Canyon is translated from Spanish as "gorge, pipe". This is a rather deep river valley with steep, steep slopes and a narrow bottom. As a rule, the latter is completely occupied by the river channel. This is an amazingly beautiful miracle of nature that has been created over millions of years.
Before we find out in which country the deepest canyon is located, we will present a brief overview of the six largest and most grandiose. Among them, the most famous are the Grand Canyon, Colca and Blyde.
The most impressive canyons in the world
Below is the ranking of the most magnificent canyons in the world:
- Charyn Canyon (Kazakhstan) stretches for 154 kilometers along the river of the same name. It is located 195 km east of Alma-Ata, not far from the Chinese border. The peculiarity of this natural miracle is that a relic species of Sogdian ash has been preserved in it. Here is a whole grove that has survived the era of glaciation.
- Waimea (USA) in the Hawaiian Islands is a large canyon located in the west of about. Kauai. It was formed as a result of downpours and the subsequent overflow of the Waimea River, which, by the power of its waters, washed the canyon through Mount Waialeale. Of all the gorges located in the Pacific Ocean, Waimea is the largest. It is often referred to as the Grand Canyon in miniature.
- Colca Canyon (Peru) is located in the Andes mountain range. For a long time, the Colca Valley was one of the least explored areas in Peru. More information about this beautiful place can be found below.
- Blyde River Canyon (Africa, South Africa, Mpubalanga) was formed thanks to the efforts of the river of the same name, which for millions of years broke through the red sandstone gorge. Its length was 26 kilometers, and the depth was approximately 1400 meters. Now the walls of this colorful canyon are huge sandy rocks with a conical roof, similar to giant traditional African huts.
Many people want to see the largest canyon in the world with their own eyes. Let's take a closer look at the most remarkable gorges.
US Canyons
On the territory of this country there are many impressive creations of nature with their beauty and grandeur.
The amazingly beautiful Grand Canyon could rightly be described as the deepest canyon in the world. Since 1979 it has been on the UNESCO list. More than 4 million people visit the gorge every year.
Antelope Canyon, fascinating and attracting with its unusualness, is also located in the state of Arizona (USA). Its exotic name is the gorgereceived because of the reddish-red shades of the walls, strongly reminiscent of the color of the skin of an animal. The peculiarity of this place is that in the photo the colors of the landscapes of the canyon do not always correspond to the true picture. Moreover, photographs can look much more beautiful than the real picture. Only in the pictures you can see the blue tones of twilight shadows, and, in all likelihood, this is due to some properties of the human brain.
Kolka (the deepest canyon in the world): description
This gorge is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon (more about it below), but its slopes are less steep.
Valley of the river. Colca has long been one of the most poorly explored areas of Peru. There are many interesting legends about this canyon. They called this place romantically: the Valley of Miracles and Fire, the Lost Valley of the Incas. Today this territory is known as the location of the deepest canyon in the world - Kolka. Views of picturesque natural landscapes with giant terraces of the great Andes mountains, descending in ledges to the river, are breathtaking and impress with their splendor and romance.
The deepest canyon in the world is more than 2 times deeper than the Grand Canyon. Its stunning depth is 4160 meters. There is another significant difference from the North American gorge - the walls of Kolka are more gentle, which does not detract from the merits of this wonderful natural splendor.
It is worth noting that the condor hovering over this deep gorge, which is the national pride of the Peruvians, looks great against the background of gloomyrocks. It is no coincidence that one of the most ancient names of the mysterious mountainous vast spaces is the Condor Territory.
The largest canyon: interesting facts from history
What are the largest canyons in the world? A grandiose gorge is considered a natural creation on the Colorado River (northern part of the center of Arizona) in the United States. Its length is 446 kilometers, width - 16 km, and depth - 1600 meters. It stretches from the Grand Wash Cliffs canyon to Marble Gorge.
It was first discovered by the Anasazi Indians who lived here thousands of years ago. Around the 20s of the 16th century, conquistadors from Spain came here in search of gold, but they bypassed this terrible gorge. Apparently, they gave the name to this natural structure. Translated from Spanish, "canyon" is translated as "chimney".
Spanish missionary Garces in 1776 entered the canyon to convert the Havasupai Indians to Christianity. Despite the warm welcome of the guest, the locals were in no hurry to accept this faith, and they still believe in their gods. However, Father Garces managed to leave his mark here: he gave the name to the local river - Colorado (translated from Spanish means "painted").
Since 1919, when the Grand Canyon was declared a national park, approximately 100 million tourists have visited these places. In 1979, the deepest canyon in the world was included in the lists of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Sulak Canyon
The most beautiful and grandiose gorge in Russia can rightly be consideredSulak Canyon, located in the Republic of Dagestan. And the reservoir that arose here is a very popular place among researchers and tourists. This creation of nature is an unsurpassed proof of its beauty and majesty.
This gorge takes its beginning where the river. Sulak cuts through the mountains in sandstones and limestones, separating Salatau from the Gimrinsky ridge. The length of the canyon is 53 kilometers. The majestic natural structure resembles the Kola Gorge - the deepest canyon in the world. In Dagestan, the depth of the Sulak Gorge is 1920 meters, and in length it is slightly inferior to the American one.
The peculiarity of the Dagestan canyon is that in fact it consists of 3 gorges, interconnected by small extensions alternating one after another. The main one is 18 km long, while the Miatly and Chirkey canyons are slightly smaller.
More about one of the deepest gorges
We found out which is the deepest canyon in the world. But there is another place on earth that claims such a title.
In Tibet there is Yarlung Tsangpo, the deepest part of which is 6009 meters. It is located high in the Himalayas, on the territory of the sacred mountain Kailash. The Brahmaputra River of North India flows there with an average depth of 4876 m. Yarlung Tsangpo is often called the deepest canyon on the planet.
The length of the gorge is also impressive at 240 km. These places are attractive not only for their magnificent landscapes, but also for the river,popular with kayakers who gave it its name for its extreme conditions - "Everest among the rivers".
Conclusion
A huge number of beautiful canyons created by nature itself are located all over the world. All of them are unique in their uniqueness of landscapes, the history of their origin. Each of them, with its own peculiarities of picturesque nature, is breathtaking and attracts with its mysteriousness and unique beauty.
