If you find the northern part of the mainland South America on the map, then you can see the extraordinary world of the Orinoc lowland. The boundaries of this geographical feature are the Northern Andes and the Guiana Highlands. The lowland is located on the outskirts of the mainland, therefore it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They strongly influence the climatic features of the area. Along its eastern region flows the river of the same name. From the south, this area borders on the Amazonian lowland. The described territory is expressed by a wide strip with a predominantly flat relief.
It should be noted that the Orinok lowland is located very quickly on the map, since it is morphologically well defined from almost all sides, except for the southern region.
Relief
It is quite interesting to study the features of the relief of such a continent as South America. The Orinok lowland is distinguished by clearly defined levels,which arose through the stratification of the surface, which originally existed before erosion processes. Near the Orinoco River there is a very low area, its height does not exceed 100 m. That part of the lowland that goes to the Atlantic Ocean is represented by a dune landscape. This whole area is covered with sands, which are constantly under the influence of the winds.
The most elevated areas of the lowlands, close to the mountains, are called piemonte (piedmonts), which literally means "foot of the mountain." In some places they are crossed by sierras. They are certain crystalline rocks of mountain ranges.
In addition, throughout the lowland are scattered mesas that rise to a height of 200-300 m. The tributaries of the local river. The Orinocos share the above areas with their valleys. The southern border of the region just runs along the valley of the left tributary of the Guaviare.
Climate
The Orinok Lowland is located in the subequatorial zone. This region is characterized by a certain seasonality of precipitation. It is they who determine the climatic zones. For example, the northern areas are subject to drought, the rainy period occurs in the summer and lasts only three months. This is explained quite simply: the northeast trade winds penetrate into this area much earlier than into the south. The last region receives the most precipitation - it rains for about nine months (April - October). To be able to appreciate the difference, you can look atofficial figures. The average annual precipitation in these two territories differs significantly: in the north - 800 mm, in the south - 1000 mm. Mostly they fall in the form of heavy rain showers.
During the period of drought, the air temperature does not drop below +20 °С, +25 °С is considered the average. Precipitation is usually completely absent. Locals consider this season to be winter, although astronomically it is summer. The warmest months are at the beginning and end of the rains. In April and October the air temperature can reach +29°C.
Mineral resources
The Orinok Lowland is rich in oil deposits. They are of great value to the state. Closer to the Guiana Highlands, iron ore deposits were found. These places are already well developed and mining is ongoing.
Problems of the region
Due to the peculiarities of the territory where the Orinok lowland is located, flooding of lands is often observed. This happens during the rainy season. Due to heavy rains, the water level in local rivers rises significantly, forming impassable kilometers of territory. However, this has a small plus. At this time, the rivers become full of water, which significantly improves the conditions for navigation. But for this region, moving along the rivers is the only transport connection. When the dry season comes, these areas are left with waterlogged soils. And sometimes moisture evaporates from water bodies so much that rivers become shallow. This causes even more inconvenience. mostTropical malaria is a major problem in the region. In just one year, about 2 million people die from this disease around the world.
Flora
The Orinok Lowland (its borders are clearly visible on the map of South America) is rich in many species of flora. Several varieties of palm trees can be found in this area. They do well in well-drained soil. If we look at the territory in a southerly direction, then this area is covered with dense tree plantations - gallery palm forests.
Locals grow cotton, corn and cassava. However, there is very little land suitable for agriculture. They also harvest bananas, but the harvest is meagre.
Fauna
The Orinok lowland, unfortunately, does not please with lands suitable for grazing animals. That is why cattle breeding is practically not developed here.
Tapirs and peccaries live in wetlands. Predators include jaguars and cougars. There are also many different representatives of rodents. The local savanna is inhabited by many species of insects that pose a danger to human life. These are mosquitoes, termites. Armadillos and anteaters are found in open spaces.
