The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de

Almaguer Almaguer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Frank Almaguer (born 1945), United States diplomat *Ilean Almaguer (born 1990), Mexican actress best known for her roles in telenovelas and dozens of TV commercials *Sergio Almaguer ( ...

'', refers to a group of mountains within the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

of south central

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. The

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, and Nariño Departments. To the south is the Pasto Massif and to the north begins the

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and Eastern Andes.

Geography

The total area is , which is distributed as follows: of forests, of

agroecosystem Agroecosystems are the ecosystems supporting the food production systems in our farms and gardens. As the name implies, at the core of an agroecosystem lies the human activity of agriculture. As such they are the basic unit of study in Agroecology, ...

s, of

páramo Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...

s, of snow zone, have

xerophytic A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or th ...

vegetation and of urban settlements. The altitude varies between and . This area is identified as the source of 70% of the Colombian

safe water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ag ...

for human consumption and irrigation. The headwaters of the Magdalena and

Cauca River The Cauca River () is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. From its headwaters in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Magangue in Bolivar Department, and th ...

s (Caribbean slope), Caquetá and

Putumayo River The Putumayo River or Içá River ( es, Río Putumayo, pt, Rio Içá) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River. Course The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well ...

s (

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

) and the

Patía River The Patía River () is a river in southwestern Colombia. It flows over to drain into the Pacific Ocean north of Tumaco. The Patía River is the longest river on the Colombian Pacific Coast. The last is navigable by boat. Geography The Patía ...

(Pacific slope). The massif contains 362 high mountain bodies of water, 13

s and other

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s rich in flora and fauna. From south to north are the páramos of ''Cutanga'', ''Letero'', ''Las Papas'' (Potatoes), ''Apio'' (Celery) and ''Buey'' (Ox). Sotará and

Puracé Puracé is an andesitic stratovolcano located in the Puracé National Natural Park in the Cauca Department, Colombia. It is part of the North Volcanic Zone of the Andean Volcanic Belt. The volcano is located at the intersection of the Coconucos ...

are the prominent volcanoes of the area, the latter being within the

Puracé National Natural Park The Puracé National Natural Park ( es, Parque Nacional Natural Puracé) is a national park located in the Andean Region of Colombia, southeast of the city of Popayán in the Cordillera Central range. Its main feature is the active stratovolcan ...

. Very few people have traversed the mountains of this region because it is covered by rugged terrain and an impenetrable and cold páramo environment, both of which are natural guardians which preserve the water sources that provide water for half of Colombia before emptying into the sea. File:Cerro Lerma.JPG, Cerro de Lerma
in Cauca File:Macizo Colombiano.jpg, Las Reginas

References

External links

Ministerio del Medio Ambiente; Poblacion y ordenamiento ambiental: Macizo Colombiano
{{Mountain Ranges of Colombia Andes Mountain ranges of Colombia Mountains of Colombia