THE 12 MOST IMPORTANT RIVERS OF VENEZUELA - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The most important rivers in Venezuela come from the largest units of the Venezuelan relief such as the mountainous blocks of the Andes mountain range, the coastal mountain range and the Escudo or Macizo Guayanés. Its slopes, which run in various shapes, sizes and colors, are led towards the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Venezuela, located in the northernmost part of South America, has great hydrological wealth as it has a Caribbean and Atlantic front that give it a privileged geopolitical position.

The different geographical facades of the country, such as the Caribbean, Atlantic, Amazonian, Guyanese and Andean, allow it to have 7 hydrographic basins that contain its main rivers and tributaries.

The possession of a large amount of water resources makes Venezuela the fifth country in the world with the highest availability of fresh water, generating a quantity of 2,233 cubic kilometers per year.

74% of its river waters belong to the Atlantic Ocean slope, while 20% are part of the Caribbean Sea. The remaining percentage corresponds to the waters of the Amazon River system and the Valencia Lake.

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Venezuelan rivers divided by the different hydrographic basins

A hydrographic basin is a depression of land in charge of transporting the water coming from the mountains and mountain ranges to the oceans or seas.

They are usually called "drainage bases" because they constitute an area where different water systems and streams are drained.

In the case of Venezuela there are 7 main hydrographic basins, which contain the most important rivers in the country:

- Orinoco River Basin

This basin is one of the most important in Venezuela. It covers about 990,000 square kilometers, of which 770,000 correspond to Venezuela and the rest to the neighboring country of Colombia.

It should be noted that the rivers in this basin serve as a vital source of water for the development of agricultural and livestock industries.

In addition, the Orinoco, Caroní and Apuren rivers constitute important communication routes between the cities of Guayana, Ciudad Bolívar and Puerto Ordaz.

In this basin we can find four main rivers, namely: Orinoco, Apure, Caroní and Arauca.

Orinoco

It is one of the largest rivers in the world and the largest in all of Venezuela with 2,100 kilometers in length.

Listed as one of the most famous rivers in the country for its tourist and scenic beauty, the Orinoco is the main artery responsible for the main economic activities.

In addition, it serves as communication with other parts of the American continent and has become a rich area for the extraction of iron, hydrocarbons and gold.

Rush

It is the main tributary of the Orinoco, traveling 1600 kilometers from its source to the mouth.

The Apure flows through the Venezuelan plains, especially through the city that bathes: San Fernando de Apure.

Caroni

It is listed as the second most important river in Venezuela. It has a length of 952 kilometers.

With its source in the Tepuy Kukenán, its waters are clean and contain important waterfalls such as the Angel Falls, the Auyantepuy and the Kukenán Falls.

Its main tributaries make up the famous Canaima National Park and, in addition to having great tourist and economic importance, the Caroní is one of the main in charge of generating hydroelectric energy in Venezuela.

Arauca

Born in the eastern mountain range of Colombia, it flows into the states of Apure and Bolívar.

This river is part of the 2,219-kilometer border that separates Colombia from Venezuela and has an extensive freshwater basin. That is why it is known as "The region of the great river tributaries".

- Caribbean Sea Basin

It covers about 80,000 kilometers of Venezuelan territory, and its main function is to drain the eastern slopes that come from the Lara-Falcón system and the coastal plains of the states of Falcón and Yaracuy.

The slope of the Caribbean Sea occupies the entire west and north of Venezuela, starting in the state of Zulia until reaching the Paria peninsula.

The main Venezuelan rivers that belong to this basin are: Tocuyo and Yaracuy.

Tocuyo

It is one of the largest and most extensive Venezuelan rivers that flow into the Caribbean Sea.

It has its source in the Andean moors and its route covers approximately 440 kilometers.

Yaracuy

It is considered a plain river because it is in charge of irrigating the main plantations in the area, such as those of banana, corn and sugar cane. This river travels about 130 kilometers through the state of Yaracuy.

- Cuyuni River Basin

This basin occupies 40,000 square kilometers that run along the eastern slope of Venezuelan Guyana and covers 4.2% of the country. Its main river is the Essequibo.

Essequibo

It has a length of 618 kilometers from west to east and is classified as one of the longest and mightiest rivers in South America.

Born in the Acarai mountains in Brazil, it empties into the Atlantic Ocean and runs along the left slope of the state of Guyana. Its importance lies in the possession of the second largest estuary on the continent.

- Lake Maracaibo and Gulf of Venezuela Basin

It comprises an area of ​​13,800 square kilometers. It is a basin of vital importance since it receives more than 150 permanent rivers that come from the Cordillera de Mérida and Perijá. Its main rivers are: Chama and Catatumbo

Chama

It is the most important river in western Venezuela. It is born in the moor of Mucuchíes, in the state of Mérida, and has a length of 200 kilometers.

Catatumbo

This river runs through the territories of Venezuela and Colombia, with a length of 400 kilometers.

Its fame lies in the well-known phenomenon of the “Catatumbo lightning”, which is usually observed along this river. The phenomenon consists of a series of lightning bolts and rays that are seen at dusk illuminating the entire river without the presence of thunder.

- Rio Negro Basin

This basin covers about 11,900 square kilometers of Venezuelan territory. Having the Negro River as the main river.

Black

Considered one of the largest Amazonian rivers and the largest black water river in the world, it has a length of 2,500 kilometers.

It belongs to the Amazon basin and forms the southwestern border of the country with the Republic of Colombia.

- Valencia Lake Basin

It occupies about 3,100 square kilometers and is located in the coastal region of Venezuela between the states of Aragua and Carabobo. It is considered the most important body of fresh water in Venezuela because it does not have access to the sea.

Aragua

The main river in this basin, it is a water current that marks the municipal limit of some entities in the state of Aragua.

- San Juan River Basin

It covers an area of ​​372 square kilometers and its main river is the San Juan.

San Juan

This river has a length of 108 kilometers and represents the limit between the states of Monagas and Sucre.

References

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6. Hydrography and hydrology of Venezuela. Retrieved on August 21, 2017 from sigavenezuela.com.ve.
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