Guiana Shield

geological region, South America

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June 29, 2026

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The Guiana Shield is a geological region in South America, primarily characterized by a plateau and low mountains. It is located north of the Amazon River and south of the Orinoco River, covering parts of Venezuela, the Guianas, northern Brazil, and southeastern Colombia. This region is geologically similar to the Brazilian Highlands and features rolling uplands, low mountains, and tabular plateaus, with Mount Roraima being one of its highest points.1

The Guiana Highlands are known for abundant rainfall and tropical rainforest vegetation, though some areas are savanna. Valuable resources like cabinet woods, minerals such as gold and diamonds, and iron ore are found here, though exploration can be challenging due to dense forest cover. Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, is a notable landmark within the highlands in Venezuela. The region is rich in minerals, with bauxite being a significant resource exploited in Guyana and Suriname.12

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Colombia
Relief
…eroded rocks of the ancient Guiana Shield are exposed, producing a broken topography of low, isolated mountains, tablelands, and buttes with rapids in the streams. This slightly higher ground forms the watershed between the Amazon and Orinoco systems. Some 60 miles (100 km) south of Villavicencio the elongated, forested La…
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…eroded rocks of the ancient Guiana Shield are exposed, producing a broken topography of low, isolated mountains, tablelands, and buttes with rapids in the streams. This slightly higher ground forms the watershed between the Amazon and Orinoco systems. Some 60 miles (100 km) south of Villavicencio the elongated, forested La…
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continental shield
…Amazonian Shield are designated the Guiana and Platian shields, respectively.
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…Amazonian Shield are designated the Guiana and Platian shields, respectively.
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The Guianas
…south to north: the Precambrian Guiana Shield, a region of low mountains that lies along the southern borders of the three states and rises to the region’s highest point, Mount Roraima, 9,094 feet (2,772 metres); a lower region of hilly country covered by a tropical hardwood forest and occasional savanna…
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…south to north: the Precambrian Guiana Shield, a region of low mountains that lies along the southern borders of the three states and rises to the region’s highest point, Mount Roraima, 9,094 feet (2,772 metres); a lower region of hilly country covered by a tropical hardwood forest and occasional savanna…
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