The canyon from Spanish is translated as "gorge, pipe." This is a fairly deep river valley with steep, steep slopes and a narrow bottom. As a rule, the latter is completely occupied by the river channel. This is an amazingly beautiful miracle of nature, which has been created over millions of years.
Before we find out which country has the deepest canyon, we will provide a brief overview of the six largest and most grandiose. Among them, the most famous are the Grand Canyon, Kolka and Blyde.
The most impressive canyons in the world
Below is the ranking of the most magnificent canyons in the world:
- Charyn Canyon (Kazakhstan) stretches for 154 kilometers along the river with the same name. It is located 195 km east of Almaty, near the Chinese border. The peculiarity of this natural miracle is that it preserved the relict appearance of Sogdian ash. Here is a whole grove that survived the era of glaciation.
- Waimea (USA) in the Hawaiian Islands - a large canyon located in the west of about. Kauai. It was formed as a result of heavy rains and the subsequent spill of the Waimea River, which washed the canyon through Mount Vaialeale by the power of its waters. Of all the gorges located in the Pacific, Waimea is the largest. Often it is called the Great Canyon in miniature.
- Colca Canyon (Peru) is located in the Andes mountain range. For a long time, the Colca Valley was one of the most poorly studied areas in Peru. More information about this beautiful place can be found below.
- The Blyde River Canyon (Africa, South Africa, Mpubalanga) was formed due to the efforts of the river of the same name, which for millions of years broke through the red sandstone gorge. Its length was 26 kilometers, and its depth was approximately 1400 meters. Now the walls of this colorful canyon are huge sandy rocks with a conical roof, similar to the giant traditional huts of Africans.
Many people want to see first-hand the largest canyon in the world. We will dwell in more detail on the most remarkable gorges.
US Canyons
On the territory of this country there are many impressive creations of nature.
The amazingly beautiful Grand Canyon could rightly be represented as the deepest canyon in the world. Since 1979, it is included in the UNESCO list. Each year, the gorge is visited by more than 4 million people.
Antelope Canyon, bewitching and attracting with its unusualness, is also located in Arizona (USA). The gorge got its exotic name because of the reddish-red shades of the walls, which strongly resemble the skin of an animal in color. The peculiarity of this place is that in the photo the colors of the canyon landscapes do not always correspond to the true picture. Moreover, photos can look much more beautiful than a real picture. Only in the pictures you can see the blue tones of twilight shadows, and, in all likelihood, this is due to some properties of the human brain.
Kolka (the deepest canyon in the world): description
This gorge is 2 times deeper than the Grand Canyon (more about it a bit lower), but its slopes are less steep.
Valley of the river Colca has long been one of the most poorly studied areas of Peru. There are many interesting legends about this canyon. They called this place romantically: Valley of Miracles and Fire, Lost Valley of the Incas. Today, this territory is known as the location of the deepest canyon in the world - Kolka. The views of the picturesque natural landscapes with giant terraces of the great Andes mountains, descending the ledges to the river, are breathtaking and impress with their splendor and romance.
The deepest canyon in the world is more than 2 times deeper than the Grand Canyon. Its stunning depth is 4160 meters. There is another significant difference from the North American gorge - Kolka walls are more gentle, which does not detract from the merits of this wonderful magnificence of nature.
It is worth noting that the condor hovering over this deep gorge, which is the national pride of the Peruvians, looks great against the background of gloomy rocks. It is no coincidence that one of the oldest names for mysterious mountainous vast expanses is the Condor Territory.
The Largest Canyon: Curious Facts From History
What are the largest canyons in the world? A grandiose gorge is considered a natural creation on the Colorado River (the northern part of the center of Arizona) in the United States. Its length is 446 kilometers, its width is 16 km, and its depth is 1600 meters. It extends from the Grand Wash Cliffs Canyon to Marble Gorge.
It was first discovered by the Anasazi Indians who lived here thousands of years ago. Around the 20s of the 16th century, the conquistadors from Spain came here in search of gold, but they bypassed this terrible gorge. Apparently, they gave the name to this natural structure. Translated from Spanish, “canyon” translates as “chimney”.
The Spanish missionary Garces in 1776 entered the canyon with the goal of converting the Havasupai Indians to Christianity. To accept this faith, despite the warm welcome of the guest, the locals were in no hurry, and still they believe in their gods. However, Pater Garces managed to leave his mark here: he gave the name of the local river - Colorado (translated from Spanish means “painted”).
Since 1919, when the Grand Canyon was declared a national park, approximately 100 million tourists have visited these places. In 1979, the deepest canyon in the world was included in the lists of UNESCO sites of world significance.
Sulak Canyon
The Sulak canyon located in the Republic of Dagestan can rightfully be considered the most beautiful and grandiose gorge on the territory of Russia. And the reservoir that arose here is a very popular place among researchers and tourists. This creation of nature is unrivaled proof of its beauty and grandeur.
This gorge takes its beginning where r. Sulak in sandstones and limestones cuts through the mountains, separating Salatau from the Gimrinsky ridge. The canyon is 53 kilometers long. The majestic natural structure resembles the Cola Gorge - the deepest canyon in the world. In Dagestan, the depth of the Sulak gorge is 1920 meters, and its length is slightly inferior to the American one.
The peculiarity of the Dagestan canyon is that in fact it consists of 3 gorges, interconnected by small alternating extensions. The main one is 18 km long, and the Miatlinsky and Chirkeysky canyons are slightly smaller.
Another deepest gorge
We learned what is the deepest canyon in the world. But there is another place on earth, claiming a similar title.
In Tibet there is Yarlung Tsangpo, the deepest part of which is 6009 meters. It is located high in the Himalayas, on the territory of the sacred mountain Kailash. The Brahmaputra river of Northern India flows there with an average depth of 4876 m. Yarlung Tsangpo is often called the deepest canyon on the planet.
The gorge length of 240 km is also impressive. These places are attractive not only with magnificent landscapes, but also with the river, which is popular among kayakers, who gave it its name for extreme conditions - “Everest among the rivers”.
Conclusion
A huge number of beautiful canyons created by nature itself are located all over the world. All of them are unique in their original landscapes, the history of their origin. Each of them with its peculiarities of picturesque nature is breathtaking and attracts with mystery and unique beauty.