Figure 1.--This photo was taken at a modern indigenous school in a village along the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The vast sweeping Orionoco was like a highway that enabled early Amerindians to move from the Andes east into the Llanos and Guianas and eventually the Caribbean. It was in the Orinoco that these people developed the technology and learned the maritime skills that they would use to people the Caribbean.

The Orinoco River is one of the great rivers of the world. It rises in the Colombian Andes and is 2,140 kilometres (1,330 mi) long. It is the world's fourth largest river in the world by volume of discharge. The Orinoco River and its tributaries are the major transportation system for the Llanos of Venezuela and Colonia and eastern Venezuela. South of the Andes mountains in Colombia and Venezuela is the llanos, a flat plain drained by the Orionono River, one of South America's great rivers. Much of northern South America is drained by the Orionoco. Areas to the south are drained by the Amazon and its tributries. The Orionoco flows through only two countries (Colombia and Venezuela). The River's drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers 880,000 square kilometres (340,000 sq mi), with anout 75 percent in Venezuela. The remining 25 percent is in Colombia. Venezuela's borders with Brazil and Guyana are largely determined by the Orionoco drainage. The River as a result is most strongly associated with Venezuela. The Orinoquia is an extremely diverse ecosystem. It provides the habitat for a large variety of flora and fauna. The river was the highway by which Amerindians moved toward and into the Caribbean islands. Venezuela has attejpted to harnass the river by building industrial projects along it, but with little success.

Dimensions

The Orinoco River is one of the great rivers of the world. It is the most northerly of the continent's four great river systems. It rises in the Guianan Higlands near the Brazilian-Venezuelan border and flows noth and then east in a giant sweeping arc through the Lanos. It is 2,140 kilometres (1,330 mi) long. And is the world's fourth largest river in the world by volume of discharge. It is a rather slow moving river because the LLanos is so flat. Ironically the most dramatic feature is Angel Falls in obe of the tributaries. This is the highest waterfall in the world. The Orionoco along its great arc receives the flow from numerous mountain tributaries, including the Mavaca River on the left bank and the Manaviche, Ocamo, Padamo, and Cunucunuma rivers on the right. Along the bend that forms the Venezuekan-Colonian border, the Orionoco begins to become a formidable river. Here its receives the largest number of tributaries of its entire course, including the Meta, Arauca, and Capanaparo rivers. The Apure River contributes waters from numerous Andean streams, which at first contibutes a swampy maze as the terraine is so flat. From here the Orinoco meanders eastward over the gently sloping plain of the Llanos. Tributaries flowing down from the well-wattered Venezuelan Andes include the Guárico, Manapire, Suatá (Zuata), Pao, and Caris rivers, which enter on the left bank, and the Cuchivero and Caura Rivers which join from the southern Llanos.

Native Americans

The people of the mericas cmf fom north to south crossing the Istmus of Panama. The route into the Orionoco basin was blocked by the Andes, slowing novement east. This changed after the Ntive Americns crossed the Andes ino the Llanos. Except for the Guajiros around Lake Maracaibo, almost all of the Venezuelan aindigenous population population lives within the Orinoco River basin. There was no easy way for the Gujiros to move east. The Orionoco provided an easy way for Native Americans to move east. The most important tribes include the Guaica (Waica), also known as the Guaharibo, and the Maquiritare (Makiritare) of the southern uplands, the Warao (Warrau) of the delta region, the Guahibo and the Yaruro of the western Llanos, and the Yanomami. The life of the peoples is closely associated with the Orionoco and its tributaries. The rivers are a source of food as well as transport. The name Orinoco is derived from Warao (Guarauno) words meaning 'a place to paddle'. It is surely where the Amerindian developed the maritime skills that allowed them to make the leap into the Catibbean. The Orioncco was a kind of highway by which Amerindians moved toward and into the Caribbean islands. This began from Trinidad which during the liat Ice Age was connected to the South American mainland by a narrow land bridge. Hunter gathers from the Orionoco Basin appear to have reached Trinidad (abouut 8,000 BC). Significant settlment began later (about 6,000 BC). Several wabes of migration followed. The settlers are known as the Ortoirod culture. They left very little trace as their handiwork was primarily in biological material which decomposes over time. Fortunately, one of their settlements Banwari Trace near Pitch Lake on Trinidad. And some rare examples of paddles and other wooden objects have churned up in Pitch Lake tar pit, leaving us with a few precious, perfevtly reserved wooden objects to better understand the early Ntive Americam people. They come from both the Ortoirod and subsequent Saladoid Culture. They are the predecesors of the Arawaks who peopled the Caribbean. Interestingly, Sir Walter Raleign who sailed up the Orionoco in his searc for gold, used the tar to caulk his ships and boats.

History

The mouth of the Orinoco River at the Atlantic Ocean, just outside the Caribbean Basin, was first documented by Columbus on his third voyage (August 1, 1498). Its source would take centuries to document. German expeditions under Ambrosius Ehinger and his successors explored the Orinoco Delta and tributaries in the eastern llanos such as the Apure and Meta (16th century). The alure was gold. Diego de Ordaz beginning at the principal outlet in the delta (the Boca de Navios) sailed up the river to the Meta (1531). Antonio de Berrio sailed down the Casanare to the Meta, and then down the Orinoco River and back to Coro. The English privateer Sir Walter Raleigh captured Berrio seeking information on th legendary city of El Dorado. He sailed down the river, reaching the Llanos (1595). Alexander von Humboldt explored the Orionoco basin (1800). He was the first to report the pink river dolphins. He was the first to published extensively on the river's flora and fauna. [Helferich.]

The Orinoquia

The Orionoco flows through only two countries (Colombia and Venezuela). The River's drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers 880,000 square kilometres (340,000 sq mi), with anout 75 percent in Venezuela. The remining 25 percent is in Colombia. The full dimension of the Orinoquia were no known until 1951. A Venezuelan-French team some 453 after Columbus found the mouth, dicovered the source at the Cerro Delgado–Chalbaud, in the Parima montain range of the southern Guanan Highlands. This was near Venezuelan–Brazilian frontier at 1,047 metres (3,435 ft) above sea level. The Orinoco River and its tributaries are the major transportation system for the Llanos of Venezuela and Colonia and eastern Venezuela. South of the Andes mountains in Colombia and Venezuela is the llanos, a flat plain drained by the Orionono River, one of South America's great rivers. Much of northern South America is drained by the Orionoco. Areas to the south are drained by the Amazon and its tributries. Venezuela's borders with Brazil and Guyana are largely determined by the Orionoco drainage. The River as a result is most strongly associated with Venezuela. The Orinoquia is an extremely diverse ecosystem. It provides the habitat for a large variety of flora and fauna. Some of the best known denizens are anaconda, caimens, capabaras, caimans, giant, otters, and pink dolphins.

Natural Resourcs

Europeans were fitst attracted by gold found in the Orionoco, but the gold resource was limited. A Venezuelan mining inspector found an important iron ore deposits near the Orinoco delta, south of the city of San Felix. It was named El Florero after the mountain where it was founf (1926).

Industrial Development

Venezuela has attemtpted to harnass the river by building industrial projects along it, but with little success.

Sources

Helferich, Gerard. Humboldt's Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey that Changed the Way We See the World (Gotham Books: New York, 2004). Humboldt was active elsewhere in South America. The Humboldt Currnt along the Pacufic coast was named in his honor.

Created: 12:13 AM 1/14/2010
Last updated: 1:14 PM 2/26/2018