The Orinoco River is one of the most important rivers in South America, it runs mostly through Venezuela. It is one of the longest South American rivers in the world with an approximate length of 2800 km taking the Guaviare-Orinoco channel for sale, which measures around 2140 km, through it circulates around 33 000 m³ / s, which makes it in the third largest river in the world, after the Congo and the Amazon.
The Orinoco originates from Cerro Delgado Chalbaud, in the Serranía de Parima, located south of the state of Amazonas in Venezuela, at the beginning of the intersection of the Guaviare River, they form the border between Colombia and Venezuela, later when crossing the Meta River, the Orinoco is divided into the states of Guárico, Apure, to the west of the state of Monagas, Anzoátegui and to the east of the state of Bolívar.
The bank of the Orinoco River has an approximate size of 989,000 km², of which 643,480 km², or 65%, are located in the territory of the Venezuelan state and the remaining 35% is located in Colombia.
When the delta begins, the river opens, giving way to the formation of the Delta Amacuro state in Venezuela, located between the Monagas states to the west of Caño Manamo and to the east, the Bolívar state and Guyana, however on this last edge, only We could consider it efficient if the Amacuro River is taken as a confluence of the Orinoco River.
Although the mouth of the Orinoco in the Atlantic was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498, during one of his trips to America, its origin in Cerro Delgado Chalbaud, was only studied for the first time by non-natives of the area in the year 1951, 453 years after its discovery.
For its part, the Orinoco delta and its confluents in the eastern plains of Venezuela, such as Meta and Apure, were investigated in the 16th century by expeditions of German origin led by Ambrosius Ehinger and those who supplanted him. After this in 1531, Diego de Ordaz, starting from the main current in the delta, the Boca de Navíos, went up the river until it bifurcates with the Meta.
