For the arrival of the Spaniards the territory of the state was populated by numerous tribes, already organized in communal agricultural societies, among which the apures, aitures, amaibas, achaguas, baraures, barrancas stand out, the canaguaes, the capas, the cúcuaros, the curaguas, the caquetíos, the curayes, the dásaros, the duriguas, the guahibos, the güeros, the orúes, the ticoporos, the michayes, the suripaes, the torunos, the tobores, the tucuriguas, the puyures and the varinas.All these tribes were extinct or disappeared from the state due to colonization, but in many cases their names remained as place names throughout the state - as is the case of Torunos and Barrancas.