Indigenous peoples in Venezuela, or
Native Venezuelans, form about 2% of the
total population of
Venezuela, although many Venezuelans share some indigenous ancestry. Indigenous peoples are concentrated in the southern Amazon rainforest state of
Amazonas, where they make up nearly 50% of the population, and in the
Andes of the western state of
Zulia. The most numerous indigenous people, at about 200,000, is the Venezuelan part of the
Wayuu (or Guajiro) people who primarily live in Zulia between
Lake Maracaibo and the Colombian border. Another 100,000 or so indigenous people live in the sparsely populated southeastern states of Amazonas,
Bolívar, and
Delta Amacuro. There are at least 26 indigenous groups in Venezuela, including the
Ya¸nomamö,
Pemon,
Warao people, Baniwa people,
Kali'na people,
Motilone Barí,
Ye'kuana, and
Yaruro.