The world tallest water fall

Angel-falls-Venezuela

Waterfalls are a beautiful creation of nature, where a stream of water drops from an elevated point, creating breathtaking scenery. Here we will discuss some interesting facts about the world’s tallest waterfall, the Angel Falls. 

Situated in Venezuela, Angel Falls or ‘Parakupa-vena’, which in Spanish means “the fall from the highest point” is the world’s tallest waterfall with a height 3,212ft (979m). Its total height is nearly 20 times higher than that of Niagara Falls and its base is almost 500 feet wide. 

The height of Angel Falls is so massive that most of the water never reaches the bottom as it is either carried away in the form of thin fog in the wind or is evaporated. Angel Falls dropping point is located at the rim of the Auyantepui Mountain. Auyantepui Mountain or the ‘Devil’s Mountain’ as they translate in native language, is a mountain situated in the region of Gran Sabana, Venezuela’s famous tourist destination. The unique feature of the Auyantepui Mountain is that it is a tabletop mountain, with steep vertical cliffs at four sides and a flat top.

There are nearly 47 drops in the Angel Falls and the longest continuous drop is around 2,647ft (807m) which is also the world’s single tallest waterfall drop. The Angel Falls drops below in the Keper River which then becomes part of the Churun River in the Canaima National Park. The Canaima National Park is located in Venezuela’s south-eastern area and is the second largest park of the country. In 1994, this park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Angel Falls got its name from the aviator who first discovered these falls during his trip over the area when he was searching for gold. It was in 1933, when James Crawford Angel, an American aviator flew over the Auyantepui Mountains and spotted the falls when he was most probably searching for the “Lost City of Gold”. 

Four years later, in 1937, James Angel made his second trip to the Auyantepui Mountains and the Gran Sabana region in an attempt to land his plane on the mountain near the falls. He was accompanied with his wife. As he attempted to land his monoplane, its wheels got stuck in the soft swampy ground and it was unable to take off. The area was so remotely located from civilisation, that it took James Angel almost 10 days to reach the nearest town. His plane, however, was left at that spot for 33 years, and in 1972 it was picked up by a helicopter and is currently placed at the Ciudad Bolívar Airport in Venezuela. When James Angel and his wife returned from their adventure, news about their adventure spread and these falls were named Angel Falls.