Angel Falls, located in southeastern Venezuela are the world's highest waterfalls. For many years after their discovery, they were virtually unknown due to the rugged terrain surrounding them.
Angel Falls, located in southeastern Venezuela are the world's highest waterfalls. For many years after their discovery, they were virtually unknown due to the rugged terrain surrounding them. In fact, for many many years the steep mountain over which Angel Falls pour down was not even included on maps.
Angel Falls got its name from the American bush pilot Jimmy Angel, who saw the incredible sight from his plane shile searching for gold in 1937. When Mr. Angel described the falls to his friends, they would not believe him, saying he exaggerated their proportions. The falls were never actually measured until thirteen years after their discovery when American journalist Ruth Robertson led a team to the falls in 1949.
The falls are a spectacular 3,212 feet high making them twenty times as tall as the Eiffel Tower. A steep cliff that is over 8,000 feet high forms the majestic backdrop of these wonderful Angel Falls.
The Angel Falls are located in a region called the Guayana Highlands. These highlands cover about half of Venezuela. The high, flat topped mountain is massive wity vertical sides that rise up into the clouds. Narrow, deep river valleys are cut into the mountain, supplying the falls with water. The volcanic rock that forms these mountains is ancient and counted among the oldest rock that has been dated in the world.
The steep sided mountains are called tepuis and are billions of years old. The mountain ridge over which the Angel Falls flow is call the Auyan Tepui and covers more than 270 square miles at its base. It is situated in Venezuela's Canaima National Park, which incidentally is the sixth largest national park in the world.
The ancient rock of the Auyan Tepui contain a treasure of diamonds, gold, iron and other minerals. Because of this, there has been an increase of prospectors in the area that have led to concern for preserving this natural wonder.
Some local residents, called Pemons are afraid to go near the mountain. This is because Mount Auyan Tepui is called "Devil Mountain" by the Pemon. They name came from the fact that they believed that evil spirits live in the mountain. Many Pemon guides will paint their faces red before approaching the mountain in order to protect themselves from these spirits.
To see Angel Falls, visitors today can fly in a small plane, take a boat trip or even hike to Augyan Tepui during certain times of the year.
