The tropical savanna grasslands of the Orinoco Basin in northern South America are locally known by which name?

Introduction / Context:
This question connects regional names with global vegetation types by asking what the savanna grasslands of the Orinoco Basin are called. Different grassland regions around the world have distinct local names based on language and culture. Knowing these names helps students correctly match geographic locations with their characteristic landscapes. In this case, the Orinoco Basin lies in northern South America, and its tropical savanna grasslands have a specific Spanish derived name that often appears in exam tables.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The region mentioned is the Orinoco Basin in northern South America.
• The landscape type is tropical savanna grassland.
• Options are pampas, steppes, prairies and llanos.
• We assume the standard list of grassland names used in world geography courses.

Concept / Approach:
The term llanos is used in Spanish to refer to the broad tropical savanna plains of the Orinoco Basin in Venezuela and Colombia. By contrast, pampas refers to temperate grasslands in Argentina and neighbouring countries, prairies refer to temperate grasslands in North America and steppes usually denote temperate grasslands in Eurasia. Each name is tied closely to a specific region and climate type. Therefore, the correct approach is to associate Orinoco savannas with llanos and not with pampas, steppes or prairies.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the region as the Orinoco Basin located in northern South America. Step 2: Recall that tropical savanna grasslands in this basin are widely known as llanos. Step 3: Recognise that pampas refer to temperate grasslands in Argentina and Uruguay, not to the Orinoco region. Step 4: Remember that prairies are temperate grasslands of North America and steppes are temperate grasslands of Eurasia. Step 5: Conclude that the correct local name for Orinoco savannas is llanos.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine a standard geography table that lists major grasslands and their names: prairies in North America, pampas in South America, steppes in Central Eurasia, downs in Australia and llanos in the Orinoco region. In such tables, llanos are consistently tied to northern South America and often described as tropical savannas with seasonal rainfall and cattle grazing. None of these tables use pampas, prairies or steppes to describe the Orinoco Basin. This repeated association in textbooks and exam guides confirms that llanos is the correct term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pampas refer to the temperate grasslands of Argentina and surrounding areas, far south of the Orinoco Basin.
Steppes are temperate grasslands stretching across parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia and do not describe tropical savannas in South America.
Prairies are the temperate grasslands of North America, located in countries such as the United States and Canada, not in the Orinoco Basin.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes recall only that pampas are in South America and may choose them for any South American grassland question. This happens when they do not pay attention to the difference between temperate and tropical regions. Others may mix up terms from memory lists without linking them to specific locations. To avoid such errors, it is useful to create a mental map matching each grassland name to a particular world region. Remember that llanos are in the Orinoco Basin, pampas in Argentina, prairies in North America and steppes in Eurasia. This clear mapping makes similar questions much easier to answer.

Final Answer:
The tropical savanna grasslands of the Orinoco Basin are locally known as the llanos.