Angel Falls is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, according to the commonly cited measurement.
The waterfall drops 979 metres in total, including a main uninterrupted plunge of 807 metres. It descends from Auyán-tepui, a flat-topped mountain in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, where the remote terrain makes access difficult.
The falls are named after American aviator Jimmie Angel, who flew over them in 1933. Angel’s aircraft famously landed on the summit of Auyán-tepui in 1937, leaving him and his companions to make a long descent on foot before reaching safety.
The Indigenous Pemón people have long known the falls as Kerepakupai Merú, often translated as “waterfall of the deepest place.” Angel Falls is sometimes confused with Victoria Falls, which is exceptionally wide but much shorter.