Spanish immigration to Venezuela

Spanish Venezuelans

Regions with significant populations
unknown
Languages
Spanish
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic

Spanish Venezuelans are Venezuelan citizens of Spanish origin or descent. There are many Venezuelans of Spanish origin, especially from the Canary Islands (known as Isleños). Most Venezuelans have some Spanish ancestry.

Spanish immigration to Venezuela begins with the Spanish colonization of the Americas and it continued during Colonial Venezuela and after independence (1830). Further immigration has taken place since, particularly following World War II.

History

From the beginning of the colonial period and until the end of the Second World War, most European immigrants in Venezuela were Canary Islanders. Their cultural impact was significant, influencing both the development of Castilian Spanish in the country as well as its cuisine and customs. Venezuela has perhaps the largest population of Canarian immigrants, and it is commonly said in the Canary Islands that "Venezuela is the eighth island of the Canary Islands." In the 16th century, the German Jorge de la Espira in the Canary Islands recruited 200 men to colonize Venezuela, as did Diego Hernández de Serpa, governor of New Andalusia Province, who sent another 200 soldiers and 400 slaves from Gran Canaria to Venezuela, where some of these Canarians were among the founders of Cumaná.

Demographics

In addition, as of 2010, there were around 200,000 Venezuelans residing in Spain. As of January 2016, there were 188,025 Spanish citizens in Venezuela. Most Venezuelans in Spain have Spanish nationality.

See also

• Isleño#Venezuela
• Venezuelan Spanish
• Spain–Venezuela relations
• Category:Venezuelan people of Canarian descent