ANDEAN REGION OF COLOMBIA: CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY AND CLIMATE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Andean region of Colombia is the part of the Cordillera de Los Andes that extends throughout the entire Colombian territory. This Colombian region is located just to the southwest of the Venezuelan Andes, and it extends south all the way to Ecuador.

The mountain range covers a large amount of the coffee territory and passes through more than 10 different departments. It has a unique fauna and flora of the region and relatively similar to that of the entire Andean mountain range in general.

This region has a large number of temperature changes according to the height of its surface, which in turn gives it a large number of mountain formations. The fauna and flora vary according to the altitude at which each area of ​​the region is located.

It is one of the most inhabited areas in Colombia - with 70% of its population - and its versatility of landscapes makes it one of the most popular for tourism. Its approximately 282,540 square kilometers occupy 30% of the Colombian territory and is divided into three mountain ranges: Western, Central and Eastern.

Main features

Main cities of Colombia

The Colombian Andean Region is also the most populated, the one that has become the most urbanized and where the signs of progress and socioeconomic development are most noticeable.

In it are the main cities of Colombia: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Bucaramanga and Manizales.

Geography

In this region you can find from snow-capped mountains, volcanoes and moors, through natural forests, cloud forests and hot springs, to valleys, canyons and plateaus.

It limits with Ecuador, to the south; with the Atlantic Ocean, to the north; with the Pacific region, to the west; and with the Orinoquía and Amazonía, by the East.

The three mountain ranges that cross it have volcanic peaks that can reach 5,000 meters above sea level.

There is a geological fault (the one that divides the central and western mountain ranges), which forms a valley occupied by the Patía rivers to the south and the Cauca rivers to the north.

Natural subregions

Due to its great extension, the Andean region also contains other smaller natural regions, among which we can mention:

• Upper Magdalena
• Highlands of Cundiboyacense, Popayán and Nariño
• Patía, Suárez and Chicamocha Trench
• Sickle of Minamá
• Cauca River Valley
• Volcanic and Santurbán massifs
• Magdalena Medio
• Antioqueña and Santandereana Mountains.
• Plateau of Santa Rosa de Osos
• snowy Tolima
• Knot of the Pastures
• Plains foothills
• Serranías de San Lucas and del Perijá
• Valleys of Aburrá and San Nicolás

People and culture

In addition to having a fairly varied ecology, the Andean region of Colombia also presents a large number of diverse population cultures according to the part of the region in which they are found.

The rich diversity that the region has, has led Colombians to divide it into seven different subregions according to the different cultures that have developed throughout history.

Each of these subregions has a population with particular characteristics. For example, the people who inhabit the Putumayo and Nariño region are considered Pastusos. Their speech is quite particular, as they emphasize certain letters, such as the "double L".

Other subcultures that have developed in the Andean region of Colombia are: Paisa, Cundiboyacense, Santandereano, Vallecaucano and Opita.

Feeding

Regarding its diet, it is the region with the highest consumption of meat, eggs, dairy products, potatoes, rice, beans, corn and wheat.

Some typical dishes would be: the paisa tray, the ajiaco, the cuchuco, the cundíboyacense chorriadas potatoes, the Tolima tamales, the culonas ants from Santander, the arequipe, the papaya sweet, the cane melao, the triphasic sancocho, the stuffed and the mountain tray.

History

The forces caused by the movement of the terrestrial tectonic layers are responsible for the formation of the Cordillera de los Andes.

The mountain range extends for 7,000 kilometers throughout all of South America, forming part of 7 countries, which all consider this region as a particular area of ​​the country.

The Andean region can be divided into three parts: the Southern Andes, the Central Andes and the Northern Andes. The Colombian region is within the northern region, which is made up of the Andean territory of Colombia and Venezuela.

This mountain range originated after the movement of tectonic plates and by the movement of the oceanic crust found in that area of ​​the planet.

In fact, geologists think that the process of movement that occurred between the Nazca Plate and the Antarctic Plate was responsible for the mountain range rising from the ground.

These mountains have been a source of iron for humans for several centuries. The geological formation of the mountain range caused that several iron deposits were formed in a great part of its extension.

Economy

This region has been characterized by the establishment of agricultural and mining centers, since the lands allow the exploitation of soil resources and cultivation. It is one of the regions where the most oil has been extracted throughout the Colombian territory.

The cities with the largest number of inhabitants are found within this region, which makes it the Colombian region with the largest number of inhabitants. Colombia's industrial centers also exist within this region.

The Andean region of Colombia is also considered the main coffee producing area in the country. More than three-quarters of the coffee traded in the country is grown in this region.

Colombian coffee beans

In addition, its particular gastronomy has allowed the growth of restaurants and food centers in its various cities.

Location and limits

The Andean region of Colombia is found mainly in the central and western parts of the country. Its total area covers almost 283,000 square kilometers, which represents a third of the country's territory.

Within this region there are 24 national parks and nine different bodies of water, among which the Magdalena and Cauca rivers stand out.

This region makes up the entire Andean eco-region of Colombia, and presents specific characteristics particular to the Andean mountain range.

To the northeast of this region is Venezuela, and to the east are the Orinoquia region of Colombia. To the south are the Colombian Amazon region and Ecuador, while to the west are the Pacific and Caribbean oceans. To the north is another of the natural regions of Colombia, called the Caribbean region.

Departments

The central location of the Andean region of Colombia means that many of the Colombian departments are within this natural region of the country. In total, 11 different departments make up this region.

These departments are: Caquetá, Cauca, Cesar, Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Putumayo, Huila, Nariño, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima and Norte de Santander.

Weather

This natural region presents three main types of climate: tropical, subtropical and temperate. These climates in turn determine the type of ecosystems that develop in each part of the region.

Tropical climate

Tropical areas are usually regions close to the equator of the planet, with a temperature that exceeds 18 degrees Celsius throughout a year. In general, all these regions are similar in the world, and this is not an exception for the Andean region of Colombia.

Many of the areas of the mountain range are not arid and have tropical vegetation. This type of climate occurs more than anything in the areas with lower elevation in the region, as the altitude brings with it colder climatic conditions.

In tropical areas, sunlight often causes large amounts of water to evaporate. This causes the tropical part of the Colombian Andean region to be exposed to rainfall during a good part of each year.

Subtropical Climate

The subtropical regions tend to have a humid climate, with high temperatures for most of each year. The rains are distributed throughout the entire subtropical region, instead of concentrating in a single area.

During the summer stage, the subtropical region of the Colombian mountain range is exposed to large amounts of humidity. This is caused by the currents coming from the ocean that is in the western zone of the country.

Hurricanes are common in many subtropical regions, but the Colombian region is not strongly affected by these phenomena.

Mild weather

The temperate zone of the Andean region of Colombia is the most suitable for the development of population centers. The temperature oscillates between figures that allow the growth of life with ease.

Rainfall in the temperate climate of the Andean region is not as frequent as in temperate four-season climates, but it does show variations as a consequence of altitude.

Height plays an important role in the temperate climate, and the Andean mountain ranges of Colombia can reach up to almost 5.5 kilometers in height.

Relief

The Andean region, being formed for the most part by the Andes Mountains, presents a characteristic relief of a mountainous region. There are several characteristic peaks of this area, among which the following stand out:

Ritacuba White

Ritacuba Blanco is the highest peak in the entire Western area of ​​the Andes Mountains, which is located within the Andean region of Colombia. Its name comes from the language of an indigenous population native to the region.

It is a mountain that is usually used for climbing, but it has glacial areas and its access can be difficult as a result of the climate. The mountain rises up to 5.3 kilometers above sea level.

This mountain is one of the main topographic elevations in Colombia that is being affected by global warming. Annually, a large part of its glaciers are melting due to the high temperatures of the planet.

snowy Tolima

The Nevado del Tolima is a volcano that was formed approximately 40,000 years ago. It receives its name as a consequence of the large amount of snow that it has on its top, which is made up of several stone folds that were formed with the movement of lava several years ago.

The volcano is not active and the last significant activity recorded from this formation dates back more than 3,000 years. However, small lava explosions have occurred in the last two centuries, without any significant consequences for the ecology of the region. The volcano has an altitude of more than 5 kilometers.

Nevado del Quindío

The Nevado del Quindío is another dormant volcano in Colombia, and one of the highest peaks in the Andean region of the country. The top of this mountain serves as the dividing point between the departments of Tolima, Risaralda and Quindío.

This mountainous formation is part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park, to which many of the most important mountains of the Colombian Andean region also belong. It rises by 5.2 kilometers above sea level.

Culture

This region is home to a mestizo culture due to the colonial history of Colombia, in which several indigenous settlements still survive. Over the years, and due to the geographical conditions themselves, different cultural subgroups have been formed: Paisa, Santander, Cundiboyacense, Vallecaucano, Opita and Pastuso.

The family is usually large and their union is also commonly maintained around patrimonial interests. Cultural manifestations such as dance and songs abound in details that reveal their Hispanic origins.

The Spanish influence is also noted in the musical instruments they use (tiple, for example), the popular festivals they celebrate (San Juan and San Pedro), the myths, superstitions and sayings that they share from generation to generation.

Some dances of the Colombian Andean region are: the Bambuco, the Torbellino and the Guabina.

Some of its most popular celebrations are: the Flower Fair, the coffee fair, the sugar cane fair in Cali, the bambuco festival, the black and white carnival, the yipao of Quindío and the festivities of the harvest.

Hydrography

To speak of the Andean Region is also to speak of the territory that has the main hydrographic centers of Colombia: the Colombian Massif, the Nudo de los Pastos, the Páramo de Sumapaz and the nodes of Paramillo and Saturbán.

Its most important rivers are the Magdalena and the Cauca, which carry the waters of more than 500 rivers and 5,000 streams to the Caribbean Sea. But there are many more rivers, also mighty, like the Caquetá, the Lebrija, the Putumayo, the Sinú, the San Jorge and the Sumapaz.

Among these rivers, in addition to having sources of drinking water, Colombians also have a source of hydroelectric energy.

Likewise, this territory has lakes of fluvial origin: Cocha (Nariño), Tota (Boyacá), Fuquene (Cundinamarca) and the Prado, Betania, Guatape and Urrao dams, among others.

References

1. Andes - Colombia, Wikipedia in English, 2018. Taken from Wikipedia.org
2. The Andes: The heart of Colombia, Uncover Colombia, (nd). Taken from uncovercolombia.com
3. The Andes Mountains, Windows to the Universe by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, (nd). Taken from windows2universe.org
4. What Is the Meaning of Tropical Climate ?, J. Reis for Sciencing, 2017. Taken from sciencing.com
5. Humid Subtropical Climate, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2017. Taken from Britannica.com
6. Colombia (s / f). Andean region. Recovered from: colombia.com.
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8. Ministry of Culture of Colombia. mincultura.gov.ve.
9. Ministry of Tourism of Colombia. mincit.gov.co.
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