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LA GRAN SABANA:
La Gran Sabana:
a region situated in the southeast of
Bolívar state,
in
Venezuela,
south of the
Orinoco River; is completely occupied by
the mountain mass of the Guayanas, comprised of
concentrations of ancient rocks, generally metamorphic,
formed out of blocks of granite.
Área Aprox: 18.000 Km2
Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO (1994). |
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It is a
surface cut by several tributaries of the
Caroni River,
which formed
rounded hills and rocky plateaus, surrounded by tabletop
areas which are called “tepuis”. West of
the Gran Sabana three plateaus align. The climate is
tropical and humid with herbaceous
vegetation and lush forests.
These form part of
Canaima National Park.
Geographically speaking, the region of the Gran Sabana
includes only those parts of the plateaus which
developed in the high basin of the Orinoco River, over
800 meters above sea level. The Gran Sabana, defined in
that way, extends almost 75,000 Km2 in the southeastern
portion of
Bolívar state. The principal sub-basin
hydrology is shaped by the rivers: Yuruaní, Aponwao,
Kukenán, Suruku, Icabarú, Caruay, Urimán and Antabare.
The name "La Gran Sabana” is due to the salesman, and
later explorer and miner, Juan María Mundó Freixas,
native of Cataluña-España, who in September 1929
published in a Caracas magazine -Cultura Venezolana- an
article where he mentioned the Gran Sabana by that name
and stated that it was a simple version of Spanish used
by the indians, in which Mundó said that "Teipun" meant
Gran Sabana-. Even so, according to Monseñor Mariano
Gutiérrez Salazar –Apostole Vicar of Caroní- the
Pemónes
call their lands "Wek-Tá" –Place of Mountains-.
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Atardecer con la formación "tramen"
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In any case, the name of the Gran Sabana started to
become popular when adopted in 1930 by Félix Cardona,
companion and compatriot of Mundó, and in 1933 by the
Venezuelan engineers Luís Felipe and Armando Vegas,
until it became an official part of the language in
December 17, 1938, when the President of the Repulic:
Eleazar López Contreras decreed that a preliminary study
of the Gran Sabana should be made.
Nowadays, everyone knows it by this name. |
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During the centuries, the region remained
distanced from the course of western history and
even today it has conserved its original charm
of natural wilderness and mystery of the
untouchable, which is now being lost. Here, in
this land, where it seems you can still feel the
divine breath of creation, is where the English
author Arthur Conan Doyle, set the scene for his
novel “The Lost World.”
Tourism in the area is growing in a somewhat
disorganized manner, visited by thousands of
people during the busy season, travelling from
all parts of the world. The Gran Sabana and
Canaima National Park have become the
destinations most sought after by nature lovers
and those seeking the tranquillity and peace of
this beautiful region. Thanks to the paving of
the road Troncal 10 at the end of 1980, the trip
to the area is easy and comfortable, in such a
way that any vehicle can arrive without any
problem, as long as the conditions are
favourable, as it is a long drive considering
the magnitude and extent of the area.
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