Sierra Nevada de Mérida

Extensive mountain chain in western Venezuela, an extension of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, which now forms a national park in Mérida state. The range extends in a northeasterly direction through the provinces of Táchina, Mérida, and Trujillo. Pico Bolívar (5,007 m/16,427 ft) is the highest point in Venezuela.

The inhabitants of the area live mainly in the valleys and basins between 800 and 1,300 m/2,625 and 4,265 ft above sea-level.

Pico Bolívar and four other mountains – Humboldt (4,942 m/16,214 ft), Bompland (4,882 m/16,017 ft), Toro (4,755 m/15,600 ft), and León (4,740 m/15,551 ft) – are collectively known as the ‘Five White Eagles’.