Venezuelan Llanos

Venezuelan Llanos
Llanos Venezolanos
Geographic/Natural Region
Typical landscape of Los Llanos
Typical landscape of Los Llanos
Geographic map of Los Llanos natural region.
Geographic map of Los Llanos natural region.
Coordinates: 8°N 66°W / 8°N 66°W / 8; -66
CountryVenezuela
StatesApure, Barinas, Portuguesa, Guárico, Cojedes, Anzoátegui, Monagas
RegionLos Llanos
Area
 • Total243,774 km2 (94,122 sq mi)

The Venezuelan Llanos (Spanish: Llanos Venezolanos) also simply known as Los Llanos (English: the Plains) in Venezuela, is a natural region that consists of a very large, flat central depression of approximately 243,774 km2 of extension, equivalent to 26.6% of the total continental territory of the country.[1]

It is the largest sedimentary basin of Venezuela of Quaternary origin, since the large volumes of sediments, which are fundamentally alluvial, were deposited during the last two million years of the geological history of the planet. Consequently, the sedimentary fill and its modeling in plain is very recent.

It extends between the Guiana Shield, to the south; the Venezuelan Coastal Range to the north; and the Cordillera de Mérida to the west. It presents two natural exits to the sea; the Unare Depression puts it in contact with the Caribbean Sea in the central-eastern part, and on the east it has access to the Atlantic Ocean, without interruption of continuity, through the Orinoco Delta.

  1. ^ Vargas Ponce, José; García, Pablo Emilio. Geografía: 9º Educación Básica (in Spanish). Ed. Romor. ISBN 980-6010-67-1.