Arab Venezuelan
Encyclopedia
An Arab Venezuelan is a Venezuela
n citizen of Arab
origin or descent. There are around 600,000 Venezuelans of Arab origin, mainly from Lebanon
, Syria
and Palestine
. Venezuela has one of the largest Arab populations in the Americas.
, Syria
, and Palestine
, and are present in significant numbers in Caracas
.
Immigration of Arabs in Venezuela has influenced Venezuelan culture, in particular Arabic food and music. Most Arab Venezuelans are of Lebanese
descent with their number around 340,000 and additional 400,000 are descendants of people from mainly Syria
but also Palestine
.
In religion, the majority of Arab-Venezuelans are Christians who belong to the Roman Catholic
, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
. There are few Muslims.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n citizen of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
origin or descent. There are around 600,000 Venezuelans of Arab origin, mainly from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Venezuela has one of the largest Arab populations in the Americas.
Migration history
Arab immigration to Venezuela started as early as the 19th and 20th centuries. They came mostly from LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and are present in significant numbers in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
.
Immigration of Arabs in Venezuela has influenced Venezuelan culture, in particular Arabic food and music. Most Arab Venezuelans are of Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
descent with their number around 340,000 and additional 400,000 are descendants of people from mainly Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
but also Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
In religion, the majority of Arab-Venezuelans are Christians who belong to the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous, self-governing particular churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Together with the Latin Church, they compose the worldwide Catholic Church...
. There are few Muslims.
Notable people
- Tarek El AissamiTarek El AissamiTarek El Aissami is a Venezuelan politician. As of 2009, he is the interior minister and justice minister of Venezuela. He was previously deputy minister in the same ministry, and a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela.-References:...
, Venezuelan interior minister and justice minister - Tarek SaabTarek SaabTarek William Saab Halabi is a Lebanese-Venezuelan politician, lawyer and poet. He is a human rights activist and a leader of the Fifth Republic Movement party founded by Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela. He has been the Governor of Anzoátegui since 2004.-Background:The son of Lebanese...
, politician, lawyer, and poet - Coraima TorresCoraima TorresCoraima Alejandra Torres Díaz was born on June 6, 1973 in Valencia, Venezuela. She started her acting career in Venezuela, in the late '80s. Her first roles were in the telenovelas "Gardenia" and "Alondra". She got her first leading role in 1992, in the famous telenovela "Kassandra", which was...
, actress - Alexandra Kabche, survivor of the Conviasa Flight 2350 crash of September 2010
- Elizabeth AyoubElizabeth AyoubElizabeth Ayoub is an Venezuelan singer and actress of Lebanese descent. She performs in Spanish, Arabic, English, and French, though emphasizing the Latino and Arabian music scenes. Her first album, Prelude , was released via Sony BMG and was followed by Oceanos y Lunas in 2010 via Four Quarters...
, singer and actress - Samir Bazzi, host and singer
See also
- List of Lebanese people (Venezuela)
- Arab diasporaArab diasporaArab diaspora refers to Arab immigrants, and their descendants who, voluntarily or as refugees, emigrated from their native lands and now reside in non-Arab countries, primarily in Latin America, and Europe, as well as North America and South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and West...
- Arab diaspora in ColombiaArab diaspora in ColombiaThe Arab diaspora in Colombia refers to the Arab immigrants and their offspring in the Republic of Colombia. Most of the Middle Easterners came from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine escaping from the repression of the Ottoman Empire and financial hardships...
- Arab BrazilianArab BrazilianAn Arab Brazilian is a Brazilian citizen born in an Arabic country, or a Brazilian-born person of Arab descent, who is aware of such ancestry and remains connected, in some degree, to Arabic culture.- Immigration to Brazil :...
- Arab ArgentineArab ArgentineAn Arab Argentine is an Argentine citizen or resident alien whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity, originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria but also there are some individuals from the...