Amazonas

Venezuela's largest region is Amazonas, an ironic name given that virtually the entire area lies within the watershed of the mighty Río Orinoco and not the Amazon. Amazonas contains two gargantuan national parks that together cover an area of almost 48,000 square km (30,000 square mi), feature varied flora and fauna, and comprise the homeland of many native peoples, most notably the Yanomami. Tourist facilities in this vast area are limited to a small number of lodges that are connected to the outside world through the region's only sizable town, Puerto Ayacucho.