La Gran Sabana
Encyclopedia
The Gran Sabana is an important natural attraction in Venezuela
, located in the south of Bolívar State on the Venezuela
n-Brazil
ian border, approximately 1,400 km from Caracas
. The area has a tropical
humid climate
with an average temperature of 28 °C, but at night it can go down to 13 °C. The most important town in the region is Santa Elena de Uairen
, the municipal capital, which is 5 kilometers from the Venezuelan-Brazilian border. It has a population of approximately 12,000 inhabitants.
The Gran Sabana lies on a plateau with a mean altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level and is dotted with huge table-top mountains called tepui
s, which rise dramatically from the surrounding plains. The tallest of the tepuis is Mount Roraima
at 2,810 meters above sea level. Mount Roraima also marks the triple border point for Venezuela
, Brazil
and Guyana
.
The Gran Sabana is inhabited by several indigenous groups
, including the Pemon, who are the most numerous. Canaima National Park
, which was created by a decree on the 12th of June, 1962, encompasses most of the Gran Sabana but the areas do not exactly match. In 1975 the Canaima National Park
was extended from the original 10,000 km² to 30,000 km², making it the sixth largest national park in the world.
The main attractions for visitors to the region are Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, Mount Roraima
, the mountain which inspired Arthur Conan Doyle
's 1912 novel The Lost World
, and the many other mountains and waterfalls.
to Brazil. Alternatively, one can fly to Santa Elena de Uairen. To access the best attractions, one would take a 4x4. Kavak can only be reached by air.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, located in the south of Bolívar State on the Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n-Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian border, approximately 1,400 km from Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. The area has a tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
humid climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
with an average temperature of 28 °C, but at night it can go down to 13 °C. The most important town in the region is Santa Elena de Uairen
Santa Elena de Uairen
Santa Elena de Uairén is a small Venezuelan city in the state of Bolívar near the border with Brazil and Guyana. It was Founded by Lucas Fernandez Peña in 1923...
, the municipal capital, which is 5 kilometers from the Venezuelan-Brazilian border. It has a population of approximately 12,000 inhabitants.
The Gran Sabana lies on a plateau with a mean altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level and is dotted with huge table-top mountains called tepui
Tepui
A tepui , or tepuy, is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana....
s, which rise dramatically from the surrounding plains. The tallest of the tepuis is Mount Roraima
Monte Roraima
Mount Roraima is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateau in South America. First described by the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, its summit area is defended by 400-metre-tall cliffs on all sides...
at 2,810 meters above sea level. Mount Roraima also marks the triple border point for Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
.
The Gran Sabana is inhabited by several indigenous groups
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
, including the Pemon, who are the most numerous. Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park is a 30,000 km² park in south-eastern Venezuela that borders Brazil and Guyana. It is located in Bolívar State, and roughly occupies the same area as the Gran Sabana region....
, which was created by a decree on the 12th of June, 1962, encompasses most of the Gran Sabana but the areas do not exactly match. In 1975 the Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park is a 30,000 km² park in south-eastern Venezuela that borders Brazil and Guyana. It is located in Bolívar State, and roughly occupies the same area as the Gran Sabana region....
was extended from the original 10,000 km² to 30,000 km², making it the sixth largest national park in the world.
The main attractions for visitors to the region are Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, Mount Roraima
Monte Roraima
Mount Roraima is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateau in South America. First described by the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, its summit area is defended by 400-metre-tall cliffs on all sides...
, the mountain which inspired Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's 1912 novel The Lost World
The Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine during the months of April 1912-November 1912...
, and the many other mountains and waterfalls.
Flora and fauna
The area contains a number of unique plant species that have adapted to the specific and sometimes harsh environment of the area.Access
To get to la Gran Sabana by road one must go by the tarmac road from El DoradoEl Dorado, Venezuela
El Dorado is a small town in eastern Venezuela. It is situated in Bolívar State. It is the second largest town in Sifontes Municipality: the capital of the municipality is Tumeremo....
to Brazil. Alternatively, one can fly to Santa Elena de Uairen. To access the best attractions, one would take a 4x4. Kavak can only be reached by air.
External links
- http://www.lagransabana.travel/en/
- http://www.lagransabana.com/