The Andean region, located in central Colombia, is the most populated
natural region of Colombia. With many mountains, the Andes contain most of the country's urban centers.
[ MEMO: Natural Regions of Colombia]
Memo.com.co Accessed 22 August 2007. They were also the location of the most significant
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...
indigenous settlements. Beyond the
Colombian Massif
The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de Almaguer'', refers to a group of mountains within the Andes of south central Colombia. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, a ...
in the south-western departments of
Cauca and
Nariño, the Colombian Andes divide into three branches known as "cordilleras" (from the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
for ''mountain range''): the
West Andes run adjacent to the Pacific coast and is home to the city of
Cali. The
Central Andes run up the center of the country between the
Cauca and
Magdalena river valleys (to the west and east respectively) and includes the cities of
Medellín,
Manizales
Manizales () is a city in central Colombia. It is the capital of the Department of Caldas, and lies near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.
Currently, the city is the main center for the production of Colombian coffee and an important hub for higher ...
and
Pereira. The
East Andes extend northeast towards the
Guajira Peninsula
The Guajira Peninsula ( es, Península de La Guajira, links=no, also spelled ''Goajira'', mainly in colonial period texts, guc, Hikükariby) is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean. It is the norther ...
, and includes the cities of
Bogotá,
Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga () is the capital and largest city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth-largest economy by GDP in Colombia, has the lowest unemployment rate and has the ninth-largest population in the country, with 6 ...
and
Cúcuta
Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the Eastern ...
.
The climate and vegetation of the region vary considerably according to altitude, but as a general rule the land can be divided into the
tierra caliente
''Tierra caliente'' is an informal term used in Latin America to refer to places with a distinctly tropical climate. These are usually regions from sea level from 0–3,000 feet.Zech, W. and Hintermaier-Erhard, G. (2002); Böden der Welt – Ein Bi ...
(hot land) of river valleys and basins below 1,000 m; the more temperate conditions of the
tierra templada Tierra templada (Spanish for ''temperate land'') is a pseudo-climatological term used in Latin America to refer to places which are either located in the tropics at a moderately high elevation or are marginally outside the astronomical tropics, prod ...
(temperate land, approximately 1,000 m to 2,000 m) and
tierra fría
In Latin America, tierra fría ( Spanish for ''cold land'') are mountain locations where high elevation results in a markedly cooler climate than that encountered in the lowlands at a comparable latitude. The combination of low latitude and high a ...
(cold land, 2,000 m to 3,200 m), which include the most productive land and most of the population; and the alpine conditions of the
zona forestada
The red-tailed silverside, or zona (''Bedotia geayi'') is a species of Madagascar rainbowfish endemic to the Mananjary River drainage in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. It has often been confused with the rel ...
(forested zone, 3,200 m to 3,900 m),
páramos (3,900 m to 4,600 m) and
tierra helada Tierra Helada (Spanish for "frozen land"), also known as Tierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy land"), is a term used in Latin America to refer to the highest places found within the Andes mountains.
The ''Tierra Helada'' comprises the montane grasslan ...
(frozen land, 4,600 m and above).
Biogeographical subregions
*
Pasto Massif
*
Colombian Massif
The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de Almaguer'', refers to a group of mountains within the Andes of south central Colombia. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, a ...
*
West Andes
*
Central Andes
*
East Andes
*
Cauca River Valley
*
Magdalena River Valley
The Magdalena River Valley ( es, Valle del Río Magdalena) is a valley in Colombia located within the Colombian Andes. The valley is specifically situated between the Central and Eastern Ranges and crossed by the river of the same name, the Magdal ...
Biodiversity
Protected areas
West Andes from south to north:
Munchique
The Munchique National Natural Park ( es, Parque Nacional Natural Munchique) is a national park located in the Cauca Department in the Cordillera Occidental range in the Andean Region of Colombia. There are 30 streams and rivers, and 40 waterf ...
,
Farallones de Cali
Farallones de Cali is a cluster of mountains in the West Andes of Colombia. It is located west of the city of Cali and gives rise to many of the rivers that provide water and electricity to Cali. The PNN Farallones de Cali encompasses in the ...
, Tatamá, Las Orquideas,
Paramillo
See also
*
West Andes
*
Central Andes
*
East Andes
*
Paisa Region
A Paisa is someone from a region in the northwest of Colombia, including part of the West and Central ''cordilleras'' of the Andes in Colombia. The Paisa region is formed by the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío. S ...
References
{{coord missing, Colombia
Andean forests
Natural regions of Colombia
Tropical Andes