Canaima National Park

Canaima National Park is located in the eastern plateau of the Bolivar state in Venezuela, South America, covering an area of 30,000 square kilometers. The altitude fluctuates greatly from 450 meters to 2810 meters. 65% of the park's land is covered by slate mountains, which are of great geological value. Steep cliffs and waterfalls as high as 1,000 meters make up the unique landscape of Canaima National Park. There are three main geological rock formations in Canaima National Park. The very old rock formations were formed 3.6 billion to 1.2 billion years ago and are the foundations of underground igneous and metamorphic rocks. Between 1.6 billion and 1 billion years ago, a sedimentary cap formed in the upper part, and the earlier formed rock layers had been buried deep below the surface; the second layer is the basis for the formation of the strange topographical features in Canaima National Park Quartzite and sandstone formations. These rock formations are sandstone hills formed by the erosion process of the surrounding land over millions of years. Canaima National Park is home to vast savannahs. On locally moist swamps, the soil is relatively fertile and trees grow. Forests are only found in the wet depressions and canyons below Table Mountain. There are 3000-5000 species of flowering plants and ferns on Table Mountain alone, and more than 900 other plants have been found, 10% of which are endemic to Canaima National Park. Canaima National Park is also very rich in orchid species. The Venezuelan government registered more than 500 orchid species in 1993. Although the number of animals in Canaima National Park is not large, the diversity is outstanding. According to statistics, there are about 118 species of mammals, 550 species of birds, 72 species of reptiles and 55 species of amphibians. It is a sanctuary for precious animals such as cougars and jaguars. In 1994, Unesco listed Kakanaima National Park as a natural heritage and included it on the World Heritage List.