What is the highest waterfall in the world?
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world. Its water drops about 979 meters, including a single free fall of about 807 meters.
Angel Falls pours off the edge of Auyán-tepui, a flat-topped mountain in Canaima National Park. The water falls so far that much of it turns into mist before reaching the bottom. The falls are in remote rainforest, so most visitors arrive by small plane or by boat along jungle rivers.
The waterfall is named after Jimmie Angel, an American pilot who flew over it in 1933 and later landed his plane on top of the tepui. In Venezuela it is also known by its Indigenous Pemón name, Kerepakupai Merú.
Other famous falls
Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe is often called the largest waterfall because of its combined width and height. Niagara Falls carries a huge amount of water but is only about 50 meters high. The tallest falls in the United States are Yosemite Falls in California.
Did You Know?
Some scientists count an underwater waterfall in the Denmark Strait, where cold water sinks about 3,500 meters, as the largest waterfall on Earth.