Canaima National Park Natalie Beaver August 23, 2010 Period 2

Location About three hundred and seventy-three mile (six hundred kilometers) south if the Ciudad Bolivarn on the border of Guyana and Brazil, Canaima National Park is located in the Guiana Highlands in Venezuela.

History Canaima National Park was Established in 1962 Illegal Mining Booms in Kamarata Valley in Canajma in 1994 The national park was conceded World heritage Status in 1994 for recognition of extraordinary scenery and geological and biological values EDELCA began a fire- fighting program in 1981 Park was expanded to 30,000 km^2 in 1975

Creation of Canaima Canaima was created to protect the north-western section of the Guayana Shield. This is the geological formation shared with Brazil, the Guianas, and Columbia The Park is a safeguard for cultural, biological, and geological values The he production of water in the Guri Dam has been the major economic importance as it provides 77% of Venezuelas electricity

Landscape Canaima National Park has many different land attractions including mountains, plateaus, savannas, forests, and waterfalls The mountains are mostly apart of the Roraima Range that covers about 65% of the park. The range is mostly flat-topped formations known as tepui ranging as high as 8,850 feet The tepuis are form by the process of erosion as the sandstone rock disappears with the other land over the time span of millions of years

Landscape 2 Erosion left many different soil types that help support the growth of forests and plants The soil allows on third of the Earths plants to grow in the park Waterfalls are formed as water flows from the tops of the tepuis. The worlds most famous water fall, Angel Falls forms form this and is about 3,285 feet tall

7 Tourism Over the years, Canaima National Park had grown in popularity In 1993, 90% of the Parks 100,000 tourists visited the Plateau With restricted tour sites, the only tepuis accessible are the Roraima and Auyantepury tepuis Tourism had also been effecting the Park in a negative way as the savannas have been torn up by tire tracks causing soil to erode and the landscape to disintegrate

8 Inhabitants Other than the thousands of plants and animals living in the park, there are also the Pemón indigenous people. The Pemón are part of the Carid linguistic group in which the quarters of the entire population lives in Canaima

9 Pemón People It is believed that the Pemón had immigrated to Venezuela about two hundred years ago. They have a familiar bondage with the landscape and environment In their culture, rock formations, lakes, waterfalls, and streams have been described in myth With the Parks tourist attraction increasing, some Pemón have begun to grow away from their lifestyle and beliefs The Pemón people used to hunt and fish but have become more attracted to mining and tourism due to work traditional

10 Interesting Facts The most popular attraction is Angel Falls and the table top mountains When you enter Canaima, you need to have proof of having the yellow fever vaccination Rainfalls mostly occur through May and November and the rest of the month are dry seasons

11 Bibliography " Canaima National Park Tourist Attractions, Facts & Location – Venezuela." Famous Wonders of the World: Best Places to Visit, See Travel Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug < par "Canaima National Park (Eastern Section) - Park Profile - Threats." ParksWatch - Strengthening Parks To Safeguard Biodiversity. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug "Canaima National Park, Venezuela - Encyclopedia of Earth." Encyclopedia of Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug Sharpe, Christopher J.. ":: The Lost World:: Travel and information on the Gran Sabana, Canaima National Park, Venezuela." :: The Lost World :: The Gran Sabana, Canaima National Park and Angel Falls - Venezuela. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug "canaima national park - Google Search." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug aqi=g-l8g-lm1&aql=&oq=canaina+nati&gs_rfai=C4HYkB3NwTKDtF4jwzASAlbHoDwAAAKoEBU_QhWWu "Venezuela's Angel Falls - surreal adventure travel." Adventure travel packages with Angel Eco Tours. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug

12 Bibliography 2(Pictures) "Waterfall." Online Image. Canaima National Park. No date. August 23, bin/nytmaps.pl?venezuela "Landscape." Online Image. Blog Spot. No date. August 23, "Table Top Mountain." Online Image. Trveler's Guide. No date. August 23, "Map of Venezuela." Online Image. Merriam Webster. No date. August 22, bin/nytmaps.pl?venezuela "Tourist Cartoon." Online Image. The MIndhul Tourist. No date. August 23, a-good-host/