 
Angel Falls in Venezuela, in the northern part of South America, is the world's tallest waterfall, with a total height of almost a kilometre. This height includes a single uninterrupted drop of 807 meters, plus 172 meters of cascades and smaller drops downstream from the main falls.Angel Falls were named for Jimmie Angel, an aviator who was the first to fly over them in 1933. The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The waterfall holds two world records: the waterfalls with the greatest total height, and the waterfalls with the greatest uninterrupted drop. Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, though a trip to the falls is a difficult one; the falls are located in an isolated jungle. The falls have a flow rate of 14,200 litres per second, although sometimes decreasing to just a thin trickle in the dry season. In comparison, the Horseshoe Falls, the highest part of Niagara Falls, is only 57 metres tall at the highest point. However, Niagara Falls is considered extraordinary for its width and power; it has one of the highest flow rates of any waterfall in the world, at 2,800,000 litres per second. Angel Falls was the inspiration for the waterfall featured in the Disney animated film "Up", although the falls in that film were called "Paradise Falls".   |