The relief of the state of Antioquia is characterized by being very varied. Peaks and peaks abound, as part of the Andes mountain range runs through the state.
Mountains are also the cause of great valleys; for this reason a third of the territory is made up of plains. Likewise, rivers have produced numerous deep canyons over the years.
Antioquia is a region located northwest of Colombia and has a coastline towards the Caribbean Sea. Its geographical circumstances make it a state with a great variety of reliefs.
High areas
The high areas represent approximately 60% of the state's territory. The Andes that cross the region are divided into two large mountain ranges: the central and the western.
Central mountain range
Although it is not the one with the highest heights, it is the most extensive. It runs through the central part of Antioquia, from the south-southwest to the north-northeast.
The cliffs of this mountain range are sharp and pronounced. Within these mountains, in the Aburrá valley, the largest amount of the state's population is agglomerated.
The highest peak is the Cerro de los Parados, with 3350 meters above sea level. Other significant heights are in the Sierra Madera, Monte San Miguel and Alta Castilla.
Western mountain range
This mountain range is the narrower of the two. In this the difference in height between the peaks is less steep.
There are the highest peaks, such as the Frontino páramo and the Citará cliffs.
Climatic conditions create a special environment for certain species, which make these mountains their natural habitat. Such is the case of the d iglossa gloriossisima, a species of birds that are only found in this region.
This mountain range reaches heights of up to 4080 meters above sea level. There it is located in Parque de la Orquídea, one of the national parks of Colombia.
Low areas
The low and flat areas are the most northwestern, those that move away from the Andes and border the coast. However, there are also lowlands near and adjacent to the mountain ranges.
Cannons
These canyons are characteristic for being very narrow and deep. The erosions caused by the rivers in the area have excavated caverns of great interest to cavers.
Among the most relevant are the Cauca canyon, Alicanto canyon, Nare canyon, Nare river canyon, La Llorona canyon and the Valdivia river canyon.
Many of these canyons are traveled by the Cauca River, one of the largest in the region.
Valleys
The great mountain ranges of the region are separated from each other by valleys, which also abound in Antioquia.
The proximity of the tributaries makes the lands of these valleys fertile areas, prone to planting.
Among the most striking valleys are the Cauca River Valley, Lower Cauca, the Magdalena River Valley, the Urabá River Valley and the Atrato River Valley.
References
- Picos de Antioquia. (2017) peakery.com
- Antioquia. (2016) wikitravel.org
- Antioquia. (2013) maphill.com
- Colombia; rivers of Antioquia. prismic-io.s3.amazonaws.com
- Western mountain range. (2011) peakbagger.com
- Geography of Colombi. (2015) todacolombia.com