CORDILLERA ORIENTAL DE COLOMBIA: CHARACTERISTICS, RELIEF, FLORA, FAUNA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is the widest and most extensive of the three branches into which the Cordillera de los Andes is divided in Colombian territory. The other two branches are the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Occidental. It extends from the Nudo de Almaguer, or Colombian Massif, in the Department of Cauca, to the Perijá mountain range, in La Guajira.

It intervenes in the relief of the departments of Cesar, La Guajira, Meta, Tolima Huila, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Caquetá, Santander, Norte de Santander and Arauca. It ends with two divisions, the shortest in La Guajira and the longest in Venezuela.

General characteristics of the Eastern Cordillera

- Most important landforms of the Eastern Cordillera

• Sierra Nevada del Cocuy 5493 meters above sea level (masl)
• Páramo Rechinga 4600 masl
• Cerro Nevado 4560 masl
• Sumapaz Paramo 4560 masl
• Paramo of Almorzadero 4093 masl
• Peak of Savoy 4003 masl
• Hill of jurisdictions 3850 masl

- Parts of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia

South Eastern Cordillera

With numerous depressions, such as the Guacharos pass or La Ceja pass.

Central Eastern Cordillera

From the Sumapaz páramo divided into three axes, the eastern one from the Chingaza páramo and Sierra Nevada del Cocuy.

The Central axis, the Boquerón and Guasca moorlands, and the Western axis, the Tequendama waterfall and Peña de Guerrero.

North Eastern Cordillera

The Cordillera includes El páramo de Santurbán. It bifurcates towards the Motilones mountain range, and towards Venezuela. It stretches for 1,200 kilometers, being the longest and widest of the three branches. It covers an area of ​​130,000 ^km².

Upon reaching Cundinamarca and Boyacá, it widens considerably. There is the fertile savannah of Bogotá, where the Capital of the Republic is located, and other cities.

- The high Andean forest and the paramo

It has two unique habitats on the planet, the High Andean forest and the páramo. The páramos are very sophisticated ecosystems for water filtration. It is generated by the accumulation of organic matter and the morphology of plants that act like sponges.

In addition, the high content of volcanic ash in the soil makes decomposition processes slower. The moors are 3100 meters above sea level.

The Andean forest is almost always covered with fog, and with great humidity. It develops between 2800 and 3200 meters above sea level, and stands out for its biological diversity.

We find there species of trees such as raque, mortiño, encenillo, alder, cinnamon and rosemary. Also several types of ferns such as the palm fern that exceeds ten meters in height. Orchids, lichens, and moss add color and texture to these forests.

The functions that the Andean forest fulfills is to regulate the contribution of water that descends from the moors.

It accumulates and manages nutrients, facilitating the development of trees 15 to 20 meters high. Unfortunately in Colombia this type of forest is seriously threatened by logging and urban development.

Fauna

Many species of animals live exclusively in the páramos of the Eastern Cordillera. They are endemic species that are not found in another part of the world.

Among the mammals we can mention the shrew, the mouse and the curi. Of the birds we can mention the rail or tingua of Bogotá, the yellow-winged parakeet, and the Apolinar cockroach.

There are reptiles like the lizard, the collared lizard, and the earth snake. There are also numerous amphibians such as the jumping frogs, the harlequin toad, the tree frog, the hefty frog, the glass frog and the rain frogs.

Among those named, there are many species that are threatened or in danger of extinction. Some of them are the runcho mouse, red wolf, spectacled bear, tigrillo, puma, páramo tapir, soche, wolf guagua and tinajo or borugo.

There are also birds that are in danger, the rufous duck, the condor of the Andes, the crested eagle, becasina paramuna or caica, and the mountain parrot.

Virtually all of the amphibians named above are severely threatened by the destruction of their habitat.

Flora

There are more than 1500 species of vascular plants (plants with seeds and ferns) in the area. Among the trees we can mention the wax palm, the alder, the croto, the chochito, peonio or siriguay, the oak, the yellow and Manizales guayacán, the seven leather or mayos, the Andean cedar, the carnation cedar, the monde cedar, pink cedar, palo flower, rosewood, guamo bejuco, guamo rabo de mico, guamo santafereño, rubber sabanero, grape, arrayán or guava de Castilla, mountain pine or romerón, weeping willow, red drunkard or campanilla, raft, cajeto, garagay or urapo. All of these species are native.

There are also foreign species such as the araucaria, the false pepper, the ash tree, the elderberry, the Australian pine, the cypress, the castor, the magnolia, the Chinese rose, the silver mimosa, the black acacia, the eucalyptus, the urapan, Monterey pine, jasmine, cherry, black poplar and linden.

National Parks

Due to the advance of urban areas over tropical forests, Colombia declared many areas of its territory as National Parks. This is the list of those that we find in the Eastern Cordillera

• Chicamocha
• Catatumbo Barí
• Mom
• Cordillera de los Picachos
• Cave of the Guacharos
• Chingaza
• Serranía de los Yariguíes
• Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
• Natural Pisba
• Sumapaz
• Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area
• Guanentá Alto Río Fonce Fauna and Flora Sanctuary
• Iguaqué Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

Hydrography

The hydrography of the area is numerous and varied:

Magdalena river

It empties into the Caribbean Sea, is navigable, and has a tributary that is the Cauca River.

River

It empties into the Orinoco, its tributaries are the Guayabero and the Ariari.

River

Called Vicachá by the Spanish. Upon arriving in the city of Bogotá, it is channeled. Below Av Jiménez and the sixth one receives the San Agustín river. Reaching the fourth and Boyacá joins the river Fucha, always running like an underground river.

River

It is born in the Chingaza moor at 3,500 meters above sea level. Run for 137 km through a deep canyon. It is divided in two in a section, called the Negrito river, until it converges with the Meta river. It empties into the Humea River.

Bogota River

it is neither navigable nor mighty. It empties into the Magdalena River. It runs through 380 kilometers and is highly polluted.

Arauca River

Part of its route is the border with Venezuela. It empties into the Orinoco River already in the neighboring country.

Meta River

It is one of the tributaries of the Orinoco. During its journey and for 220 kilometers it forms another part of the border with Venezuela. Almost 80% of its course is navigable.

Suarez River

It ends in the Sogamoso, which in turn does so in the Magdalena. It is born in the Laguna de Fúquene, and on its way it receives the Fonce river.

Catatumbo River

It empties into Venezuela at Lake Maracaibo. It is born in the Cerro de Jurisdicciones at 3850 meters above sea level.

Zulia River

It is a tributary of the Catatumbo and travels 310 kilometers. It is born from several streams in the Cachirí páramo.

Táchira River

Throughout its journey it forms another section of the natural border with Venezuela. It is born in the Venezuelan moor and flows into the Pamplonita river, in Cúcuta.

Cesar River

It is born in the Sierras Nevadas de Santa Marta and travels 310 km. Its tributaries are the Ariguaní, the Badillo, Guatapurí and Cesarito rivers. It empties into the Cienaga de Zapatosa.

Orteguaza River

It is born in the Eastern Cordillera, and runs for 130 km, all navigable. It empties into the Caquetá river.

Caguán River

It is born in the Eastern Cordillera. It joins the Caquetá river.

Tunjuelo River

It is born in the Chisacá reservoir. It is a tributary of the Bogotá River.

Río Fucha or Río San Cristóbal

It is born in the Cruz Verde moor and flows into the Bogotá River.

Chicamocha River

It is born at the confluence of the Tuta River and the Jordan. It joins the Suárez river and the Fonce. flows into the Sogamoso.

Sogamoso River

It is born from the confluence of the Suárez and Chicamocha rivers. It is a tributary of the Magdalena River.

Casanare River

It is born in the Eastern Cordillera and flows into the Meta River.

Tota Lake

It is located in the Department of Boyacá. It has an area of ​​85 ^km². It is the largest lake in Colombia.

Iguaque Lagoon

Located in the Department of Boyacá. It is located within the Iguaque Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.

Siecha lagoons

There are three lagoons found in the Department of Cundinamarca. Their names are Fausto, Siecha and América.

Legend has it that these were the lagoons where the El Dorado ceremony was held.

Chingaza Lagoon

It is a reservoir or dam, in the department of Cundinamarca. It is within the protected area of ​​the Chingaza National Natural Park.

Fúquene Lagoon

It is located between the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. At a distance of 80km from the city of Bogotá.

References

1. atlasgeografico.net
2. en.wikipedia.org
3. colombiamania.com
4. todacolombia.com
5. scielo.org.co
6. en.wikipedia.org
7. docentes.unal.edu.co
8. biodiversityyconservation.blogspot.com.ar
9. geografia.laguia2000.com.