Guiana Shield
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- This article is on the Guiana Shield. For other places with similar names, see the disambiguation page Guayana.
The Guiana Shield (Spanish: Guayana) forms a portion of the northern coast of South America. It is a 2 billion year old Precambrian geological formation, possibly the oldest on the planet, that hosts the impressive and mysterious table-like mountains called tepuis. Its highlands are the source of some of the world's most spectacular waterfalls such as Angel Falls, Kaieteur Falls and Kuquenan Falls.
The Guiana Shield underlies Guyana (previously British Guiana), Suriname (previously Dutch Guiana) and French Guiana (or Guyane) – an Overseas Department and an Overseas Region of France, as well as parts of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. The highlands of the Shield are largely located in south eastern Venezuela, and are partly protected by the Canaima National Park (VE) and the Kaieteur National Park (GY). The highest tepui is Mount Roraima at 2,180m.
In geological terms the Guiana Shield is a granitic formation overlaid with sandstone, quartzite, shales, conglomerates and boulder beds.
The Shield is overlain by the largest expanse of undisturbed tropical rain forest in the world. Guianan rain forest is similar in nature to Amazonian rain forest and known Protected Areas include those mentioned above and the Iwokrama Forest of central Guyana and the Kanuku National Park of southern Guyana.
The term The Guianas is often used as a collective name for Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (French: Guyane).
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