Guiana Plateau: description, location, climate

In South America there are two famous plateaus: the Brazilian and Guiana Highlands. Their description you will find in the article.

Geographical position

The Brazilian plateau (highlands) stretches between two lowlands: the Amazon in the north and the La Plata, which occupies the western part of the continent.

The eastern border of the Brazilian plateau runs along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Highlands have a huge area and take about five million square kilometers. On its territory is Brazil, hence its name.

The Guiana Plateau on the map of the mainland occupies its northern part. It stretches between the lowland of the same name, spreading along the Atlantic coast and the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. The length of Guiana is much inferior to the Brazilian. An area of about 2,000 square kilometers occupies the Guiana Plateau. The map shows that there are several countries on its territory. These are Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana and part of Brazil.

Relief

Highlands have a similarly heterogeneous relief. It combines lowland areas with a plain and a mountainous terrain. For example, the outskirts of the Guiana Plateau are represented by flat landscapes. When moving toward the center, the surface gradually rises, as if rising upward by wide steps. In the central part of the plateau is the Pakaraima mountain massif.

The Brazilian highlands in the north look like a plateau, to the east coast gradually rising to a mountain ridge.

Mountains and their features

The mountain ranges of both plateaus are famous for the so-called tepuyas or table mountains. Their name "dining rooms" they received for flat tops. If you look at the peaks of these mountains from above, you can see that they really resemble the huge surface of the table.

A flat view of the peaks was formed over the centuries under the influence of the sun and water, polished horizontal layers of quartz and sandstone, of which they consist.

Tepui are famous for their numerous caves and mines, washed by water and having numerous horizontal and vertical courses.

Slopes of mountains and rocks sometimes have fancy shapes and original grounds. You can see, for example, the correct form of natural baths. During the rains, they are filled with water and are suitable for bathing.

In the foothills there are often granite half-kilometer mountain peaks of regular round shape - "semi-oranges".

On the plateau are solitary cliffs of a bizarre shape, reminiscent of chess pieces, mushrooms, fairy-tale castles.

The Parakaima mountain range and the "navel of the Earth"

The highest point that adorns the Guiana Plateau is the top of Roraima, it belongs to the Serra-Pakaraima mountain range. The ridge rises above sea level by 2723 meters. The surface of the mountain is a 34 km plateau. It is located at the junction of 3 states: Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. In the vicinity of Roraima are the sources of the Amazon and Essekibo rivers, and also the origin of the Orinoco river.

This is a very spectacular tepuya. The slopes of the mountain are covered with forests of dwarf trees, ferns, rare species of orchids, of which there are a great many, unique insectivorous plants, mosses and plaunas. From a distance the mountain has a blue-green hue, for which the aborigines received the nickname "Great blue-green mountain".

The flat top of Roraima is almost always shrouded in fog and a layer of whitish clouds. She looks mysterious and even mystical. Therefore, the plateau was chosen as the place for the filming of the film "The Lost World" based on the novel by Conan Doyle.

Indians call the summit "the navel of the Earth" and believe that it is home to the goddess Quinn, the progenitor of all mankind.

The sierra of the Brazilian plateau

The Brazilian highlands are famous for the sierra. This is the name for strongly dissected mountain ranges, reaching a height of two kilometers and located along the Atlantic Ocean. Petouya Bandeira with a three-kilometer peak is the highest point of the highlands.

In the northern part of the Brazilian plateau, deposits of high-quality ores are found. This is one of the richest ore deposits in the world.

Climate of the plateaus

A distinctive feature of the climate of the plateaus is seasonality in the distribution of precipitation.

For example, the winter period on the Guiana Plateau is characterized by high humidity, which is not typical for these latitudes. The reason for this is the north-eastern wet trade wind.

Spring on the plateau is a continuous period of rains, and summer is characterized by drought.

The Brazilian plateau lies within the tropical and subequatorial belts, so it's very warm all year round, even hot. The distribution of precipitation on this plateau depends on its relief and remoteness from the ocean. Thus, in the central part of the highland, annual precipitation falls on the summer months.

Rivers

The Guiana Plateau lies between the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. It is crossed by a lot of fast mountain rivers, which mostly feed on precipitation.

The rivers of the Brazilian and Guiana Plateau are characterized by a seasonal rhythm. During the rainy season, they become deep-watered, they become very shallow in the drought, sometimes turning into streams and lakes. Also, the riverbed of each river abounds with rapids and waterfalls.

Angel

On the Guiana Plateau is the highest waterfall on the planet, which has a romantic name Angel (Angel). It overthrows its waters from almost a kilometer in height. The waterfall is fed by rain. In dry times it looks like a thin stream of water. When precipitation falls on the Guiana Plateau, Angel turns into a powerful water stream. The speed of the fall of its water is so great that reaching the surface of the earth, the water becomes dust. Water dust forms a haze, enveloping the waterfall and making it visible for several kilometers.

Orinoco - heavenly place

The most famous river, feeding the Guiana High Plain, is called the Orinoco. The great Christopher Columbus likened it to paradise.

The Orinoco River begins in the foothills of Venezuela, next to the Brazilian border. These are very secluded, quiet, poorly studied places. Until now, there are several few Indian tribes living in voluntary isolation from the outside world.

During the rainy season, the riverbed widens and becomes deeper. In the droughty period, the smallest tributaries dry up, turning into a series of small lakes.

An interesting sight of the reservoir is its natural canal - the Kasikyare River, which connects the Amazon with Orinoco.

Orinoco crocodiles are found in the Orinoco waters, the rarest representatives of the species of crocodiles.

lost World

Where the Guiana Plateau is located, in Venezuela, there is a huge reserve on its territory - the Canaima National Park. He is more than two million years old. This is the most ancient corner on the planet Earth.

The pride of the park is high-rise tepui and fantastic landscapes.

The plateau-like peaks of the park's mountains have a natural origin of funnels of different diameters. The largest of them reach three hundred meters. Most of the funnels are filled with the purest water and look like the crystal clearness of a lake. At the bottom of the lakes there are unique plants that could not be found anywhere else on the planet.

The most beautiful of the park's mountains is Autana. Its feature is a cave, piercing through the mountain.

Especially popular among researchers and tourists is the cave Abismo Gui Colleg, whose depth reaches 670 meters. When studying it on the vaults, ancient rock drawings depicting non-existent animals and unknown creatures were discovered.

Unique not only the mountains of the park, but also its nature. In these places there are a lot of very rare representatives of the world of animals and plants. For example, the sightseeing trail to the Angel falls falls through the island of orchids, which amazes with the variety of colors and forms of plants.

In the forests of the park there live various kinds of monkeys, jaguars, huge anteaters. The forests and foothills are filled with the feathered homon.

Kanayma Park is a favorite tourist destination. Here you can travel not only by land, water, but also afford an air travel by plane. After all, only from a height you can see all the beauties of this place.

The famous Guiana Plateau is literally shrouded in a halo of secrets and mysteries, myths and legends are built about it, partially confirmed by reports of scientific expeditions.