western tributary of the Orinoco River, flowing through Venezuela and Colombia. It rises in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes mountains, near the Venezuelan-Colombian border. Its easterly course is about 500 miles (800 km) long and forms part of the Venezuelan-Colombian boundary. The Arauca flows nearly parallel to the Apure and the Meta rivers to join the Orinoco about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela. The level nature of the vast surrounding plains, combined with seasonal rainfall, results in widespread flooding during the rainy season (April to November).