Arab immigration to Venezuela started in the 19th century. They came mostly from the
Ottoman provinces of
Lebanon and
Syria, and are present in significant numbers in
Caracas. Immigration of Arabs in Venezuela has influenced Venezuelan culture, in particular Arabic food and music. In religion, the majority of Arab-Venezuelans are Christians who belong to the
Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox,
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, about 550,000 Druze, Other sources stated that there are about 60,000
Syrian-Venezuelans living in Syria. More than 200,000 people from the
Sweida area carry Venezuelan citizenship and most are members of
Syria's Druze sect, who immigrated to Venezuela in the past century. In 2021, the largest
Druze communities outside the Middle East were in Venezuela and the United States (50,000). ==Notable people==