With height over 979 meters (3,230 feet), Angel Falls is the highest unbroken waterfall in the world. The waterfall is located within Canaima National Park inside of Southeastern Venezuela. The source of the water originates from an unknown supply that meanders from fractures and gaps buried within the mountain. As water flows from the top, it will free fall for 2,421 feet into the Devil’s pit below.

The waterfall is named after Jimmie Angel, an American aviator. Angel’s discovery happened on chance while searching for rich ore deposits in 1933. Four years later, he returned and attempted to land atop the mountain. His plane became lodged in a marshy black morass which remained for thirty-three years until airlifted and restored by the Aviation Museum in Maracay. It took Jimmy Angel and his companions eleven days to traverse the mountain eventually returning to civilization.

In 1913, the mountain was first seen by the explorer Ernesto de Santa Cruz and made known in Venezuela. However, it was Jimmy Angel who brought international attention. In 2009, Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, announced his decision to change the name. He believes the country’s most famous landmark should bear an indigenous name.

Researched and written by University of West Florida history student Jason Merritt.