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The '''Orinoco River''' is one of the longest rivers in South America at 2,140 km, (1,330 miles). Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia (especially in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia Colombia]) covers 880,000 km², 76.3% in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela Venezuela] with the rest in Colombia. The Orinoco and its tributaries are the major transportation [[system]] for eastern and interior Venezuela and the llanos of Colombia. However, since river [[navigation]] is declining in every country, many of the old waterways along the Orinoco [[watershed]] are now an obstacle to land [[communication]]s rather than a useful commercial route.

The '''Orinoco River''' is one of the longest rivers in South America at 2,140 km, (1,330 miles). Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia (especially in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia Colombia]) covers 880,000 km², 76.3% in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela Venezuela] with the rest in Colombia. The Orinoco and its tributaries are the major transportation [[system]] for eastern and interior Venezuela and the llanos of Colombia. However, since river [[navigation]] is declining in every country, many of the old waterways along the Orinoco [[watershed]] are now an obstacle to land [[communication]]s rather than a useful commercial route.

==History==

==History==

Although the mouth of the Orinoco in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean Atlantic Ocean] was [[discover]]ed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus Columbus] on 1 August 1498 during his third voyage, its source at the Cerro Delgado-Chalbaud, in the Parima range, on the Venezuelan-Brazilian border, at 1,047 m of elevation ( [show location on an interactive map] 02°19′05″N 63°21′42″W / 2.31806°N 63.36167°W / 2.31806; -63.36167 ), was only explored in 1951, 453 years later, by a joint Venezuelan-French team.

Although the mouth of the Orinoco in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean Atlantic Ocean] was [[discover]]ed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus Columbus] on 1 August 1498 during his third voyage, its source at the Cerro Delgado-Chalbaud, in the Parima range, on the Venezuelan-Brazilian border, at 1,047 m of elevation ( [show location on an interactive map] 02°19′05″N 63°21′42″W / 2.31806°N 63.36167°W / 2.31806; -63.36167 ), was only explored in 1951, 453 years later, by a joint Venezuelan-French team.

The Orinoco delta, and tributaries in the eastern llanos such as the Apure and Meta, were explored in the 16th century by German expeditions under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosius_Ehinger Ambrosius Ehinger] and his successors. In 1531 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_de_Ordaz Diego de Ordaz], starting at the principal outlet in the delta, the Boca de Navios, sailed up the river to the Meta, and Antonio de Berrio sailed down the Casanare, to the Meta, and then down the Orinoco and back to Coro.

The [https://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/gallery/venezuela_orinoco-flood-plains.html Orinoco delta], and tributaries in the eastern llanos such as the Apure and Meta, were explored in the 16th century by German expeditions under [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosius_Ehinger Ambrosius Ehinger] and his successors. In 1531 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_de_Ordaz Diego de Ordaz], starting at the principal outlet in the delta, the Boca de Navios, sailed up the river to the Meta, and Antonio de Berrio sailed down the Casanare, to the Meta, and then down the Orinoco and back to Coro.

 

==Geography==

==Geography==

The Orinoco course describes a wide [[ellipse|ellipsoidal]] arc, surrounding the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Shield Guiana Shield]; it is divided in four stretches of unequal length that roughly correspond to the longitudinal zonation of a typical large river:

The Orinoco course describes a wide [[ellipse|ellipsoidal]] arc, surrounding the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Shield Guiana Shield]; it is divided in four stretches of unequal length that roughly correspond to the longitudinal zonation of a typical large river:

* Upper Orinoco, 242 km long, from its headwaters to the rapids Raudales de Guaharibos, flows through mountainous landscape in a northwesterly direction

* Upper Orinoco, 242 km long, from its headwaters to the rapids Raudales de Guaharibos, flows through mountainous landscape in a northwesterly direction