PACIFIC REGION OF COLOMBIA: CHARACTERISTICS, CLIMATE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Pacific region of Colombia is one of the five great natural regions of the country, which receives its name from being adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Among all the natural regions of Colombia, the Pacific region is the one that occupies most of the west of the country.

The region is extremely rich in terms of nature, being one of the natural regions with the most biodiversity not only in Colombia, but in the entire world.

In addition, the region has several colonial sites scattered throughout its states, which makes it a tourist emblem of the country. This region is also usually known as the "Chocó Region", since the department of Chocó occupies a large part of the total area of ​​the region.

Chocó belongs to the biogeographic region of Chocó, one of the places with the largest number of plant and animal species in Latin America.

Location and limits

The Pacific region of Colombia is located on the west coast of the country, bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by Ecuador. To the east it borders the Andean region of Colombia, while to the northeast it borders the Caribbean region of the country.

To the northwest is the Serranía del Darién, which marks the border between this region and the Republic of Panama.

Unlike other Colombian regions, such as the Andean region, the area where the Pacific region is located is mostly flat, which allows the growth of forests and swamps.

Regarding the political organization of the country, the region occupies a total of four departments: Nariño, Valle del Cauca, Chocó and Cauca.

Characteristics of the Pacific region

Population

The Pacific region is inhabited mostly by Colombians of African descent. These inhabitants have preserved their cultural roots, which can be seen in their dances.

Likewise, there are some aboriginal groups, among which the Emberas (from Chocó) and the Guambianos (from Cauca) stand out.

Protected areas

Because the Pacific region has a great diversity of plant and animal species, certain areas have been declared as protected areas. These include:

- The Utría National Natural Park.

- The Gorgona National Natural Park.

- The Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.

- The Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park.

Dance and music

The music of the Pacific region shows the amalgamation between the aboriginal, Spanish and African rhythms that converged during the colonial era. In the Pacific region, the following rhythms stand out:

- The patacoré is a religious dance typical of the departments of Cauca and Nariño. The dance is accompanied by a choir of children and women.

- The currulao, also called bambuco viejo, is a dance that shows the African roots present in Colombian culture. It is accompanied by drums, the shawm and other traditional Colombian instruments.

- The abozao is a dance very similar to currulao. However, the drums can be dispensed with during its execution, which differentiates it from the previous dance.

Festivities

Among the festivities of the Pacific region, the Holy Week in Popayán, the San Pancho Festival or the Cali Fair stand out.

Holy Week in Popayán is one of the symbols of this city. During this week, processions are held in which the passion of Christ is relived. This festival is so relevant that it was declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The Cali Fair is held every year in Valle del Cauca between December 25 and 30. During this period, popular markets are set up in the city of Cali and cultural activities such as concerts and dances are organized.

Gastronomy

Like the other regions of Colombia, the Pacific region has a very varied gastronomy. To the west of the region, in the coastal zone, dishes prepared with fish, shellfish and other marine products are common.

Some samples of the local gastronomy are:

In Popayán, the caratanta is prepared. This is a dough that is made with cooked ground corn. This dough is used to prepare more elaborate dishes, such as empanadas de pipián.

The pipián is another of the typical dishes of Popayán. It is a stew made from chicken meat and peanuts.

In Nariño, the roasted guinea pig is one of the most distinctive dishes. The guinea pig is a small rodent.

On the other hand, boiling is the most outstanding drink in this department. This is a drink that is served hot and that is prepared with a lot of fruit, brandy, cinnamon and sugar.

Other common dishes in the Andean region are sancochos (soups) and aborrajados (made with ripe bananas).

Fauna

The fauna of the Pacific region is very varied. About 62 species of birds are found in the region. 506 kilometers west of Buenaventura, is one of the largest coral reefs in the world, which is also the habitat of dozens of species of fish.

Here is Malpelo Island, an area protected by the Colombian government and a cultural heritage according to UNESCO since 2006.

Among the marine species that surround the island, stand out the grouper, tuna, horse mackerel, snapper, hammerhead shark, freshwater shark and devil's manta.

17 species of corals, 130 species of mollusks, 267 species of crustaceans and about 400 species of fish have been identified.

In addition, humpback whales annually visit the waters of the Pacific region to breed.

Flora

In the Pacific region, there are between 7000 and 8000 plant species. The region has abundant humid forests, some of the trees in these forests reach up to 50 meters in height. It houses many bulbous and spiny species.

Orchids and bromeliads are the most common flowers in the Pacific region. Other common species of the flora of this region are the palms, the bongo, the pot-bellied stick, the hualtaco, the cedar, the fig tree, the basayo and the balsa stick.

Weather

The climate of the Pacific region of Colombia is one that corresponds to the tropical rainforest, which covers a large part of the four New Granada departments that face the Pacific Ocean from north to south. These areas correspond specifically to the areas of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño.

For its part, the climate is very peculiar, since it does not stand out precisely because of the humidity, but because it is one of the rainiest areas in the world. It also has one of the highest rainfall figures on the planet when it comes to equatorial regions.

Consequently, the climate of the Pacific region of Colombia has a direct impact on both biodiversity and the daily lives of its inhabitants. Likewise, the meteorology of its departments have unique features on the New Granada map, which distinguish them from other tropical areas in South America and, by extension, in Colombian territory.

General characteristics

Taking into account that the climate of the Pacific region is of a humid tropical character, the main characteristics are, in summary:

• It is tropical, or rather intertropical, because it is between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, but within the equatorial regions.
• It is humid, because it has abundant rainfall throughout the year, which is comparable to the monsoons in India.
• It is jungle, because its vegetation is what predominates in the landscape, with dense forests in which there is humidity and warm temperatures.

Precipitation

A characteristic of this climate is its rainfall. Adding up the above aspects, this region has rainfall that reaches up to 10,000 cubic millimeters per year, so its rainfall is frequent and in large quantities.

This means that in this area of ​​Colombia there is more rainfall than in any other part of America and much more than there can be in any tropical territory located in Ecuador. In addition, here there is a predominance of nocturnal coastal rains that bathe its four departments.

Wind, air humidity

When observing any climatological map of Colombia, it can be seen that some strips of its Pacific coasts have winds that reach 5 meters per second, but when going east, the speed decreases to 3 meters per second.

In the Pacific region of Granada, the humidity of the air reaches values ​​that oscillate between 85% and 90%, which agrees precisely with its high rainfall, in which there is plenty of water fall and river irrigation.

Solar irradiation, temperature

The solar irradiation of this Colombian region has figures that go from 3 to 4 KW-hours per square meter, with an average solar brightness that goes from 2 to 4 hours per day.

To this is added that the Pacific of New Granada, with its four departments, has temperatures that are normally hot in many regions, which are at least 22ºC and 24ºC in some parts. In most of them it can rise up to 28 ºC.

Departments

Collided

The average temperature of this northern department of Colombia reaches 27ºC (sometimes it breaks the record with 28ºC), which is why it has a hot environment that contrasts with its abundant rains, whose annual rainfall reaches 9,000 millimeters, being rivaled by the Cherrapunji of India.

The constant presence of water is matched by the high humidity of the air, which combines with its humid tropical climate.

Cauca's Valley

In this New Granada department, temperatures are lower than in Chocó, since they reach 24 ºC, with a relative humidity of 75%. Annual rainfall does not fall below 938 millimeters, which correspond to the central zone, and does not rise above 1,589 millimeters, which fall in the North zone.

There is no known drought on its Pacific coast, as the rains fall throughout the year, however, its temperature is close to 27ºC. In its mountains there is a moor climate.

Cauca

Its climate is of tropical rain forest. In this Colombian department the rainfall is similar to that of Chocó and the Cauca Valleys, with the same irradiation and warm temperature.

Narino

Similar to the other three departments mentioned, the climate of Nariño has precipitations that are around 3,000 and 4,000 millimeters, with intermingled temperatures that depending on the areas can be temperate, moor, cold or warm.

Relief

Jungle plain

The jungle plains extend throughout the territory of the Pacific region of Colombia. It is here where heavy rainfall occurs most throughout the year, and where the climate is more humid.

As is the case in most of the plains, the Colombian planes in this part of the country are vast and do not vary much in altitude. In addition, the entire region connects to the Pacific Ocean, which makes its elevation much more uniform the closer to the coast.

The plains of this region are characterized by the large amount of jungle vegetation that grows in them and by their unique biodiversity.

Mountains

While the region is fairly flat for the most part, there are areas where mountainous formations can be found. In particular, the northern zone contains the Serranía del Darién, which is shared between Colombia and Panama.

Furthermore, the elevation of the Andean mountain range makes this region share a small part of the relief with the neighboring region of Los Andes.

Natural resources

The main natural resources of the Pacific region are related to human activity with regard to the exploitation of marine resources.

The Pacific Ocean has a large number of marine organisms that support the economy of the region. The inhabitants of the coasts and some companies carry out mariculture activities to export them to other states of the country. The ocean provides the natural resources necessary for a sustainable marine economy.

In addition to mariculture, fishing activities are also carried out in the region, both industrially and locally.

Also, mining activities are very common in this part of Colombia. The region is rich in gold and platinum deposits, which are exploited by various industries.

The plains of the Pacific region also allow the development of agriculture. It is very common to find large tracts of land where food goods are grown, which are part of the economy of all the departments of the region.

In the Pacific region, bananas are also grown industrially. There are large fields where this food is grown to be cultivated and sold.

National Parks

The national parks of the Pacific region are some of the most important in Colombia, given the great biodiversity of the region. These parks provide a unique tourist attraction to national and international visitors. Among the most important national parks are:

Malpelo Island

Malpelo Island is a flora and fauna conservation sanctuary, where ecotourism is practiced. This island belongs to the department of Valle del Cauca, and is one of the small islands belonging to the pacific region of the country. The island, therefore, is located in the Pacific Ocean.

The island is lined with stone shores and surrounded by coral reefs. It has very few amounts of plants, but many marine and terrestrial animal species inhabit it.

The region's unique marine species make it a popular spot for eco-tourist diving.

Sanquianga National Natural Park

The Sanquianga Park is one of the areas with the highest number of mangroves in all of Colombia. More than 20% of all the mangroves in the Pacific region of the country grow in this park, which has allowed the development of quite diverse mangrove ecosystems over time.

The park is home to a large number of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish, which make the area an attraction for nature lovers.

In addition, fish species are often fished frequently and have become an economic and food sustenance, both for the local population and for the national population in general.

Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

This national park is one of the most biodiverse places in all of Colombia. It is in this area of ​​the region where you can most see whales, making it a center of attraction for thousands of visitors worldwide.

Humpback whale watching in Uramba Bahía Málaga

Humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to the Colombian coasts located in this national park, which allows for very frequent whale watching during certain parts of the year.

Hydrography

The Pacific region of Colombia has a large number of rivers, most of which are very large, thanks to the presence of high rainfall in the area. The main rivers that run through the region are:

Atrato River

This river is found mainly in the department of Chocó, although its mouth is a little further north, in the Caribbean Sea. Its wide flow makes it one of the most important hydrographic transport routes in Colombia.

This river provides a large amount of water for the Chocó biogeographic area, which enriches the ecosystems of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. This river is born at a level located in the department of Chocó and extends to the Caribbean region, after dividing into seven different mouths.

San Juan River

The San Juan River has two important ports in its flow, and it is one of the most significant rivers in Colombia due to the amount of territory it runs through. Although the origin of its flow is outside the Pacific region, it runs through a large part of Chocó and empties into the Pacific Ocean.

Its presence in the Pacific region makes it share the characteristics of a large flow with other local rivers, such as the Atrato.

The river empties into the ocean that borders the department of Valle del Cauca, after traveling 380 kilometers of Colombian surface. Of these, almost half are navigable, making it an important source of interregional transport.

Baudo River

This river runs through a large part of the department of Chocó. In fact, it is responsible for the name of two of the department's municipalities: Alto Chocó and Bajo Chocó. This river is enriched by the flow of many other small rivers in the region, which increases its total size.

In addition, the ocean tides cause its flow to vary greatly in flow, which makes it a unique river in Colombia.

Other important rivers that make up the peaceful hydrography of Colombia are the Mira and the Patía, which also contribute to the communication and internal transport of the country.

References

1. Pacific Region, Colombian Paradise, (nd). Taken from colombianparadise.com
2. Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena Ecosystem Profile, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, 2001. Taken from cepf.net
3. The Pacific Region, Uncover Colombia, (nd). Taken from uncovercolombia.com
4. Pacific / Chocó Natural Region, Wikipedia in English, 2017. Taken from wikipedia.org
5. Pacific Region, Colombia Website, (nd). Taken from Colombia.co
6. Pacific Region. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from colombia.co
7. The Pacific Coast Guide. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from roughguides.com
8. Pacific Region. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from ecodivingcolombia.travel
9. Pacific Region Colombia. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from colombianparadise.com
10. Natural regions of Colombia. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from wikipedia.org
11. The Pacific Region. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from uncovercolombia.com
12. The food of Colombia's Pacific Coast. Retrieved on August 7, 2017, from newworldview.com.