Which South American peninsula in Colombia and Venezuela contains the Guajira Desert?
Answer
La Guajira Peninsula
La Guajira Peninsula in Colombia and Venezuela contains the Guajira Desert.
The peninsula forms the northernmost part of mainland South America and projects into the Caribbean Sea. Its territory is divided politically between Colombia’s La Guajira Department and Venezuela’s Zulia state. The landscape ranges from dry desert and thorn scrub to coastal lagoons, dunes and salt flats.
La Guajira is the traditional homeland of the Wayuu people, whose communities span the international border. The region’s dry climate is linked to its position near the equator, seasonal rainfall and the influence of Caribbean winds. Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas are prominent coastal locations; Punta Gallinas is generally regarded as the northernmost point of mainland South America.
La Guajira is often confused with Venezuela’s Paraguaná Peninsula, which lies farther east and is connected to the mainland by the Médanos isthmus. They are separate Caribbean peninsulas with different political and geographic settings.