Cattle ranching in South America relies on vast, open grasslands. This geographical necessity is met by the immense, shared savanna stretching across the northern part of the continent. This expansive biome is the single most significant grazing region for both Venezuela and Colombia, providing the foundational natural resource for their cattle economies. This unique area is known as Los Llanos, an environment that has shaped the culture, economy, and history of the people who inhabit it.
Los Llanos: The Shared Grazing Lands
The geographical area providing the most extensive grazing for both nations is Los Llanos, which translates to “The Plains.” This tropical grassland spans approximately 570,000 square kilometers, situated east of the Andes mountain range. The region functions as a single, continuous ecoregion, defined by natural geography rather than political borders.
The Llanos covers a significant portion of western Venezuela (including Apure, Barinas, Guárico, and Monagas) and the eastern Colombian departments (Meta, Vichada, Casanare, and Arauca). It is characterized by a flat topography, a young alluvial plain where elevations rarely rise above 300 meters. This low-lying position places the entire region within the massive drainage basin of the Orinoco River, the second-largest river system in South America.
The flatness of the plains is directly responsible for the cycles of flooding and drought that define the land’s suitability for grazing. The region is divided into the Llanos Bajos (Low Plains), which are subject to inundation, and the Llanos Altos (High Plains), which offer slightly higher ground. This interconnected plain is the primary engine for beef production in the northern part of the continent.
The Unique Ecology of the Savanna
Los Llanos is classified as a tropical savanna, characterized by high year-round temperatures and a single, pronounced wet-dry cycle. The mean daily temperature consistently exceeds 24 degrees Celsius, creating a warm climate that supports rapid grass growth when moisture is available. The land’s suitability for cattle is driven by its unique hydrology, dominated by the Orinoco River system.
The Orinoco River’s western tributaries, such as the Meta and Apure rivers, feed the plains, causing widespread seasonal flooding between April and November. This annual inundation, especially across the Llanos Bajos, deposits nutrient-rich sediments that bolster the soil’s fertility for the following growing season. The vegetation is a mix of specialized grasses, including species adapted to wet conditions.
The savanna supports a variety of grasses and sedges in the low areas, along with long-stemmed and carpet grasses in the drier sections. Trees are scattered across the open savanna, concentrating mostly in the gallery forests that line the rivers and streams. This vast, grass-dominant landscape provides the necessary forage to support millions of cattle, creating the ecological foundation for the region’s ranching industry.
The Economic and Cultural History of Ranching
Cattle were first introduced to the Llanos by Spanish colonizers, with livestock arriving as early as the mid-16th century. The expansive plains proved immediately suitable for the extensive ranching model brought from Europe, leading to a rapid proliferation of herds. By the early 1800s, Venezuelan herds alone had grown to an estimated 1.2 million head, establishing cattle as the economic lifeblood of the plains.
This environment fostered the emergence of the Llanero, the region’s cowboy, who developed a unique culture and set of skills to manage the semi-feral herds across the unfenced ranges known as hatos. The Llanero culture, a blend of Spanish and indigenous Arawak traditions, is defined by expert horsemanship and a deep connection to the land. Their traditional methods include the use of talanqueras, modular wooden corrals assembled and disassembled to suit the needs of migratory herds.
Ranching continues to be a major source of beef for both nations, utilizing cattle descended from the original Spanish stock, often referred to as Criollo breeds. These traditional breeds are naturally adapted to the harsh environmental swings of the savanna, having evolved resistance to local diseases and the challenging climate. The work is often performed to the rhythm of cantos de vaquería, traditional herding songs used to soothe the animals.
Navigating Seasonal Extremes
The defining characteristic of the Llanos is the shift between its two seasons, demanding specialized livestock management for survival. The wet season, or “winter,” from April to November, transforms the low-lying plains into a wetland, with water covering the land for months. This extreme flooding can make movement impossible and threatens the herds with drowning and disease.
Conversely, the dry season, or “summer,” runs from December to March, baking the land and causing water sources to dry up. This period creates severe forage scarcity, as the grasses become dry and low in nutritional quality. To combat these extremes, ranchers practice transhumance, or seasonal migration, moving cattle to the higher, non-flooded llano alto during the rainy season. During the drought, herds are strategically moved toward remaining water sources and low plains that retain residual moisture and forage.