Venezuela

The original inhabitants of Venezuela were Amerindians, mainly Caribs and Arawaks. The bulk (about 68 percent) of the present population is mestizo (mixed race); an estimated 21 percent is unmixed white, 8–10 percent is black, and 2 percent is Amerindian. Among the Amerindian groups living in Venezuela are the Guajiros and the Pemon, both of which are profiled in this chapter.