Prelims ask
Venezuela–Colombia, Guiana source, Casiquiare, Atlantic delta, Angel Falls.
South America
Orinoco
Third great river of South America after the Amazon and the Paraná, by the usual teaching order.
- Source
- Guiana Highlands (Sierra Parima), Venezuela. Not the Andes.
- Countries
- Venezuela and Colombia.
- Direction
- North, then east.
- Mouth
- Atlantic Ocean.
- Length
- About 2,140 km.
- Major tributaries
- Meta and Apure from the Andes; Caroní and Guaviare from the Guiana side.
- Delta or estuary
- Large delta.
- Basin
- Llanos. The Casiquiare channel leaves the upper Orinoco and joins the Rio Negro, linking the Orinoco to the Amazon. Angel Falls is in the Caroní basin.
- One exam fact
- A natural bifurcation connects two major basins. That is rare.
Mains use
Use for a river that is not born on the fold mountain but receives fold-mountain tributaries.