9781422286494

An Exotic Land 11

along the Colombian border. Some of Venezuela’s highest peaks rise here, south- east of Lago de Maracaibo. A few are snow- capped year-round, among them Pico Bolívar, the highest peak in the country, which reaches 16,427 feet (5,007 meters). A wide gap separates this mountainous area from another rugged pair of ranges that run parallel to the north-central coast. Between these two ranges are a group of valleys that make up the economic heart- land of Venezuela. This area, where the cap- ital city, Caracas, is located, has the coun- try’s densest population, the most produc- tive agriculture, and the best transportation network. Venezuela’s eastern region is dot- ted with broken hills and uplands, which rise steeply from the Caribbean and stretch eastward almost to the island of Trinidad. The vast lowlands, which were formed over many centuries by the flow of the Orinoco River, run westward from the Caribbean coast to the Colombian border between the northern mountains and the Orinoco River. This region is known as Los

A stream runs through the forest near Jaji, a small town high in the Andes Mountains.