Orinoco Delta and Eastern Guyana Highlands

Map of the Month: Orinoco Delta and Eastern Guyana Highlands

Map boundaries: 0 to 10 degrees North; 56 to 64 degrees West

Countries (States, Regions, or Districts): Brazil (Amazonas, Para, and Roraima), Guyana, Suriname (Coronie, Nickerie, and Sipaliwini), and Venezuela (Amazonas, Anzoategui, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro, and Monagas).

Overview

This map area extends from the Venezuelan coast range in the northwest to the Amazon rainforest in the south. Although the region is mostly tropical moist forest, there are areas of xeric vegetation in the northwest. Grasslands and savannas are found in the lower Orinoco and southwestern Suriname, and in La Gran Sabana where Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela come together. In the Orinoco Delta and along the coast of Suriname are swamp forests that mark the transition from coastal mangroves to higher elevation tropical forests. The Guyana Highlands are notable for the tepuys, which are about 100 dramatic flat-topped sandstone mountains scattered across Venezuela, northern Brazil, central Guyana, and central Suriname. The most well-known tepuy is Auyan in southeastern Venezuela, from which Angel Falls plunges. Continue reading