, ▁producing ▁ma ize ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁man i oc ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁Lar ge ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁l lan os ▁pla ins ▁were ▁cultiv ated ▁through ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁slash ▁and ▁burn ▁and ▁permanent ▁settled ▁agricult ure . ▁The ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Venezuela ▁had ▁already ▁encountered ▁cru de ▁o ils ▁and ▁as phal ts ▁that ▁se ep ed ▁up ▁through ▁the ▁ground ▁to ▁the ▁surface . ▁Kn own ▁to ▁the ▁loc als ▁as ▁m ene , ▁the ▁thick , ▁black ▁liquid ▁was ▁primarily ▁used ▁for ▁medic inal ▁purposes , ▁as ▁an ▁ill um ination ▁source , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁ca ul king ▁of ▁can o es . ▁ ▁Spain ' s ▁colon ization ▁of ▁main land ▁Venezuela ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 5 2 2 , ▁establish ing ▁its ▁first ▁permanent ▁South ▁American ▁settlement ▁in ▁the ▁ ▁city ▁of ▁C uman á . ▁The ▁name ▁" V enez uela " ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁derive ▁from ▁pal af ito ▁villages ▁on ▁Lake ▁Mar aca ib o ▁rem inding ▁Amer igo ▁V esp ucci ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁( h ence ▁" V enez uela ", ▁or ▁" l ittle ▁Ven ice "). ▁Indian ▁ca ci ques ▁( le aders ) ▁such ▁as ▁Gu a ica ip uro ▁( cir ca ▁ 1 5 3 0 – 1 5 6 8 ) ▁and ▁T aman aco ▁( d ied ▁ 1 5 7 3 ) ▁attempted ▁to ▁resist ▁Spanish ▁inc urs ions , ▁but ▁the ▁new com ers ▁ultimately ▁sub