The main distributary is called the Rio Grande, which empties south-southeast through the southern portion of the delta, and the second major distributary is Caño Manamo, which runs northward along the western edge of the delta.

The area of this region is approximately 43,646 square kilometres (16,852 sq mi).

The predominant vegetation is in the Orinoco Delta swamp forests ecoregion.

[2][3] To the west, and closer to the coast, there are patches of the Orinoco wetlands ecoregion.

[4] The delta includes large areas of permanent wetlands as well as seasonally-flooded freshwater swamp forests.