Venezuelans

a nation; the basic population of Venezuela. According to a 1968 estimate, there are approximately 8.7 million Venezuelans. They speak Spanish and are Catholic. The fundamental nucleus of the Venezuelan people was formed as a result of the mixing of various ethnic groups: Spanish and Basque immigrants, aboriginal Indians, including Arawaks, Chibchas, and Caribs, and Negro slaves brought from Africa or the West Indies. Thus, the Venezuelans are one of the most mixed peoples of Latin America. The basic stock is Spanish-Indian mestizo (in the north, often with Negro admixture), about 10 percent are Negroes, mulattoes, and zambos, and 12-15 percent are white. Among the gainfully employed population the agricultural proletariat and land-starved peasantry prevail. A significant number of workers are employed in the petroleum industry.