APURE  , a

river of western Venezuela, formed by the confluence of the Sarare and Uribante at 6° 45' N. lat. and 71° W. long., and flowing eastward across the Venezuelan llanos to a junction with the Orinoco at about 7° 40' N. lat. and 66° 45' W. long . Its drainage area includes the slopes of both the Colombian and Venezuelan Andes . It has a sluggish course across the lianas for about 300 m., and is navigable throughout its length . Its principal tributaries are the Caparro, Portuguesa and Guarico on the north, and the Caucagua on the south . Its lateral channels on the south mingle with those of the Arauca for many miles, forming an extensive district subject to annual inundations .