Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros) is a national park in Brazil located in the state of Goiás, on top of an ancient plateau that is about 1.8 billion years old. The park was established on January 11, 1961, by President Juscelino Kubitschek, and was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2001. It covers an area of 2,405 square kilometers in the municipalities of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Cavalcante, and Colinas do Sul. The park is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
History
The Chapada dos Veadeiros region began to develop during the gold rush in the 18th century. Cavalcante was one of the first villages established in the area and became one of Brazil's main gold mining locations. Some records mention that Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, visited Cavalcante, which made the village the temporary capital of the Empire. Because so many enslaved people were needed to work the mines in Chapada dos Veadeiros, the region later became home to some of Brazil's largest Quilombo communities.
Quilombos are groups of Afro-Brazilians who escaped slavery, whether from farms or mines. In Chapada dos Veadeiros, these communities include a subgroup called the Kalungas. The word "Kalunga" once meant "something of smaller value," but today it is a source of pride for the Kalunga people. Their presence in Brazil has become more widely recognized. After the gold mining era ended, Chapada dos Veadeiros had only a few scattered villages. These areas were later rediscovered and used for tourism, which now helps support the Kalunga communities.
Geography
The average yearly temperature is 24–26 °C (75–79 °F). Temperatures can go as low as 4–8 °C (39–46 °F) and as high as 40–42 °C (104–108 °F).
The area has altitudes ranging from 600 to 1,650 meters (1,970 to 5,410 feet), making it the highest plain in Central Brazil. The highest point in the park and the state of Goiás is Serra da Santana, which is 1,691 meters (5,548 feet) above sea level.
The rock formations here are among the oldest on Earth. Quartz rocks with crystal formations are found in the area. These rocks are exported and used in industries in Japan and England.
Rock crystals are found in the soil of the rich cerrado, or open grasslands. Forests also grow in the region, where more than 25 orchid species can be found, along with other native plants like pau d'arco roxo, copaíba, aroeira, tamanqueira, terivá, buritis, and babasu.
The main river in the park is the Rio Preto, which flows into the Tocantins River. Many waterfalls are along its path, including Rio Preto Falls (120 meters [390 feet] high, 80 meters [260 feet] at the base) and Cariocas Falls. The park is known for its scenic canyons, with walls up to 40 meters (130 feet) high and valleys as deep as 300 square meters (3,200 square feet).
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is famous for its waterfalls, which range from 80 to 120 meters (260 to 390 feet) in height. Examples include Corredeiras, Cannyon I, Cannyon II, Carioquinhas Waterfall, and Jardim de Maitréya. Other waterfalls in areas with controlled access include Águas Quentes, Morada do Sol, Banho das Crianças, Vale das Andorinhas, Salto do Raizama, Cannyon do Rio São Miguel, Vale da lua, Cachoeiras Almécegas I and II, Cachoeira de São Bento, Cataratas do Rio dos Couros, Cachoeira do Rio Cristal, Cachoeira dos Anjos e dos Arcanjos, Água Fria, Cachoeira do Rio das Almas, Poço Encantado, Sertão Zen, Cachoeira do Rio Macaco, Território Kalunga, Lago Serra da Mesa, Bocaina do Faria, Cachoeira das Neves, Mirante do Pouso Alto, Alpes Goianos, Cachoeira do Santana, Cachoeira da Ave Maria, Morada do Sol, Pedra Escrita, Cachoeira das Pedras Bonitas, Cachoeira Santa Bárbara, Cachoeira Capivara, Cachoeira Candaru, Cachoeiras Barroco, Cachoeiras do Pratinha, Cachoeira Rei do Prata, Cachoeiras do Curriola, Cachoeira do São Bartolomeu, Cachoeiras Veredas, and Ponte de Pedra.
The area has a rich variety of wildlife, including species at risk of extinction, such as the pampas deer (veado campeiro), marsh deer (cervo do pantanal), maned wolf (lobo guará), jaguar, rhea (ema), seriema, tapeti, giant armadillo (tatu canastra), anteater (tamanduá), capybara (capivara), tapir (anta), green-beaked toucan (tucano de bico verde), black vulture (urubu preto), and king vulture (urubu rei).