According to historical texts, the name "Venezia/Venedig" originated from the Medieval Latin word "Venetia" and the Greek word "Ouenetoi," which referred to an ancient Illyrian people. The country, Venezuela, is believed to have been named by Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who saw stilt houses in the Lake Maracaibo area that reminded him of Venice. Vespucci, along with Alonso de Ojeda, led a 1499 naval expedition along the northern coast of South America and gave the country its name, which translates to "little Venice." The origin of the name "Venezuela" is often attributed to this event, with the name being chosen due to the similarity between the stilt houses and the city of Venice.