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Glite Dictionary
Guiana Shield

Guiana Shield

9.5
A large, very old high flat area in northern South America that covers parts of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Escudo Guayanés
  • The Guiana Shield is home to some of the world's oldest rock formations.

Examples

  • The Guiana Shield stretches across several countries, including Venezuela and Brazil.

  • Scientists study biodiversity in the Guiana Shield to better understand rainforest ecosystems.

  • The Guiana Shield is home to diverse ecosystems.

  • Did you know that the Guiana Shield spans several countries?

  • Scientists study biodiversity in the Guiana Shield to better understand rainforest ecosystems.

  • The Guiana Shield is home to some of the world's oldest rock formations.

  • The Guiana Shield stretches across several countries, including Venezuela and Brazil.

Synonyms

Guiana Highlands
vsGuiana Shield
7.7

A high, flat-topped mountain region in northern South America covering parts of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil

emphasizes ancient, large geological formation over mountainous relief

Surface Forms

Guiana Shield main

Morphology

Guiana + Shield

The phrase combines the place name 'Guiana' (clearly indicating the geographic region) with 'shield', but 'shield' in this technical sense denotes an ancient geological craton rather than the everyday protective object. A B1 learner who knows the constituents might guess it refers to an area or region in Guiana, but would not reliably infer the specific geological meaning without domain knowledge or prior exposure.

Etymology

The Guiana Shield gets its name from Guiana, the region, and the word shield, because the area is a wide, hard patch of very old rock that looks like a shield on a map. That's why the name refers to a large, ancient plateau of solid rock in northern South America.