Guiana Shield

The Guiana Shield is a very old piece of Earth's crust in northeastern South America. It is about 1.7 billion years old and is one of the three main parts, called cratons, of the South American Plate. This area includes high lands known as the Guiana Highlands, where flat-topped mountains called tepuis can be found.

The Guiana Shield lies under several countries, including Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, parts of Venezuela, Brazil north of the Amazon River, and eastern Colombia. It is the source of some of the world's most famous waterfalls, such as Angel Falls, Kaieteur Falls, and Cuquenan Falls.

Made from ancient rocks, the Guiana Shield contains metasediments, metavolcanics, and layers of sandstones, quartzites, shales, and conglomerates. These rocks tell the story of Earth's very early history and are important for scientists who study the planet.

Geology

The Guiana Shield is made up of very old rocks, some of the oldest on Earth. These rocks include different types of gneiss, which are hardened and changed forms of older rocks, and other materials like tuff and sandstones. These rocks tell us about the Earth's history from over a billion years ago.

The shield’s rocks are split into different groups and complexes, such as the Imataca Complex in the north and the Roraima Group further south. These formations help scientists understand how the Earth looked and changed millions of years ago.

Geomorphology

The Guiana Shield has three main upland areas. The Guiana Highlands are located in Venezuela east of the Orinoco and stretch across parts of Guyana and northern Roraima in Brazil. The Tumucumaque Uplands form a curve from the Wilhelmina Mountains in Suriname, along the border of Suriname and Guyana, and into Brazil’s Pará and Amapá states. The Chiribiquete Plateau is a flat area with sandstone tops that marks the western edge of the shield.

The north-central part of the Guiana Highlands features flat-topped peaks called tepuis. The highest point in the shield is Pico da Neblina in Brazil, reaching 2,995 metres (9,826 ft). This peak is part of the Neblina massif, which lies on the border between Venezuela and Brazil.

Ecology

The Guiana Shield is one of the richest places on Earth for plants and animals. It is home to thousands of different creatures, including fish, frogs, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Many of these animals live only in this area.

The forests here are thick and full of life, similar to the Amazon rainforest. Important protected areas include the Iwokrama Forest in Guyana, Kaieteur and Kanuku National Park, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, the Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guiana, and Tumucumaque National Park in Brazil. Venezuela also protects its forests with Canaima, Parima-Tapirapeco, and Serranía de la Neblina national parks. In 2014, Colombia added part of the Guiana Shield to a list of important wet areas protected under international rules.