Formaciones de Tepuyes Natural Monument facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Formaciones de Tepuyes Natural Monument Monumento Natural Formaciones de Tepuyes
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Kukenan
Formaciones de Tepuyes Natural Monument Monumento Natural Formaciones de Tepuyes Location in Venezuela
Location	Venezuela
Area	10,698 km2 (4,131 sq mi)
Established	January 18, 1991 (1991-01-18)

The Formaciones de Tepuyes Natural Monument, also known as Tepuyes Natural Monument (Spanish: Monumento Natural Formaciones de Tepuyes), is a special protected area in Venezuela. It was created in 1991 to protect unique mountain formations called tepuys. You can find this monument mainly in the states of Amazonas and Bolívar. It's important not to confuse it with the Canaima National Park, which also has some tepuys but is a separate protected area.

The monument covers a huge area of about 1,069,820 hectares (that's over 2.6 million acres!) of forest. This vast space is home to the amazing tepuy mountains.

What Are Tepuys?

Tepuys are incredible rock formations that look like giant tables. They have flat tops and very steep, straight sides. Imagine a huge, flat-topped mountain! These unique mountains are leftovers from the ancient Guayana Massif, a very old landmass. They are made of strong rocks like sandstone, quartzite, and granite, which formed even before the time of the Incas.

What makes tepuys so special is that they have their own unique ecosystems. This means that on their flat tops and steep slopes, you can find plants and animals that live nowhere else in the world! These species have adapted to the special conditions found on these isolated mountains.

Where Are the Protected Tepuys?

Venezuela has chosen many tepuys to be protected as part of this natural monument. The decision to protect them was based on their interesting shapes, beautiful scenery, and the rich variety of life found there.

In the state of Bolívar, twelve tepuy formations are protected. Some of the most well-known ones include:

• Uei Tepuy (2,150 meters or about 7,050 feet tall)
• Kukenan Tepuy (2,650 meters or about 8,700 feet tall)
• Yuruani Tepuy (2,400 meters or about 7,870 feet tall)
• Karaurín Tepuy (2,500 meters or about 8,200 feet tall)
• Ilú Tepuy (2,700 meters or about 8,860 feet tall)

In the state of Amazonas, thirteen tepuys have been chosen for protection. Some of the most famous ones there are:

• Cerro Yaví (2,300 meters or about 7,550 feet tall)
• Parú Euaja massif (2,200 meters or about 7,200 feet tall)
• Cerro Tamacuari (2,300 meters or about 7,550 feet tall)

These protected areas help make sure that these amazing natural wonders and their unique wildlife will be safe for many years to come.

Gallery

• 

  Kukenan Falls

• 

  Kukenán viewed from the base

• 

  Uei-tepui

• 

  Yuruani-Tepui

• 

  Yuruani and Kukenan

• 

  Karaurín-tepui

• 

  Ilu and Karaurín-tepui

• 

  Ilu-Tepui

• 
• 

See also

In Spanish: Monumento natural Formaciones de Tepuyes para niños

• Gran Sabana
• Canaima National Park