Canyon

Lore & Background

Canyons are formed by long-time erosion from a plateau or table-land level. They are more common in arid areas. Canyon walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite. Some canyons have notable cultural significance, such as evidence of archaic humans in Africa's Olduvai Gorge and cliff-dwellings built by the ancient Pueblo people in the southwestern United States.

Reader's Guide

Canyons can be large by depth, length, or total area. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet is regarded by some as the deepest on Earth at 5500 m. The Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal has a 6400 m difference between river level and surrounding peaks. The Grand Canyon in Arizona has an average depth of 1600 m and a volume of 4.17 e12m³. The largest canyon in Europe is Tara River Canyon (~1300 m deep). The largest canyon in Africa is Fish River Canyon (~550 m deep). Greenland's Grand Canyon, under an ice sheet, is 750 km long and believed to be the longest canyon in the world. The Capertee Valley in Australia is 1 km wider than the Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.

Did You Know?

• The word 'canyon' is Spanish in origin, with the same meaning.
• Box canyons have steep walls on three sides, allowing access only through the mouth.
• The Grand Canyon was among the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature worldwide poll.