expanding their presence to other coastal areas such as [[Falcón]], [[Carabobo]], and [[Zulia]] due to economic ties with the nearby [[Netherlands Antilles]]. Until deep into the 19th century, the now Venezuelan islands of [[Isla Aves|Aves]], the [[Las Aves archipelago|Aves archipelago]], [[Los Roques]] and [[La Orchila]] were also considered by the Dutch government to be part of the [[Dutch West Indies]].

During the emergence of the [[Spanish American wars of independence|independence movements in the Americas]], Venezuela experienced a notable influx of [[White Dominicans]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Soriano |first1=Cristina |title=Tides of Revolution: Information, Insurgencies, and the Crisis of Colonial Rule in Venezuela |date=1 Dec 2018 |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |isbn=9780826359872 |pages=336 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9sxwDwAAQBAJ |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>  As [[Venezuelan independence|Venezuela pursued independence]], it witnessed a significant arrival of Italian immigrants seeking better opportunities, with migration beginning in 1814 and intensifying around 1870 during [[Unification of Italy|Italy's unification]]. These Italian immigrants primarily concentrated in agricultural regions, particularly focusing on coffee and cocoa cultivation in the [[Venezuelan Andes|Andean]] and [[Venezuelan Coastal Range| the Coastal Range]] area of the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=D'Elia |first1=Pierina |title=La inmigración italiana en Venezuela |journal=Cuadernos Americanos |date=2005 |volume=6 |issue=114 |page=103-110 |url=https://rilzea.cialc.unam.mx/jspui/bitstream/CIALC-UNAM/A_CA538/1/CA114_103_110.pdf}}</ref> Concurrently, volunteers from [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[Ireland]] formed the "[[British Legions|British Legion]]", actively engaging in the War of Independence, leaving a lasting impact and contributing to the enduring presence of British descendants in Venezuela.<ref name=ReyGonzalez>{{cite book |last1=Rey Gonzalez |first1=Juan Carlos |title=Huellas de la inmigración en Venezuela |date=15 March 2024 |publisher=Fundación Empresas Polar |isbn=978-980-379-296-1 |pages=296 |url=https://bibliofep.fundacionempresaspolar.org/publicaciones/libros/huellas-de-la-inmigraci%C3%B3n-en-venezuela/ |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

Following independence, Venezuela faced challenges attracting immigrants due to economic stagnation and internal conflicts. Despite this, small groups of [[French people|French settlers]],<ref name=ReyGonzalez></ref> particularly [[Corsican emigration to Venezuela|Corsicans]], established themselves along the coast of the [[Paria Peninsula]], contributing significantly to the cocoa industry.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grisanti |first1=Luis Xavier |title=Venezuela y la imigración corsa |url=https://www.analitica.com/entretenimiento/venezuela-y-la-imigracion-corsa/ |website=Analítica |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> Additionally, Italians were notably present in the [[Venezuelan Andes|Andean region]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Colina de Dávila |first1=Nancy |title=Mérida : entre tiempos de cambios |date=1999 |publisher=Laboratorios Valmorca |pages=124 |url=https://sib.ucab.edu.ve/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=189442}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Farias |first1=Isabel |title=Inmigrantes italianos en los Andes |url=https://venezuela.italiani.it/scopricitta/inmigrantes-italianos-en-los-andes/ |website=Italiani.it |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> while [[German Venezuelan|German immigrants]] formed communities such as [[Colonia Tovar]] in the [[Central Region, Venezuela|center-north]], they also played vital roles in commerce, particularly in [[Maracaibo]]'s retail sector and informal banking systems.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Espinola |first1=Ebelio |title=Actividades del Banco Aleman antioqueno en Venezuela en el contexto de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. |date=2002 |journal=Montalbán |pages=131–145 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A104211312/IFME?u=anon~23cfcd24&sid=googleScholar&xid=5aeea7d0}}</ref> Towards the late 19th century, [[White Americans]] and [[White Canadians]] relocated to Venezuela,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Venezuela. Embajada (U.S.) |title=Venezuela Up-to-date |date=1954 |publisher=Embassy of Venezuela |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K087AQAAIAAJ |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> primarily as evangelical missionaries representing various Protestant denominations,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Niki |title=Presbyterian Mission to Venezuela: A Brief History |url=https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2019/05/presbyterian-mission-venezuela-brief-history |website=Presbyterian Historical Society |date=2 May 2019 |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> along with engineers drawn by the burgeoning oil industry.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Berglund |first1=Susan |title=The "Musiues" in Venezuela : immigration goals and reality, 1936-1961. |date=1980 |publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst |doi=10.7275/jxx1-h426 |url=https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/1383/}}</ref>

After 1935, Venezuela underwent a period of economic and social advancement with the discovery of oil, positioning itself as an attractive destination for immigrants. From 1948 to 1961, an estimated 900,000 European immigrants arrived in Venezuela, driven by the prospect of new opportunities.<ref>{{cite book |title=La Comunidad Europea en Venezuela |date=1985 |publisher=Servicio de Prensa e Información, Delegación para América Latina de la Comisión de las Comunidades Europeas |pages=117 |url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/1599857}}</ref> Among them, [[Spanish immigration to Venezuela|Spanish]], [[Italo-Venezuelans|Italian]], and [[Portuguese Venezuelans|Portuguese]] migrants constituted the majority,<ref name=Martinez2007></ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NVbUAAAAQBAJ&q=european+venezuelans+italian&pg=PA65 |title = Café con leche: Race, Class, and National Image in Venezuela|isbn = 9780292758407|last1 = Wright|first1 = Winthrop R.|date = 2013-08-28| publisher=University of Texas Press }}</ref> while smaller numbers included Germans, [[:es:Inmigración francesa en Venezuela|French]], [[:es:Inmigración suiza en Venezuela|Swiss]], [[Polish Venezuelans|Poles]], [[Greek Venezuelan|Greeks]], [[Czechs in Venezuela|Czechs]], [[Russians in Venezuela|Russians]], [[Ukrainian Venezuelan|Ukrainians]], [[Serbian Venezuelan|Serbs]], [[Nordic Venezuelans|Nordics]], [[Romanian Venezuelan|Romanians]], [[Slovene Venezuelan|Slovenes]], [[Croatian Venezuelans|Croats]], [[:es:Inmigración belga en Venezuela|Belgians]], [[:es:Inmigración austríaca en Venezuela|Austrians]] and [[Hungarians in Venezuela|Hungarians]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Banko |first1=Catalina |title=Un refugio en Venezuela: los inmigrantes de Hungría, Croacia, Eslovenia, Rumania y Bulgaria |journal=Tiempo y Espacio |date=2016 |volume=26 |issue=65 |page=66-75 |url=http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1315-94962016000100005&lng=es&nrm=iso |access-date=15 February 2024 |issn=1315-9496}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Lameda Luna|first1=Hernán|title=Foundational Cycles of cities in Venezuela. Urban settlements from the colony to the twentieth century.|date=2014|publisher=Revista Arbitrada de la Facultad de Arquitectura y Diseño de la Universidad del Zulia|location=Maracaibo|page=24|url=http://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/portafolio/article/download/19922/19859|accessdate=15 February 2024|language=Spanish}}</ref>

During the 1970s and 1980s, Southern Cone nations like [[Argentines of European descent|Argentina]] and [[Uruguayans#Europeans_or_whites|Uruguay]] with a predominantly Spanish and Italian-descents population, were plagued by [[Operation Condor|oppressive dictatorships]]. Consequently, many individuals from these countries sought refuge in Venezuela, attracted by the promise of safety and stability.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Markous |first1=Paula |title=La Venezuela saudita: cómo era vivir en el país del "dame dos" |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/el-mundo/la-venezuela-saudita-como-era-vivir-pais-nid2180765/ |access-date=15 February 2024 |agency=La Nación |date=9 Nov 2018}}</ref> Additionally, Venezuela became a destination for  other [[White Latin Americans|European Latin Americans]] communities, including [[White Colombians|Colombians]], [[Chileans#European_and_neighboring_immigrants|Chileans]], [[White Dominicans|Dominicans]], [[White Brazilians|Brazilians]], [[Cubans#European|Cubans]], and others, fleeing economic struggles, political unrest, and autocratic regimes in their homelands.<ref name=ReyGonzalez></ref>