Where is orinoco river

This section of the river is known as the Delta Amacuro, which measures miles at its widest point. The Delta Amacuro covers an entire area of 8, square miles, a large portion of which is made up of forested swampland.

The Orinoco River represents one of the most important waterways in South America, particularly for Venezuela and parts of Colombia. One of its most important attributes is that the majority of the river is navigable by water vessels, which means it is an important transportation route for imports and exports coming into and out of the region.

In fact, ocean ships are able to travel inland along the river for approximately miles. In addition to its economic importance, the Orinoco River is also an ecologically important site.

It hosts a wide range of biodiverse species, several of which are endemic and threatened. One example is the Orinoco crocodile, which can only be found in and around the river.

It is believed to have a population size of somewhere between and 1, individuals. The Orinoco Delta is a vast river delta of the Orinoco River, located in eastern Venezuela and is one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela. The predominant vegetation is in the Orinoco Delta swamp forests ecoregion. Along the coast and the river margins there are stretches of Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves, specifically the Guianan mangroves ecoregion.

To the west and closer to the coast there are patches of the Orinoco wetlands ecoregion. The delta includes large areas of permanent wetlands as well as seasonally-flooded freshwater swamp forests. The river margins of the delta are fringed with mangroves. By The Editor. Please note: This page has been archived and its content may no longer be up-to-date. This version of the page will remain live for reference purposes as we work to update the content across our website.

Flowing in a giant arc from Colombia and Venezuela all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, the Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America, its basin and flooded forests home to rich plant and animal life. But threats loom on the horizon for one of the most intact river systems in the world. Flowing 2,km 1, miles , the Orinoco River is the third largest in South America. The Orinoco Basin, covering ,km 2 , lies between Venezeula and Colombia.

Some major and minor tributaries flow into the Orinoco. To date, 17, species of plants, 1, species of birds, more than 1, species of fish, mammals and reptiles have been recorded in the area. The name Orinoco means 'a place to paddle' in the indigenous Warao language.