Wayuu people
Wayúu people engaged in a courtship dance | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Approx. 413,437 in Venezuela (2011 Census) Approx. 380,460 in Colombia (2018 Census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Guajira Peninsula Colombia and Venezuela | |
| Languages | |
| Wayuu, Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional, Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Arawak group |
| People | Wayuu |
|---|---|
| Language | Wayuunaiki |
| Country | Wajiira |
The Wayuu (also Wayu, Wayú, Guajiro, Wahiro) are an Indigenous ethnic group of the Guajira Peninsula in northernmost Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The Wayuu language is part of the Arawakan language family. Throughout their history, they have resisted the Spanish, rural land owners, and the Catholic Church. Wayuu tradition remains, and their artisan industry is one of the biggest handicraft exports in present-day Colombia.