Mount Roraima National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional do Monte Roraima) is a
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...
in the state of
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 ...
, northern
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
It includes the Brazilian section of
Mount Roraima
Mount Roraima ( es, Monte Roraima; Tepuy Roraima; Cerro Roraima pt, Monte Roraima ) is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepuis (table-top mountain) or plateaux in South America. It is located at the junction of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyan ...
, and other mountains along the borders with
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...
and
Guyana, and a diverse environment including tropical rainforest and savanna.
The park is fully contained within the
Raposa Serra do Sol
Terra indígena Raposa/Serra do Sol (Portuguese for ''Fox/Sun Hills Indigenous Land'') is an indigenous territory in Brazil, intended to be home to the Macuxi people. It is located in the northern half of the Brazilian state of Roraima and is the ...
indigenous territory, and has the dual role of conserving the environment and supporting the constitutional rights of the indigenous people.
Location
Monte Roraima National Park is in the
Uiramutã municipality of the state of Roraima. It has an area of .
The park includes part of the
Cotingo River basin, where plans have been made for a hydro-electric plant. The area has high potential for mining, agriculture, ranching and ecotourism, and has resulting tension between the strong Indian population and the ranchers and settlers.
The park includes part of the
Pacaraima Mountains The Pacaraima or Pakaraima Mountains ( pt, Serra de Pacaraima, es, Sierra de Pacaraima) are a mountain range primarily in southwestern Guyana, and into northern Brazil and eastern Venezuela.
Geography
The range extends from west to east for ove ...
, which separate Brazil from Venezuela and Guyana. It is named after
Mount Roraima
Mount Roraima ( es, Monte Roraima; Tepuy Roraima; Cerro Roraima pt, Monte Roraima ) is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepuis (table-top mountain) or plateaux in South America. It is located at the junction of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyan ...
, the highest of the
Tepui
A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran ...
mountains at almost and one of the highest of the Pacaraima chain. The mountain has a flat top that holds a monument, the ''Marco da Triplice Fronteira'', where the borders of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil meet.
Altitudes in the park range from above sea level. The mountains typically have large, flat table tops fringed by steep and partially denuded cliffs, which are surrounded by broad pediments cut with ravines that merge into the lower dissected reliefs of the Pacaraima range. The Serra do Sol range to the southeast has altitudes up to .
The park contains the sources of the most northerly rivers that flow south into the
Branco River
The Branco River ( pt, Rio Branco; Engl: ''White River'') is the principal affluent of the Rio Negro from the north.
Basin
The river drains the Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion.
It is enriched by many streams from the Tepui highlands ...
basin. These include the
Cotingo River, with its headwaters at the foot of Mount Roraima, the
Panari River in the extreme north to the south of the Caburaí mountains, the Maú or
Ireng River
The Ireng River (or Maú River, generally used in Portuguese) forms part of Guyana's western border with Brazil. It flows through the valleys of the Pakaraima Mountains for most of its length. It is the only major river in Guyana which flows fro ...
, which forms the border between Brazil and Guyana, and the
Uailan River near the Uailan mountains. The Cotingo and Maú rivers have continuous stretches of rapids and waterfalls, including the dramatic Garã Garã waterfall on the Maú.
Environment
Monte Roraima National Park is in the
Amazon biome
The Amazon biome ( pt, Bioma Amazônia) contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater and whit ...
.
Temperatures range from with an average of .
Average annual rainfall is .
The region has diverse landscapes that should help conserve biodiversity, although it is lacking space.
It contains an area of savanna, 8.7% of the total area.
This area includes forest, woodland, park and grassland.
The forest includes plateau and montane ecosystems.
The first has small patches of dense forest with emergent trees, while the second has dense forest with closed canopy on the slopes, open on the summits and flatter areas.
There are various endemic species adapted to the harsh mountain climate where temperatures may range from in a 24 hour period.
Administrative history

Monte Roraima National Park was created by decree 97.887 of 28 June 1989, and is administered by the
Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation
The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation ( Portuguese: ''Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade'', ICMBio) is the Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), ...
(ICMBio).
It is classed as
IUCN protected area category
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The enlisting of such areas is part ...
II (national park).
The objectives are preservation of natural ecosystems of great ecological relevance and scenic beauty, and enabling scientific research, environmental education and interpretation, recreation in contact with nature and ecological tourism.
As early as 1990 the countries that participate in the Amazonian Cooperation Treaty had recommended expanding Venezuela's
Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Canaima) is a park in south-eastern Venezuela that roughly occupies the same area as the Gran Sabana region. It is located in Bolívar State, reaching the borders with Brazil and Guyana.
History
Ca ...
southward to connect it with Monte Roraima National Park, with coordinated management of tourism, research and conservation.
The management plan was finalised in May 2000.
Due to lack of money the park still existed only on paper until 2001, when the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
provided money to implement and manage parks in Brazil.
The indigenous people became concerned when the
(IBAMA) began to implement the management plan.
This included erecting a headquarters building, and potentially removing the indigenous
Ingarikó and
Macushi people
The Macushi ( pt, Macuxi) are an indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous people living in the borderlands of southern Guyana, northern Brazil in the state of Roraima, and in an eastern part of Venezuela.
Identification
The Macushi are a ...
from the park.
These people had used the area for many years for hunting, farming and religious practices.
The conflict was hard to resolve, since de-gazetting the park would require a major legislative change, as would allowing the indigenous people to use the park.
Due to land disputes and the movement to create the
indigenous territory of
Raposa Serra do Sol
Terra indígena Raposa/Serra do Sol (Portuguese for ''Fox/Sun Hills Indigenous Land'') is an indigenous territory in Brazil, intended to be home to the Macuxi people. It is located in the northern half of the Brazilian state of Roraima and is the ...
the management plan was not ratified by ICMBio.
From 2002 IBAMA technicians worked with the Ingarikó in the area.
On 15 April 2005 the area was completely assigned to
Fundação Nacional do Índio
Fundação Nacional do Índio (, ''National Indian Foundation'') or FUNAI is a Brazilian governmental protection agency for Amerindian interests and their culture.
Original founding as Indian Protection Service
In 1910, the Indian Protect ...
(FUNAI: National Indian Foundation) through the "dual affectation" legal device created by the federal government with recognition of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory.
Under the decree of 15 April 2005 the boundaries of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory were ratified and Monte Roraima National Park was made Union public property with the roles of both maintaining the constitutional rights of the Indians and conserving the environment.
Notes
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National parks of Brazil
Protected areas of Roraima
Guayana Highlands
Protected areas established in 1989
1989 establishments in Brazil
Environment of Roraima