Amazonas

Large territory in the extreme south of Venezuela; area 176,423 sq km/68,117 sq mi; population (1996) 80,000. Most of the country lies in the Orinoco drainage basin, while the Amazon basin takes up only the southwestern region of the state. The two basins are linked by the Casiquiare channel, which sends a portion of the Orinoco's water to the Río Negro and down the Amazon. The capital is Puerto Ayacucho; population (1996) 73,660.

The indigenous Indian population in Amazonas was 40,000 in the mid-1990s, comprising three native groups: Piaroa, Yanamami, and Guajibo. There are approximately 20 native Indian languages in this area.