The Orinoco Delta of tropical eastern Venezuela covers an area of~20,000 km² and is bordered to the south by the Guayana Shield, to the west by Pleistocene and Tertiary uplands, and to the east and north by the Atlantic Ocean. The study area includes the entire modern delta and the near offshore and adjacent llanos. Within the study area, the major population center is Tucupita. Maturin and Ciudad Guayana lie near the western edge of the study area. The inner, or southwestern, part of the delta supports numerous small towns and indigenous agriculture. The outer, or northern, part of the delta and the coast has remained pristine and supports the native Warao tribes.

The map below shows a map of South America and the location of Venezuela and the Orinoco Delta.