Venezuela

from spanyol

Verified
Standard
noun
Proper Name
From spanyol

Definition

A sovereign country located on the northern coast of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Etymology

Derived from the Spanish 'Venezuela', meaning 'Little Venice'. The name was bestowed by explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who observed the indigenous stilt houses on Lake Maracaibo which reminded him of the canals in Venice, Italy.

Semantic Category

Proper Name