If you find the northern part of the continent of South America on the map, then you can see the extraordinary world of the Orinok lowland. The boundaries of this geographical feature are the Northern Andes and the Guiana Highlands. There is a lowland on the outskirts of the mainland, therefore it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They strongly affect the climatic features of this territory. A river of the same name flows along its eastern region. From the south, this area borders on the Amazon lowland. The described territory is expressed by a wide strip with a predominantly flat relief.
It should be noted that the Orinok Lowland is very fast on the map, since it is morphologically well defined from almost all sides except the southern region.
Relief
It is interesting enough to study the features of the relief of such a continent as South America. The Orinok Lowland is characterized by clearly defined levels that arose through the stratification of the surface, which originally existed before erosion processes. Near the Orinoco River there is a very low area, its level does not exceed the 100 m mark. The part of the lowland that faces the Atlantic Ocean is represented by a dune landscape. All this territory is covered with sand, which is constantly influenced by winds.
The most elevated lowland areas close to the mountains are called piemonte (piedmont), which literally means “foot of the mountain”. In some places they are crossed by sierras. They represent certain crystalline rocks of mountain ranges.
In addition, throughout the lowland there are scattered meshes that rise to a height of 200-300 m. The tributaries of the local river. Orinoco share the above areas with their valleys. The southern border of the region just runs along the valley of the left tributary of Guaviar.
Climate
The Orinok Lowland is located in the subequatorial belt. This region is characterized by a certain seasonality of precipitation. It is they who determine the climatic zones. For example, the northern areas are prone to drought, the rainy period is in the summer and lasts only three months. This is explained quite simply: the northeastern trade winds penetrate this area much earlier than the southern one. The last region takes on the most rainfall - rains last about nine months (April - October). In order to be able to assess the difference, you can look at the official indicators. The average annual rainfall in these two territories is significantly different: in the north - 800 mm, in the south - 1000 mm. Mostly they fall in the form of heavy rain showers.
During a drought, the air temperature does not drop below +20 ° , the average is +25 ° . Precipitation, as a rule, is completely absent. Locals consider this season to be winter, although astronomically this 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.
Minerals
The Orinok Lowland is rich in oil fields. They are of great value to the state. Closer to the Guiana Highlands, iron ore deposits have been found. These places are already well developed and mining is ongoing.
The problems of the region
Due to the nature of the territory where the Orinok Lowland is located, flooding of the land is often observed. This happens during the rainy season. Due to heavy rains, the water level in local rivers rises significantly, forming impassable kilometer territories. However, there is a small plus. At this time, the rivers become full of water, which greatly improves the conditions for navigation. But for this region moving along the rivers is the only transport connection. When the dry season begins, wetlands remain in these areas. And sometimes moisture evaporates from the water so that the rivers become shallow. This is even more inconvenient. The biggest problem in this region is tropical malaria. In just one year, about 2 million people die from this disease worldwide.
Flora
The Orinok Lowland (its borders are clearly visible on the map of South America) is rich in many species of the plant world. In this area you can find several varieties of palm trees. Well moistened soil suits them perfectly. If we consider 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 are very few lands suitable for farming. They also collect bananas, but the harvest is scanty.
Fauna
The Orinok lowland, unfortunately, does not please with lands suitable for grazing animals. That is why cattle breeding is practically not developed here.
In the wetlands tapir, bakers live. Of the predators, jaguars and cougars are found. There are also many different representatives of rodents. The local savannah is home to many species of insects that pose a danger to human life. These are mosquitoes, termites. Armadillos and anteaters are found in open spaces.