What does the word Venezuela mean?

Old home of Añu Indians

          The Italian cartographer Americo Vespucio accompanied Alfonso of Ojeda on a Spanish exploratory expedition in  Augusto 25, 1499 to the country's northwestern coast (known today as the Gulf of Venezuela). 



           Americo Vespucio entered Lake Maracaibo and observed Aboriginal huts erected on the shores of the lake. These huts were called "palafitos" and had been built by Añu Indians. The huts were on wooden stilts jutting out of the water. These "palafitos" reminded the explorers of Venice. 

         The cartographer called this region "Venezuela" derived from "Venezziola" and means “Little Venice". Other versions of historical documents indicate that the name "Venezuela" comes from an indigenous language that means “Big water“.

Mgr. Gomez, Carlos

                                                                                    Huts seen by Americo Vespucio in Lake Maracaibo

                                                     Americo Vespucio 1454-1512  in Florencia, Itallia  

http://tumundovirtual.wordpress.com/2008/01/09/%C2%BFcual-es-el-origen-venezuela/

http://cclausen.net/donations2.html
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etimolog%C3%ADa_de_Venezuela