Canaima National Park () is a park in south-eastern

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

that roughly occupies the same area as the

Gran Sabana La Gran Sabana (, ) is a region in southeastern Venezuela, part of the Guianan savanna ecoregion. The savanna spreads into the regions of the Guiana Shield, Guiana Highlands and south-east into Bolívar, Venezuela, Bolívar State, extending fu ...

region. It is located in Bolívar State, reaching the borders with

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

. The park was named a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

History

Canaima National Park was established on 12 June 1962. As early as 1990, the countries that participate in the Amazonian Cooperation Treaty had recommended expanding the Canaima National Park southward to connect it with Monte Roraima National Park in Brazil, with coordinated management of tourism, research and conservation. In 1994, the Canaima National Park was named a

. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

performed a conservation assessment in 2017, which listed Canaima National Park as an area of significant concern, citing ineffective protection and management.

Location

Canaima National Park is the second largest park in Venezuela, after Parima-Tapirapecó, and sixth biggest national park in the world. It is roughly the same size as Belgium or Maryland. The park protects part of the Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion. About 65% of the park is occupied by plateaus of rock called

tepui A tepui , or tepuy (), is a member of a family of table-top mountains or mesas found in northern South America, especially in Venezuela, western Guyana, and northern Brazil. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the ...

s, which are a kind of table-top mountain millions of years old, with vertical walls and almost flat tops. These constitute a unique biological environment and are also of great geological interest. Their sheer cliffs and waterfalls including

Angel Falls Angel Falls (; Pemon: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' or ''Parakupá Vená'') is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of , and a plunge of . The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyán-tepui m ...

, which is the highest waterfall in the world, at . The most famous tepuis in the park are

Mount Roraima Mount Roraima (; ) is the highest of the Pacaraima chain of tepuis (table-top mountain) or plateaux in South America. It is located at the junction of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. A characteristic large flat-topped mountain surrounded by cliff ...

, the tallest and easiest to climb, and Auyantepui, the site of Angel Falls. The tepuis are sandstone and date back to a time when South America and Africa were part of a super-continent. The park is home to indigenous

Pemon The Pemon or Pemón (Pemong) are Indigenous people living in areas of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana.See pp.112,113 and 178 of ''Venezuela: the Pemon'', in '' Condé Nast Traveler'', December 2008. The Pemon people are divided into many dialects ...

Indians, part of the Carib linguistic group. The Pemon have an intimate relationship with the tepuis, and believe they are the home of the 'Mawari' spirits. The park is relatively remote, with only a few roads connecting towns. Most transport within the park is done by light plane from the airstrips built by various Capuchin missions, or by foot and canoe.

Fauna

Canaima has a varied fauna, which is distributed throughout the park according to multiple environmental factors such as altitude and vegetation type. Among the species found are: *

Giant armadillo The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...

(''Priodontes maximus'') *

Giant otter The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of mustel ...

(''Pteronura brasiliensis'') *

Giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an Insectivore, insectivorous mammal native to Central America, Central and South America. It is the largest of the four living species of anteaters, which are classified with sloths in the or ...

(''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') *

Cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

(''Puma concolor'') *

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

(''Panthera onca'') *

Linnaeus's two-toed sloth Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (''Choloepus didactylus''), also known as the southern two-toed sloth, unau, or Linne's two-toed sloth is a species of sloth from South America, found in Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Per ...

(''Choloepus didactylus'') *

White-faced saki The white-faced saki (''Pithecia pithecia''), is a species of New World saki monkey. The small bodied neotropical primate can be found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. This species feeds mostly on fruits, nuts, seeds, ...

(''Pithecia pithecia'') * Brown-backed bearded saki (''Chiropotes israelita'') * Roraima mouse (''Podoxymys roraimae'') * Tyleria mouse opossum (''Marmosa tyleriana'') *

Harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a large Neotropical realm, neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guin ...

(''Harpia harpyja'') * Red-shouldered macaw (''Diopsittaca nobilis'') * Dusky parrot (''Pionus fuscus'') * Yellow-banded poison dart frog (''Dendrobates leucomelas'') * ParqueNacionalCanaima

Green iguana The green iguana (''Iguana iguana''), also known as the American iguana or the common green iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly Herbivory, herbivorous species of lizard of the genus ''Iguana''. Usually, this animal is simply called the iguana. ...

(''Iguana iguana'') *

Hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

s (Trochilinae) *

Toucan Toucans (, ) are Neotropical birds in the family Ramphastidae. They are most closely related to the Semnornis, Toucan barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful Beak, bills. The family includes five genus, genera and over ...

s (Ramphastidae) * South American bushmaster (''Lachesis muta'') * Green acouchi (''Myoprocta pratti'') *

Bush dog The bush dog (''Speothos venaticus'') is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils ...

(''Speothos venaticus'') Canaima National Park is among one of several dozen regions in Venezuela that has been identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBAs) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

, a global cooperative of non-governmental organizations focused on the conservation of the world’s birds and their natural habitats.

Flora

There are over 300 botanical

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

endemic only to La Gran Sabana. * Endemic flora includes '' Achnopogon, Adenanthe'', '' Chimantaea'', '' Mallophyton,'' '' Quelchia'', '' Tepuia''. * Endemic carnivorous plants include the ''

Heliamphora The genus ''Heliamphora'' ( or ; Greek language, Greek: ''helos'' "marsh" and ''amphoreus'' "amphora") contains 24 species of pitcher plants endemism, endemic to South America.McPherson, S., A. Wistuba, A. Fleischmann & J. Nerz 2011. ''Sarracenia ...

'' (South American pitcher plants) and ''

Brocchinia ''Brocchinia'' is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, and is the sole genus of the subfamily Brocchinioideae, containing 20 species. The genus is named for Giovanni Battista Brocchi, Italian naturalist (1772–1826). ''Brocchinia'' s ...

'' (a type of

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a Family (biology), family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and on ...

), as well as several local species of ''

Drosera ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genus, genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucil ...

'' (sundews), '' Genlisea'' (corkscrew plants) and ''

Utricularia ''Utricularia'', commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species (precise counts differ based on classification opinions; a 2001 publication lists 215 species).Salmon, B ...

'' (bladderworts).

Hydrography

The park includes the entire watershed of the right bank of the

Caroní River The Caroní River is the second most important river of Venezuela, the second in flow, and one of the longest, from the Kukenan tepui through to its confluence with the Orinoco River. The name "Caroní" is applied starting from the confluenc ...

and two of the highest waterfalls in the world, the

and the Kukenán, as well as plenty of waterfalls of lower altitude.

Land forms

The only land form are the

s, that are plateaus which are unique features, among which are its vertical and nearly flat tops, although there are several tepuies that do not meet these rules. Geologically are remnants of a sedimentary cover composed of very ancient sandstone that is superimposed on a base of igneous rocks (mainly granite) that is even older (nearly 3 billion years). On its summit is home to a substantial amount of specific endemic species, both plant and animal. Some endemic plant species are categorized as "carnivorous", which are thus the food supply (mainly insects) that are so scarce in the mountains. These have a geological formations ranging between 1.5 and 2 billion years, which makes them one of the oldest formations in the world. The best known tepuies are: the Auyantepuy (where it follows the Angel Falls), the Roraima, the Kukenan and the Chimantá among many others.

Tourist attractions

Western Sector

Eastern Sector

Canaima National Park is spread in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil. The best-known feature of Canaima National Park is its characteristic flat-topped mountain formations known as 'tepuis' which cover roughly 65% of the park. The tepuis constitute a unique biogeological entity and are of great geological interest. As of 1993, Canaima National Park was reported to receive approximately 100,000 tourists every year, with 90% visiting its plateaus. Only a select few of its tepuis are accessible to visitors, with those including

Roraima Roraima ( ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Located in the country's North Region, it is the northernmost and most geographically and logistically isolated state in Brazil. It is bordered by the state of Pará to the southeast, Amazonas t ...

and

Auyán-tepui Auyán-tepui (), also spelled Ayan, is a tepui in Bolívar state, Venezuela.Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical features. In: P.E. Berry, B.K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (eds.) '' Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Volume 1. Introduction.'' Mis ...

is also a popular tourist spot, where visitors can canoe through the park’s vast rainforest.

Popular culture

Canaima is the name given to the fictional Californian coastal town (which was filmed in

Cambria, California Cambria () is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California State Route 1 (Highway 1). The name Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales (Welsh, ...

) where the movie

Arachnophobia Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions and ticks. The word "arachnophobia" comes from the Greek words arachne and phobia. Signs and symptoms People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they b ...

is supposed to take place. The introductory and jungle scenes of the movie were filmed in the national park.

Gallery

Image:Carrao river and tepuys.jpg, from left: Kurun tepui, Kusari tepui and Kuravaina tepui Image:Kukenantepuyvenezuela.jpg,

Kukenán-tepui Kukenán, also known as Matawi or Cuquenán, is a tepui in Bolivar State, Bolívar State, Guayana Region, Venezuela. It has an estimated surface area of 2185 hectares (equivalent to 21.85 square kilometres). It is high and about 3 km (1.9&n ...

view from base Image:Salto Angel - Cañon del Diablo.JPG, Rio Churun devils canyon and

Image:Salto Chirimata en Venezuela y la Serra do Sol de fondo en Brasil.jpg, Uei-tepui and Chirimata Falls Image:Mount Roraima, Venezuela (12371474504).jpg,

Image:Yuruani tepuy y rio - Gran sabana.jpg, Yuruaní River and Yuruaní-tepui Image:Ilú-tepui - southeastern face.JPG, Ilú-tepui Image:Wadaka pia pu tepuy.jpg,

Wadakapiapué-tepui Wadakapiapué-tepui, also spelled Wadakapiapö, Wadakapiapo, Wadaka Piapo or Guadacapiapui, Brewer-Carías, C. (2012). ''Río Verde'' 8: 77–94. is a tepui of the Eastern Tepuis chain in Bolívar, Venezuela, Bolívar, Venezuela.Huber, O. (1995). ...

and Ilú–tepui Image:Wadakapiapo Yuruani tepuy 2010.jpg, Yuruaní-tepui and

Image:Jaspe Completa.JPG, Jasper Creek Image:Kukenan Tepuy at Sunset.jpg,

Image:Termiteros Gran Sabana.jpg, La Gran Sabana Image:Salto Kamá 2.jpg, Kamá Falls Image:Canaima (Fabrizio Morroia).jpg, Waterfalls of Canaima Image:Kukenam-Tepui.jpg, Kukenan Tepui Image:Laguna la Piscina.JPG, Pozo Azul Image:Gran Sabana, Rio.JPG, River in the Gran Sabana Image:Way to Salto del Angel, Canaima - panoramio (24).jpg, Churun River Image:Salto angel descubierto.jpg, Salto Angel aerial view Image:SaltoAngel1.jpg, Angel Falls as seen from base Image:Laguna-de-Canaima.jpg, Canaima Lake and Ucaima Waterfalls Image:Kavac-2023.jpg, Kavac caves Image:Salto-El-Hacha-2023.jpg, El Hacha falls Image:Salto-El-Hacha-y-Ucaima.jpg, El Hacha and Ucaima falls. Carrao river and Canaima Lagoon

References

External links

Official information about the Canaima National Park

Official UNESCO website entry

Canaima National Park

Protected Planet Page for Canaima
{{Authority control World Heritage Sites in Venezuela Guianan savanna Protected areas established in 1962 Geography of Bolívar (state) 1962 establishments in Venezuela