As the United States sharpens its focus on Venezuela’s vast natural resources, concerns are growing over whether some of South America’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes could come under pressure. While the Orinoco Belt holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, the mineral-rich Guiana Shield is also drawing attention for its abundant gold deposits. This renewed interest raises an unsettling question: could Mount Roraima, one of the continent’s most iconic geological formations, remain untouched amid expanding resource ambitions?
Mount Roraima rises dramatically from the Guiana Shield, an ancient geological formation that dates back nearly two billion years. According to the National Trust of Guyana, the mountain is the highest peak in the Pakaraima range and was once part of the Gondwanaland supercontinent before tectonic movements split Africa and South America. Its sheer cliffs and flat summit, often shrouded in mist, give it an otherworldly appearance that has fascinated explorers, scientists, and writers for centuries.
Locally known as a “tepui” a flat-topped mountain with vertical sides in the language of the Macuxi Indigenous people Mount Roraima stands as a natural monument shaped by deep time. Its dramatic landscape, featuring waterfalls, rare plant species, and isolated ecosystems, has earned it a reputation as one of the most mysterious places on Earth.
Historical records suggest that the mountain first entered European imagination in the late 16th century. British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh reached its base in 1595 while searching for the mythical city of El Dorado. Although some accounts suggest he never ascended the mountain, Raleigh gathered enough material to describe it in his writings as the “Crystal Mountain,” igniting early fascination in the West.
Mount Roraima’s global fame grew significantly after Swiss-born British botanist Everard Im Thurn successfully led an expedition to its summit in December 1884. His accounts of the strange, isolated plateau later inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write *The Lost World* in 1912. The novel imagined a prehistoric world where dinosaurs still roamed, mirroring the mountain’s real-life isolation and surreal terrain. The story went on to become a cornerstone of science fiction and was adapted into multiple films over the decades.
Geographically, Mount Roraima straddles the borders of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil, with towering cliffs exceeding 400 metres in height. While the mountain’s total area is shared among the three nations, about 85 per cent lies within Venezuelan territory, making Venezuela the primary steward of the site. The peak reaches approximately 2,700 metres above sea level, with Maverick Rock believed to be the highest point in the range.
Today, Mount Roraima remains a major attraction for trekkers and nature enthusiasts, though access is largely limited to the Venezuelan side due to gentler slopes formed by erosion over time. The mountain’s summit hosts a remarkable collection of endemic species found nowhere else in the world, underscoring its ecological importance.
As geopolitical interest intensifies around Venezuela’s mineral wealth, environmentalists and scientists fear that increased exploration in the Guiana Shield could threaten fragile ecosystems like Mount Roraima. The mountain stands not only as a geological wonder but also as a symbol of Earth’s ancient history and humanity’s enduring fascination with the unknown. Whether it can remain unscathed in an era of rising resource competition remains an open and pressing question.