THE 6 NATURAL REGIONS OF COLOMBIA AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The natural regions of Colombia are territorial divisions that divide the country into six large geographic areas: Pacific, Orinoquía, Insular, Caribbean, Andean and Amazon. These six regions are distributed throughout the more than one million square kilometers that Colombia has, and pass through the 32 departments of the country, many of them located among more than one natural region.

These divisions are based on classifications of its flora, fauna, water resources, as well as its relief and climate, characteristics that allow to establish specific features of a region with respect to others. The main particulars of each of the six regions are listed below.

Division of the natural regions of Colombia. Milenioscuro / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Pacific region

Natural parks of the Pacific region of Colombia. Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The natural region of the Pacific is located in the western zone of Colombia and has 83,170 square kilometers. This region extends from the Gulf of Urabá, on the border with Panama, to the border with Ecuador.

Thus, he travels the entire part of the country bathed by the Pacific Ocean. On the eastern side, the Pacific region borders the Western Cordillera, a natural area that includes the departments of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Nariño and Chocó.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Pacific region is its high humidity. It has an average precipitation rate of 4,000 mm per year, although some areas of the region can register up to 12,000 mm per year.

Nuquí beaches. Luis perez / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

This high rate of rainfall means that the region has numerous rivers, characterized by a high flow. Some of the main rivers in this region are: Yurumanguí, Dagua, Timbiquí, Calima, Naya, Anchicayá or Atrato.

Another fundamental characteristic of the Pacific region is the strong existing diversity, characterized by the presence of forests, rivers, mountainous areas and coasts; as well as mangroves and marshy areas.

Orinoquía

Orinoquia natural parks. Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The Orinoquía region, located in eastern Colombia, is also called the Eastern Plains. It has an area of ​​310,000 square kilometers.

This natural region ranges from the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela. In the north, it is delimited by the Arauca River; and in the south, by the Guaviare river. The departments of Vichada, Vaupés, Guaviare, Meta, Guainía, Casanare and Arauca are located in this region.

This region is characterized by the presence of an extensive savanna nourished from the various rivers that discharge their flow to the Orinoco River.

Island region

Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The Insular region is made up of all the islands of Colombia and its extension is just over 50 square kilometers. It is, therefore, the smallest region. These islands are classified into two types: the continental islands and the oceanic islands.

The natural parks of this region are the Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo Islands National Natural Park, Malpelo National Natural Park, Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park and Gorgona National Natural Park.

Continental islands

They are the islands that are located closest to the mainland. On the Caribbean coast, Tortuguilla, Fuerte, San Bernardo, Barú, Rosario Island, Tierra Bomba and Santa Marta islands stand out.

On the Pacific coast, the islands are very abundant. This fact is due to the fact that the numerous rivers that flow into this coast, pour stones and sand into the sea, which make up islands. The most important islands on the Pacific coast are: the three islands of Tumaco, El Gallo, Gorgonilla, Gorgona and the Cascajal islands.

Oceanic islands

They are the islands located far from the mainland. The origin of these islands is due to elevations of mountains or submarine ridges above sea level. On the Caribbean coast, the following stand out: Santa Catalina, Providencia and San Andrés, while on the Pacific coast there is only Malpelo.

Malpelo Island. I. Correa / Public domain

Both the continental and oceanic islands enjoy an ecosystem surrounded by a wide fauna and flora. In fact, many of these islands are considered nature reserves or sanctuaries.

The Caribbean Region

Natural parks of the Caribbean region of Colombia. Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The natural region of the Caribbean has an area of ​​132,218 square kilometers. It ranges from the Gulf of Urabá, border with Panama, to the Guajira peninsula. In the south, it limits with the Western and Central mountain ranges; and in the north, with the Caribbean Sea.

This region has a fairly warm and tropical climate. This pleasant climate and its beautiful landscapes make the region an important tourist destination in Colombia. The departments of Chocó, Antioquia, César, Sucre, Magdalena, La Guajira, Córdoba and Atlántico Bolívar are located in this region.

Tayrona Park. Source: pixabay.com

It is characterized by being a flat region, with an important presence of swamps and lagoons near its wide coasts. However, the region has the highest peaks in Colombia, located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

With which, the high climatic diversity, as well as the fauna and flora associated with it, are the distinctive features of this natural region of Colombia.

Andean region

Natural parks of the Andean region of Colombia. Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The Andean region is formed by the three mountain ranges of the Andes: the Western, Eastern and Central Cordillera. With its 305,000 square kilometers of extension, it covers both the mountains and the valleys that separate the three mountain systems, thus occupying the entire central part of the country.

This region is made up of 17 departments: Putumayo, Valle del Cauca, Santander, Risaralda, Quindío, Nariño, Huila, Chocó, Cundinamarca, César, Caquetá, Cauca, Casanare, Caldas, Boyacá, Arauca and Antioquia.

Tolima volcano, located in the Los Nevados National Park. Ulughmuztagh / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

The Andean region is characterized by a great climatic diversity, the result of its geographical location. The diversity of ecosystems present in the region (forests, moors, plateaus, valleys, among others), together with the variety of fauna and flora that inhabit them, are also part of the region's hallmark.

They are one of the regions with the most natural parks in the country. In fact, they are divided by zone, such as the Central, Western and Eastern Cordillera, as well as Nudo de los Pastos.

Amazon

Natural national parks of the Colombian Amazon.- Peter Fitzgerald, OpenStreetMap / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The natural region of Amazonia is located in the south of the country, exactly in the Colombian Amazon. Its extension is 403,348 square kilometers and it is, therefore, the largest region. The departments of Vichada, Vaupes, Putumayo, Guaviare, Guainía, Caquetá and Amazonas are located in this region.

The Amazon area is characterized by the presence of a warm climate with a high rate of rainfall. This allows the existence of important tropical forests that host a great diversity in fauna and flora.

Sunset on the Putumayo River. Source: pixabay.com

It is also worth noting that the Amazon region has one of the largest hydrographic basins in the world, the Greater Amazon. Powerful rivers such as Caquetá, Putumayo, Vaupés, Negro, among others, cross the region.

References

1. Natural regions of Colombia. Consulted on June 29, 2018, from ierracolombiana.org.
2. Amazon natural region. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
3. Andean natural region. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
4. Caribbean region of Colombia. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
5. Insular region of Colomia. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
6. Orinoquía natural region. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
7. Pacific / Chocó natural region. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.
8. Colombia. On Wikipedia. Consulted on June 30, 2018, from en.wikipedia.org.