Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world. It drains into the Churun River in eastern Venezuela . Angel Falls has a total height of 3,212 feet (979 meters). Its longest unbroken drop is 2,648 feet (807 meters).
Angel Falls plunges down a cliff in a highland area called La Gran Sabana. This region has many huge, colorful mesas (flat-topped hills) with sandstone surfaces. Grasslands and tropical rain forests cover much of the mesas. Some of the mesas are more than 2,500 feet (760 meters) high. There are many steep cliffs in the area. Angel Falls is located on the Auyan-Tepui mountain, which rises 8,400 feet (2,560 meters) above sea level.
The waterfall is named for Jimmy Angel, an American pilot. Angel became the first known white person to see the falls, when he flew over it in 1935. He was searching for gold in the area. Today, small planes carry tourists over Angel Falls and its surroundings.
