The word chapada means mountains. The Chapada da Veadeiros covers an area of 65,000 hectares occupying part of the highlands cerrado, including various municipalities, among others,
São João Aliança, Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Cavalcante and Colinas do Sul.
The park was created in 1961 by the President of the Republic of the time Juscelino Kubitschek (who was also the founder of the city of Brasilia, the administrative capital of Brazil). The park was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 2001.