What is a waterfall? These are streams falling from a high sheer cliff that crosses the riverbed, forming a sharp drop in height. Such a sight captivates with unprecedented beauty, when a falling avalanche breaks into small streams and water dust. And the higher the cliff, the more beautiful the view of the sparkling mass rushing down. About which is the highest waterfall in the world and where it is located, we will tell in this article.
A bit of history
For the first time, a very high waterfall was seen by a pioneer from Spain, Ernesto Sánchez la Cruz, at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, this natural wonder is named after the American gold digger J. K. Angel, whose plane crashed near the falling water stream in 1935. Assuming that there are large deposits of diamonds in this area, he visited these parts with three companions. But during the landing, the landing gear burst, and minerals, except forquartz, it turned out.
Travelers, having spent eleven days on their way back, passed the dangerous jungle on foot. After their return, the pilot told about a huge waterfall, which was named after him - Angel (Spanish: S alto Angel).
Geographic Information
Where is the tallest waterfall in the world, nine hundred and seventy-nine meters high? Angel, and its full name is S alto Angel, is located in the tropical forests of Venezuela, Canaima National Park. During the expedition of the US National Geographic Society in 1949, its height was calculated. And also it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as the highest in the world. Due to the small width of one hundred and seven meters, the stream does not seem massive, the falling water disperses around the area, turning into a dense fog that spreads for several kilometers. The waterfall is fed from the Churun River, which flows along Auyan-Tepui mountain. And the falling avalanche falls into the river Kerep.
Mount Auyan-Tepui
Which is the highest waterfall in the world? Definitely Angel. It is located in Venezuela, which is famous for its mesas. A huge plateau rising above the surface of the earth is not much like the usual mountains. Rivers are located on its surface, one of them - Churun - and gives rise to a waterfall. It descends from the highest mountain with flat tops, or in other words tepui, as the locals used to call them.
"Devil Mountain" - sotranslated Auyan-Tepui. There are about a hundred similar hills in the southeast of Venezuela. They are distinguished by their enormous height, horizontal slopes and very flat tops, and they are called mesas for a reason. Their formation occurred from sandstones several billion years ago. Under the influence of constant rains, there is a continuous destruction of the slopes.
Angel Falls
If you are at the foot of the mountain and look up from the bottom up at the brilliant stream of the famous Angel, which is the highest waterfall in the world, it seems that it is a continuous avalanche. In fact, part of the waters of the Churun river falls from above, while the other seeps into the rock mass a hundred meters below, and only then they join together and rush down, amounting to a total length of almost a kilometer.
The width of the waterfall depends on weather conditions. During the period of tropical showers, which prevail in the summer and autumn months, it reaches one hundred meters, in the dry season it consists of two insignificant streams, and in the dry season it is generally a thin trickle. Angel is located among the impenetrable tropical forests, where there are not even paths, so tourists cannot enjoy the pristine beauty close by. But on the other hand, rare animals and amazing vegetation live here. Indigenous Indians are servants of tourists who arrive in these places by canoe or small planes.
Which river has the highest waterfall in the world?
This river is called Churun. She became famous for giving rise to the highest in the worldAngel Falls. Churun is one of the many mountain streams that originate on one of the slopes of the Guiana Plateau. Being a tributary of the Karoni, winding along the faults of the plateau, it gets to the top of Auyan-Tepui with an area of up to 700 square kilometers and, reaching its edge on the northern side, falls down. Its speed increases sharply, and an avalanche of water rushes into the abyss with a noisy roar.
When viewed from afar, a narrow, shiny strip of water is noticeable, which begins at the very edge of the cliff, and then gradually increases to a sparkling column of spray, and below it turns into fog. During the rains, this highest waterfall in the world on the Churun River is complemented by a large number of streams that flow from the cracks of the highlands. Streams of water, rushing from a huge height, break into small particles, soar above the green vegetation. All the water that reaches the ground ends up in the Kerep River.
Tourism
The highest waterfall, which is located in Venezuela, is not very popular and famous. Much more famous are Niagara - in North America, and Victoria - in Africa. This is due to the not entirely successful location of Angel. It is surrounded on all sides by impenetrable tropical forests. You can only arrive at the place where the highest waterfall in the world is along the Kerep River and by helicopter or small plane. Tourist routes to the waterfall are carried out from Caracas, the capital of the country and the city of Ciudad Bolivar, which is located six hundred kilometers north of Angel Falls.
And the nearest settlement of Canaima is located 50 km from the attraction. It has comfortable hotels, tourist entertainment centers and shops. When the weather is favorable, from November to May, excursions by plane are held to the surroundings of the waterfall, and you can also swim up to its foot in a canoe with a motor or admire the beauty by walking through the jungle.
Curious facts
What is the highest waterfall in the world, about which there are many interesting facts? Of course it's Angel:
It is formed by the Churun River, whose waters fall from a huge mountain. It is twenty times the height of the famous and famous Niagara Falls
- Angel is surrounded by wild forests, and for many millennia only local Indians from the Pemon tribe knew about it. They believed that evil spirits lived upstairs and treated the common people badly.
- The discoverer Angel spent the end of his life in Venezuela, he died in 1956. He bequeathed to scatter his ashes over a raging waterfall, which was subsequently done.
Useful information
Many people, having learned which is the highest waterfall in the world, will want to go on a trip to look at the pristine beauty of these places. A visit to the waterfall is an excursion that requires special preparation. Travel companies have stories with fatalities. To avoid trouble, you must follow these simple rules:
- Follow instructionswhich is issued when visiting excursions.
- Do not go beyond the existing fences, they do not allow accidental falling.
- Take care of comfortable shoes so as not to restrict freedom of movement.
- Stock up with waterproof capes so that the spray does not soak clothes and equipment.
To capture water in motion in pictures, you need to:
- Use a fast shutter speed, while the stream and spray will freeze in time and space.
- Use a slow shutter speed - the water will still appear to move, but the objects will be a little blurry.
- Important - do not shoot against the sun.
Conclusion
After reading the article, you found out which waterfall in the world is the highest - this is Angel. And if you love to travel, then maybe take a trip to Venezuela to look at the unusual flat-topped mountains and the amazing tallest waterfall. At the same time, it must be remembered that in these places there are very unusual and capricious weather conditions. Often thick fog does not allow you to enjoy an amazing spectacle. This can go on for weeks or, conversely, change in a matter of hours. But despite this, tourists from all over the world constantly come to see the amazing waterfall.
