A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over

geologic time scale The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relating strata to time) and geochrono ...

s. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream. A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains. The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river's headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering. A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks, such as those in ranges including the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, the Himalayas or the Andes. Usually, a river or stream carves out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain-type canyons are Provo Canyon in Utah or Yosemite Valley in California's

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

. Canyons within mountains, or gorges that have an opening on only one side, are called box canyons. Slot canyons are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls. Steep-sided valleys in the seabed of the continental slope are referred to as submarine canyons. Unlike canyons on land, submarine canyons are thought to be formed by turbidity currents and landslides.

Etymology

The word ''canyon'' is Spanish in origin (, ), with the same meaning. The word canyon is generally used in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, while the words ''gorge'' and '' ravine'' (French in origin) are used in Europe and Oceania, though ''gorge'' and ''ravine'' are also used in some parts of North America. In the United States, place names generally use ''canyon'' in the southwest (due to their proximity to Spanish-speaking Mexico) and ''gorge'' in the northeast (which is closer to French Canada), with the rest of the country graduating between these two according to geography. In Canada, a ''gorge'' is usually narrow while a ''ravine'' is more open and often wooded. The military-derived word '' defile'' is occasionally used in the United Kingdom.

Formation

Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau or table-land level. The cliffs form because harder

rock strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...

that are resistant to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls. Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wet areas because physical weathering has a more localized effect in arid zones. The wind and water from the river combine to erode and cut away less resistant materials such as

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

s. The freezing and expansion of water also serve to help form canyons. Water seeps into cracks between the rocks and freezes, pushing the rocks apart and eventually causing large chunks to break off the canyon walls, in a process known as frost wedging. Canyon walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite. Snake River Canyon Idaho 2007

Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geological uplift. These are called

entrenched river An entrenched river, or entrenched stream is a river or stream that flows in a narrow trench or valley cut into a plain or relatively level upland. Because of lateral erosion streams flowing over gentle slopes over a time develops meandering (sn ...

s, because they are unable to easily alter their course. In the United States, the Colorado River in the Southwest and the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

in the

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

are two examples of tectonic uplift. Canyons often form in areas of limestone rock. As limestone is soluble to a certain extent, cave systems form in the rock. When a cave system collapses, a canyon is left, as in the

Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the Frome valley in the east, the hills ...

in Somerset and Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire, England.

Box canyon

A box canyon is a small canyon that is generally shorter and narrower than a river canyon, with steep walls on three sides, allowing access and egress only through the mouth of the canyon. Box canyons were frequently used in the western United States as convenient corrals, with their entrances fenced.

Largest canyons

The definition of "largest canyon" is imprecise, because a canyon can be large by its depth, its length, or the total area of the canyon system. Also, the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the Himalaya contributes to them not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes mountain canyons, as well as canyons cut through relatively flat plateaus (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation). The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world at . It is slightly longer than the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

in the United States. Others consider the Kali Gandaki Gorge in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon, with a difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it. Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the

Cotahuasi Canyon Cotahuasi Canyon (from Quechua Kutawasi), near the city of Arequipa in Peru, is one of the deepest canyons in the world. With a depth of approximately , as defined as the difference in elevation at river level and the peak of a mountain alongsid ...

and Colca Canyon, in southern Peru. Both have been measured at over deep. The

of northern Arizona in the United States, with an average depth of and a volume of , is one of the world's largest canyons. It was among the 28 finalists of the

New7Wonders of Nature New 7 Wonders of Nature (2007–2011) was an initiative started in 2007 to create a list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll. It was the second in a series of Internet-based polls led by Swiss-born Canadian Bernard Web ...

worldwide poll. (Some referred to it as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.) The largest canyon in Africa is the

Fish River Canyon The Fish River Canyon (Afrikaans: ''Visrivier Canyon'' or'' Visrivier Kuil'', german: Fischfluss Canyon), is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia.Ma ...

in Namibia. In August 2013, the discovery of Greenland's

was reported, based on the analysis of data from Operation IceBridge. It is located under an ice sheet. At long, it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world. The Capertee Valley in Australia is commonly reported as being the second-widest canyon in the world.

Cultural significance

Some canyons have notable cultural significance. Evidence of

early homin Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early ...

ids has been discovered in Africa's

Olduvai Gorge The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania is one of the most important paleoanthropology, paleoanthropological localities in the world; the many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human ev ...

. In the southwestern United States, canyons are important archeologically because of the many

cliff-dwelling In archeology, archaeology, cliff dwellings are dwellings formed by using niches or caves in high cliffs, and sometimes with excavation or additions in the way of masonry. Two special types of cliff dwelling are distinguished by archaeologist ...

s built in such areas, largely by the ancient Pueblo people who were their first inhabitants.

Notable examples

The following list contains only the most notable canyons of the world, arranged by continent and then country.

Africa

Namibia

South Africa

* Blyde River Canyon,

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

Oribi Gorge Oribi Gorge is a canyon in southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 35 kilometres north-west of Port Shepstone, which itself is 120 km south of Durban. Oribi Gorge, cut by the Mzimkulwana River, is the eastern gorge of two gorges that cut ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

Tanzania

Americas

Argentina

Atuel Canyon The Atuel Canyon (in Spanish ''Cañón del Atuel'') is a narrow canyon and popular tourist attraction within Valle Grande, Argentina. The canyon is popular location for adventure sports, including river rafting, hiking, climbing, horse riding an ...

, Mendoza Province

Brazil

* Itaimbezinho Canyon,

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...

Canada

* Grand Canyon of the Stikine, British Columbia * Horseshoe Canyon, Alberta *

Niagara Gorge Niagara Gorge is an long canyon carved by the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends downriver at the ed ...

, Ontario * Ouimet Canyon, Ontario

Colombia

* Chicamocha Canyon, Santander Department

Mexico

Barranca de Oblatos Barranca de Oblatos ( en, Oblatos Canyon), also known as Barranca de Huentitán, is a canyon carved by the Río Grande de Santiago in Mexico in the state of Jalisco. It lies on the northeast side of the municipality of Guadalajara and on the edge ...

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

* Copper Canyon,

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

* Sumidero Canyon,

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

Peru

* Cañón del Pato,

Ancash Region Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital i ...

* Colca Canyon,

Arequipa Region Arequipa ( ay, Ariqipa; qu, Ariqipa) is a department and region in southwestern Peru. It is the sixth largest department in Peru, after Puno, Cuzco, Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto, its sixth most populous department, and its eleventh least ...

, Arequipa Region

United States

American Fork Canyon American Fork Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, United States. The canyon is famous for the Timpanogos Cave National Monument, which resides on its south side. It is named after the American Fork River, which runs through the b ...

, Utah *

Antelope Canyon Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Lechee, Arizona. It includes five separate, scenic slot canyon sections on the Navajo Reservation, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon (or The Crac ...

, Arizona * Apple River Canyon, Illinois *

Ausable Chasm Ausable Chasm is a sandstone gorge and tourist attraction located near the hamlet of Keeseville, New York, United States. It is directly due west of Port Kent. The Ausable River runs through it and then empties into Lake Champlain. The gorge is ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

* Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah * Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado * Blackwater Canyon, West Virginia *

Blue Creek Canyon Blue Creek Canyon is a narrow, steep-walled canyon in Gunnison County, Colorado. It lies between Fitzpatrick Mesa and Blue Mesa and is south of Morrow Point Reservoir and southeast of Cimarron, Colorado. U.S. Highway 50 goes through the canyon. G ...

, Colorado *

Bluejohn Canyon Bluejohn Canyon (often mistakenly referred to as "Blue John Canyon") is a slot canyon in eastern Wayne County, Utah, United States. It is on BLM land just south of the boundary of the Horseshoe Canyon Unit of Canyonlands National Park. Descr ...

, Utah * Box Canyon * Breaks Canyon, Kentucky and Virginia * Butterfield Canyon, Utah * Cane Creek, Alabama * Canyon de Chelly, Arizona *

Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands National Park is an American national park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their r ...

, canyons of the Colorado River and its main tributary the

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada *Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

, Utah * Cheat Canyon, West Virginia * Clifton Gorge, Ohio * Clifty Creek Falls, Indiana *

Cloudland Canyon Cloudland Canyon State Park is a Georgia state park located near Trenton and Cooper Heights on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. One of the largest and most scenic parks in Georgia, it contains rugged geology, and offers visitors a rang ...

, Georgia * Columbia River Gorge, Oregon and Washington * Conkle's Hollow, Ohio * Cottonwood Canyon, Utah *

Crooked River Gorge Crooked River Gorge is a gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time s ...

, Oregon *

Death Hollow Death Hollow, Death Canyon or Little Death Hollow is a slot canyon in the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in central Garfield County, Utah, United States. It is located on the East side of the Escalante River southeast of the town ...

, Utah *

Desolation Canyon Desolation Canyon is a remote canyon on the Green River (Colorado River tributary), Green River in eastern Utah, United States that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is said to be one of the most remote areas in th ...

, Utah *

Dismals Canyon Dismals Canyon is a sandstone Canyon, gorge near Phil Campbell, Alabama, Phil Campbell in Franklin County, Alabama. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1974. Dismals Canyon is one of only a few places where insects called dismalite ...

, Alabama * Flaming Gorge, Wyoming and Utah *

Flume Gorge The Flume Gorge (locally, just The Flume) is a natural gorge extending horizontally at the base of Mount Liberty in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, United States. Cut by Flume Brook, the gorge features walls of Conway granite tha ...

, New Hampshire * Glen Canyon, Utah and Arizona * Glenwood Canyon, Colorado *

Gore Canyon Gore Canyon, elevation , is a short isolated canyon on the upper Colorado River in southwestern Grand County, Colorado in the United States. Steep and rugged, the approximately 3 mile (5 km) long gorge was carved by the river as it passed ...

, Colorado *

, Arizona * Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Wyoming *

Grandstaff Canyon Grandstaff Canyon (called Nigger Bill Canyon from the late 19th century until the 1960s, and Negro Bill Canyon until 2017) is a canyon in southern Grand County, Utah, Grand County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Colorado River watershe ...

, Utah * Guffey Gorge, Colorado *

Gulf Hagas Gulf Hagas is a gorge located in the mountains of northern Maine woods and is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Maine. The West Branch of the Pleasant River cuts through the earth for three miles creating a vertically walled slate gorge w ...

, Maine *

Hells Canyon Hells Canyon is a canyon in the Western United States, located along the border of eastern Oregon, a small section of eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in p ...

, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington *

Horse Canyon Horse Canyon is a small canyon near the towns of Boulder and Escalante in the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in central Garfield County, Utah, United States Description The canyon is one of the three canyons which meet at a fork a ...

, Utah *

Kern River Canyon The Kern River Canyon is a canyon in Kern County, California. It is located in the Southern Sierra Nevada. The canyon was formed by the Kern River, and connects the Kern River Valley and southern San Joaquin Valley.Lee, Charles. ''An Intensive S ...

, California * Kings Canyon, Utah * Kings Canyon, California *

Leslie Gulch Leslie Gulch is a canyon in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It is on the east side of Owyhee Lake, a reservoir on the Owyhee River. Its abundant and striking rock formations are made of tuff. The gulch was named after a local rancher, Hir ...

, Oregon *

Linville Gorge The Linville Gorge Wilderness ("The Grand Canyon of North Carolina") is the third largest wilderness area in North Carolina (after Shining Rock Wilderness and Joyce-Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness) and one of only two wilderness gorges in the Southe ...

, North Carolina * Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah *

Little Grand Canyon The Little Grand Canyon (officially named Grand Canyon) is a box canyon located in Shawnee National Forest in Jackson County, Illinois, United States, south of Murphysboro. It is located on east bank of the Big Muddy River across from Turkey Ba ...

, Illinois * Little River Canyon, Alabama *

Logan Canyon Logan Canyon is in the western United States in northeastern Utah, a canyon that cuts its way through the Bear River Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range. It is popular for both summer and winter activities, especially rock-climbing, hikin ...

, Utah *

Mather Gorge Mather Gorge is a river gorge south and just downriver of Great Falls in the state of Maryland bordering Virginia. The Maryland land side of the gorge is Bear Island, part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, and the Virgin ...

, Maryland *

Marysvale Canyon Marysvale Canyon (sometimes referred to as Sevier Canyon) is a canyon in Piute and Sevier counties in southwest Utah, United States which runs north from just north of Marysvale north to the town of Sevier. Description The canyon is a ste ...

, Utah * McCormick's Creek Canyon, Indiana * Millcreek Canyon, Utah * New River Gorge, West Virginia * Ninemile Canyon, Utah * Ogden Canyon, Utah * Oneonta Gorge, Oregon *

Palo Duro Canyon Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo and Canyon, Texas, Canyon. As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly long and has an ...

, Texas *

Parleys Canyon Parleys Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Utah. The canyon provides the route of Interstate 80 (I-80) (and previously the Lincoln Highway, U.S. Route 40, and a railroad) up the western slope of the Wasatch Mountains and is a relati ...

, Utah *

Pine Creek Gorge Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania. It sits in about of the Tioga State Forest. The canyon begins south of Ansonia, nea ...

, Pennsylvania * Poudre Canyon, Colorado * Providence Canyon, Georgia *

Quechee Gorge The Quechee Gorge is located in Quechee, Vermont along U.S. Route 4. The gorge is 165 feet deep and is the deepest gorge in Vermont. It serves as a popular tourist attraction in Quechee State Park and can be viewed from the U.S. Route 4 bridge an ...

, Vermont * Red River Gorge, Kentucky *

Rio Grande Gorge The Rio Grande Gorge is a geological feature in northern New Mexico where the watercourse of the Rio Grande follows a tectonic chasm. Beginning near the Colorado border, the approximately gorge runs from northwest to southwest of Taos, New Mexico ...

, New Mexico * Royal Gorge, Colorado *

Ruby Canyon Ruby Canyon is a roughly 25 mile (40 km) long canyon on the Colorado River located on the Colorado-Utah border in the western United States, and is a popular destination for rafting. The canyon takes its name from the red sandstone cliffs ...

, Utah * Snake River Canyon, Idaho *

Snow Canyon Snow Canyon State Park is a state park in Utah, located in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano, lava tubes, ...

, Utah *

Stillwater Canyon Stillwater Canyon is a long winding canyon along the Green River in Canyonlands National Park on the border line between Wayne and San Juan counties in southeastern Utah, United States. Description The canyon begins at Bonita Bend in the centr ...

, Utah * Tallulah Gorge, Georgia * Tennessee River Gorge, Alabama and Tennessee * The Trough, West Virginia *

Unaweep Canyon Unaweep Canyon is a geologically unique canyon that cuts across the Uncompahgre Plateau, Mesa County, in western Colorado. It is unique because two creeks, East Creek and West Creek, flow out of opposite ends of the canyon, separated by the almost ...

, Colorado *

Uncompahgre Gorge The Uncompahgre Gorge is a deep mountain canyon formed by the Uncompahgre River and Red Mountain Creek in the Uncompahgre National Forest. It is located just south of Ouray, in Ouray County, Colorado. At the north end of the Gorge the Uncompah ...

, Colorado *

Waimea Canyon Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (900 m) deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States. ...

, Hawaii * Walls of Jericho, Alabama * Weber Canyon, Utah *

Westwater Canyon Westwater Canyon is a canyon located on the Colorado River in Eastern Utah between the Utah/Colorado state line and Cisco, Utah. The inner gorge of the canyon is made up of black Precambrian rock and contains class III and IV rapids which are ...

, Utah *

Wolverine Canyon Wolverine Canyon, UT is a canyon near the town of Boulder, Utah. It is small, only 3 miles in length until it meets with Horse Canyon and Little Death Hollow, and then leads down to the Escalante River The Escalante River is a tributary of t ...

, Utah * White Canyon, Utah *

Zion Canyon Zion Canyon (also called Little Zion, Mukuntuweap, Mu-Loon'-Tu-Weap, and Straight Cañon; ''weap'' is Paiute for canyon) is a deep and narrow gorge in southwestern Utah, United States, carved by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Nearly the entir ...

, Utah

Asia

China

* Three Gorges,

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

* Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan *

Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, also known as the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, the Tsangpo Canyon, the Brahmaputra Canyon or the Tsangpo Gorge ('), is a canyon along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is the deep ...

, Tibet Autonomous Region

India

* Gandikota,

Kadapa District Kadapa district (officially: YSR district; formerly: Cuddapah district) is one of the twenty six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. On 19 August 2005 nomenclature of “Cuddapah” has been changed as “Kadapa” by the Governm ...

, Andhra Pradesh *

Raneh Falls The Raneh Falls is a natural waterfall on the Ken River, located in Khajuraho in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The falls The Ken River forms a long, and deep canyon made of pure crystalline granite in varying shades of colours ranging ...

, Chatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh * Garadia Mahadev, Kota district, Rajasthan * Idukki, Western Ghats, Kerala

Indonesia

* Brown Canyon,

Semarang Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...

Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...

Cukang Taneuh Cukang Taneuh, which means Soil bridge in ''Sundanese language, Sundanese,'' is a canyon located in Pangandaran Regency, Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia. Cukang Taneuh is also well known as Green Canyon.Pangandaran Pangandaran is a town and district of Pangandaran Regency within the province of West Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern coast of the island of Java. A well-known surfing beach has made Pangandaran a popular tourist destination. His ...

, West Java

Pakistan

* Indus River Gorge through the Himalaya

Taiwan

Taroko Gorge Taroko National Park () is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park carved by the Liwu River. The park spans Taichung Municipality, Nantou County, and Hualien County and is lo ...

, Hualien County

Others

*Afghanistan – Tang-e Gharu *Japan –

Tenryū-kyō is a nationally-designated nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in Iida, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It is located within the Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Park is a quasi-national park in the Tōkai region of Honshū in Japan. ...

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

*Kazakhstan –

Charyn Canyon Charyn Canyon (also known as Sharyn Canyon, kk, Шарын шатқалы, ''Sharyn shatqaly'') is a canyon on the Sharyn River in Kazakhstan ( east of Almaty, close to the Chinese border). The canyon is roughly in length. It is part of the ...

*Nepal – Kali Gandaki Gorge *Russia - Delyun-Uran ( Vitim River) *Turkey –

Ihlara Valley The Ihlara Valley (or Peristrema Valley; Turkish ''Ihlara Vadisi'') is a canyon which is 15 km long and up to 150 m deep in the southwest of the Turkish region of Cappadocia, in the municipality of Güzelyurt, Aksaray Province. The va ...

in Aksaray Province Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, UK - Diliff

Europe

United Kingdom

* Avon Gorge, Bristol *

Burrington Combe Burrington Combe is a Carboniferous Limestone gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in North Somerset, England. "Combe" or "coombe" is a word of Celtic origin found i ...

, Somerset *

Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years ...

, Somerset *

Corrieshalloch Gorge Corrieshalloch Gorge (Scottish Gaelic: Coire Shalach, meaning ''unattractive corrie'') is a gorge situated about 20 km south of Ullapool, close to the junction of the A832 and A835 roads near Braemore in the Scottish Highlands. The gorge i ...

, Ullapool * Ebbor Gorge, Somerset *

Gordale Scar Gordale Scar is a limestone ravine northeast of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It contains two waterfalls and has overhanging limestone cliffs over high. The gorge could have been formed by water from melting glaciers or a cavern collapse. T ...

, North Yorkshire *

Winnats Pass Winnats Pass (or Winnats, as shown on some Ordnance Survey maps) is a hill pass and limestone gorge in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. The name is a corruption of 'wind gates' due to the swirling winds through the pass. It lies west of t ...

, Derbyshire

France

Ardèche Gorges Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...

Gorges de Daluis The Gorges de Daluis is a six-kilometer-long canyon formed by the river Var in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It runs south from Guillaumes to Daluis. Geography The canyon starts off at Guillaumes, running north to south, ...

, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur * Gorges du Tarn,

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

Grands Goulets Les Grands Goulets ( French language: ''The Great Bottlenecks'') is a gorge in the western part of the Vercors Massif, located in the department of Drôme in Southeastern France. The gorge forms the head of the Vernaison Valley. Between 1844 an ...

, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes * Verdon Gorge,

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

Spain

Tagus River Gorge The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to em ...

, Guadalajara Province *

Gallo River Gorge Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: **Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken in Northern Italy of the Romance ...

, Guadalajara Province *

Guadalope River Gorge The Guadalope (Guadalop in Catalan and Aragonese) is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro (Ebre in Catalan). Course This long river rises in the Sierra de Gúdar, near Villarroya de los Pinares and Miravete de la Sierra in ...

, Teruel Province *

Lobos River Gorge Lobos is the headquarters city of the Lobos Partido in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It was founded on 2 June 1802 by José Salgado. Background Located 100 km from Buenos Aires, Lobos is currently a fertile agricultural area known mai ...

, Soria Province

Russia

Sulak Canyon The Sulak Canyon ( av, Сулахъ кӏкIал, russian: Сулакский каньон) is a steep-sided deepest canyon in Europe carved by the Sulak River in Dagestan, Russia. The Sulak Canyon is long, and attains a depth of over a mile (). ...

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...

Ukraine

Aktove canyon Aktove Canyon is a canyon near the Aktove village, on the Mertvovod river in the Voznesenskyi region of Mykolaiv Oblast of Ukraine. It is a part of the regional landscape park Granite-steppe lands of Buh. It is also a well-known place of pilgri ...

Buky Canyon Buky Canyon is a canyon near the Buky village, on the Hirskyi Tikych river in the Cherkasy Oblast (province) of Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country a ...

* Dniester Canyon

Others

*Albania –

Osum Canyon The Osum Gorge () is a river gorge in southern Albania, near the town of Çorovodë. The river Osum, which passes through the town of Berat, flows through the canyon. The Osumi river gorge is one of the most spectacular natural attractions of Alba ...

*Bosnia and Herzegovina – Rakitnica, Drina,

Neretva The Neretva ( sr-cyrl, Неретва, ), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four HE power-plants with large dams (higher than 150,5 metres) provide flood protection, power and water s ...

, Vrbas *Bulgaria – Trigrad Gorge, Kresna Gorge,

Iskar Gorge The Iskar Gorge is a gorge passing through the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It is the chief pass through the Balkans, which otherwise cross northern Bulgaria in a solid line. The pass connects the capital of Sofia with other major ...

*Finland – Korouoma Canyon *Germany –

Partnach Gorge The Partnach Gorge (german: Partnachklamm) is a deep gorge that has been incised by a mountain stream, the Partnach, in the Reintal valley near the south German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The gorge is long and, in places, over deep. It ...

*Greece – Vikos Gorge, Samaria Gorge *Greenland –

Greenland's Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon of Greenland is a tentative canyon of record length discovered underneath the Greenland ice sheet as reported in the journal ''Science'' on 30 August 2013 (submitted 29 April 2013), by scientists from the University of Bristol ...

*Iceland – Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon *Kosovo –

Rugova Canyon Rugova Canyon or Rugova Gorge ( sq, Gryka e Rugovës; sr, Руговска клисура, Rugovska klisura, italic=yes) is a river canyon near Peja in Western Kosovo, in the Accursed Mountains, close to the border with Montenegro. With a lengt ...

, White Drin Canyon, Kacanik Gorge *North Macedonia –

Matka Canyon Matka ( mk, Матка, meaning ''womb'', sq, Matkë, Kanioni i Matkës) is a canyon located west of central Skopje, North Macedonia. Covering roughly 5,000 hectares, Matka is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in North Macedonia and ...

*Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina –

Tara River Canyon The Tara River Canyon (, ; ), also known as the Tara River Gorge, is the largest and deepest canyon in Europe, which is for the most part located in Montenegro, and to a smaller extent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most attractive part of the ca ...

*Montenegro –

Morača The Morača ( sr-cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers . ...

Piva Piva may refer to: * Piva (river), a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina * Piva, Montenegro, a region in Montenegro and tribe * Piva River, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea * Piva Trail, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea ** Battle for Piva Tr ...

*Norway – Sautso Canyon *Poland/Slovakia – Dunajec River Gorge *Serbia/Romania -

Iron Gates The Iron Gates ( ro, Porțile de Fier; sr, / or / ; Hungarian: ''Vaskapu-szoros'') is a gorge on the river Danube. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia (to the south) and Romania (north). In the broad sense it encompasses a rou ...

*Slovenia –

Vintgar Gorge The Vintgar Gorge ( sl, soteska Vintgar) or Bled Gorge () is a gorge in northwestern Slovenia in the municipalities of Gorje and Bled, four kilometers northwest of Bled. Carved by the Radovna River, it is the continuation of the Radovna Valle ...

*Switzerland –

Aare Gorge The Aare Gorge (german: Aareschlucht) is a section of the river Aare that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen, in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The gorge is an indirect product of glaciation; 10,000 yea ...

Block-up Gorge, Shoalhaven River - panoramio

Oceania

Australia

*Joffre Gorge, Karijini National Park, Western Australia * Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory * Kings Canyon, Northern Territory *

Murchison River Gorge Murchison River Gorge is a riverine gorge in Mid West Western Australia. Carved by the meandering lower reaches of the Murchison River, it is more than long, and up to deep. It begins about north-northwest of Ajana, and extends to the mouth ...

, Western Australia *

Jamison Valley The Jamison Valley forms part of the Coxs River canyon system in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is situated approximately 100 kilometres west of Sydney, capital of New South Wales, and a few kilometres south of Katoomb ...

, New South Wales * Capertee Valley, New South Wales – the world's second-widest canyon *

Shoalhaven Gorge The City of Shoalhaven is a local government area in the south-eastern coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is about south of Sydney. The Princes Highway passes through the area, and the South Coast railway line traverses t ...

, New South Wales *

Werribee Gorge Werribee Gorge State Park is a state park in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is located near Bacchus Marsh and is used by bushwalkers and rock climbers, who are attracted to its views and geological features. Werribee Gorge T ...

, Victoria *The

Slot Canyons Slot, the slot or Slots may refer to: People * Arne Slot (born 1978), Dutch footballer * Gerrie Slot (born 1954), Dutch cyclist * Hanke Bruins Slot (born 1977), Dutch politician * Tonny Bruins Slot (born 1947), Dutch association football coach ...

of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales

New Zealand

* Manawatu Gorge, North Island * Skippers Canyon, South Island

Canyons on other planetary bodies

* Ithaca Chasma on

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

's moon Tethys * Valles Marineris on Mars, the largest-known canyon in the Solar System *

Vid Flumina Vid Flumina is a river of liquid methane and ethane on Saturn's moon Titan. The river has been compared to the Nile. It is more than long and flows into Titan's second largest hydrocarbon sea, Ligeia Mare. The surface of Titan is mostly water ...

on Saturn's largest moon

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

is the only known liquid-floored canyon in the Solar System besides Earth *

Messina Chasmata The Messina Chasmata are the largest canyon or system of canyons on the surface of the Uranian moon Titania, named after a location in William Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The - long feature includes two normal faults running NW ...

on Uranus' moon Titania Venus has many craters and canyons on its surface. The troughs on the planet are part of a system of canyons that is more than 6,400 km long.

References

External links

{{Authority control Slope landforms

Etymology

Formation

Box canyon

Largest canyons

Cultural significance

Notable examples

Africa

Namibia

South Africa

Tanzania

Americas

Argentina

Brazil

Canada

Colombia

Mexico

Peru

United States

Asia

China

India

Indonesia

Pakistan

Taiwan

Others

Europe

United Kingdom

France

Spain

Russia

Ukraine

Others

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

Canyons on other planetary bodies

See also

References

External links