President Chavez renames Angel Falls

Controversial President, Hugo Chavez has renamed the once Angel Falls. Angel Falls once referred to the world's tallest waterfall.

Chavez on Sunday renamed the falls back to its original name Kerepakupai Meru. Kerepakupai Meru means "waterfall of the deepest place", and was originally named by the aboriginals of the region.

The falls were not widely known to the outside world until American aviator Jimmie Angel flew over them on 16 November 1933. The falls were later named in his honour when he landed a plane at the summit of the falls.

"This is ours, long before Angel arrived there," Chavez said on his weekly television show.

"This is indigenous property, ours, aborigine." He also said thousands of indigenous people had seen the falls before Jimmie Angel "discovered" them.

"One could say he was the first one to see it from a plane," Mr. Chavez said.

Kerepakupai Merú which was formerly Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,647 ft) and reach the bottom of the valley as a misty spray that gathers into a small creek.