HYDROGRAPHIC SLOPES OF COLOMBIA AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The watersheds of Colombia are extensive and rich, being distributed throughout the South American country. Colombia has five major hydrographic watersheds: the watershed of the Caribbean region, the Pacific, the Orinoquía, the Amazon and the Catatumbo.

Colombia is a country located in the northwest of South America. This subcontinent is characterized by having numerous hydrographic basins. Through it, the largest and longest rivers in the world pass, highlighting the Amazon, which although it does not pass through Colombia, its slope radiates in its hydrography.

Watersheds are a set of basins of the same type. These basins have rivers and tributaries that flow into the same sea, or on certain occasions, into the same lake.

Understanding the slopes as a geographical unit, it is possible to divide a territory by the slopes it has.

Rivers of Colombia

The seas that receive the large Colombian rivers are the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and some smaller ones reach Lake Maracaibo, in Venezuela. There are also rivers that flow into other rivers, mainly the Orinoco and the Amazon.

The hydrographic flow of these springs can be more than 2000 cubic kilometers per year. The slopes are divided into basins, which are formed by the various tributaries.

Slope of the Caribbean region

The coast of the Caribbean Sea is located in the northern part of the Republic of Colombia. The extension of this slope amounts to 363,878 km².

The Caribbean Sea is an open sea belonging to the Atlantic Ocean. In this sea, also known as the Sea of ​​the Antilles, numerous rivers flow, grouped in the following basins:

Magdalena River and Cauca River Basin

It is the main basin of the Caribbean slope and the country. In importance, the Magdalena River is usually considered the most relevant in Colombia.

This is due to its navigability, which although truncated by the Salto de Honda, extends for more than 1,290 km. The length of this river is more than 1500 kilometers, passing through seventeen Colombian departments.

Its main tributary is the Cauca River. The Cauca and Magdalena rivers cross the territory from north to south in parallel, until the Cauca joins the Magdalena, which flows into the Caribbean Sea in the form of a delta.

Atrato river basin

This is another river that, although not the longest, is one of the most important due to its navigability. It crosses a large part of the department of Chocó, being one of its main means of transportation.

With a length of 750 kilometers and a navigability of approximately 500 kilometers, the Atrato flows into the Caribbean through 18 mouths, constituting a delta.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Guajira basin

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Although it is far from the Andes Mountains, the height of its mountains is similar.

It is barely forty kilometers from the sea, so its rivers, torrential and not very navigable, descend rapidly and flow into the Caribbean Sea.

Sinú river basin

With a length of 415 kilometers, the Sinú River stands as another great navigable option, especially in the department of Córdoba, passing through its capital with the same name.

With more than 17 thousand kilometers, this basin gathers its tributaries in the Sinú that flows into the Caribbean through two channels.

Slope of the Pacific region

The Pacific Ocean bathes the entire western coast of Colombia. It has an area of ​​approximately 76,500 km².

It is made up of more than 200 rivers, which flow into the largest ocean on planet Earth, the Pacific. Unlike the slope of the Caribbean region, the rivers of this slope are shorter, although they turn out to be very mighty. The basins are:

San Juan river basin

This 380 kilometer river drains a basin of more than 17,000 square kilometers. It is the largest river that flows into the Pacific of South America.

Patía river basin

It is the longest river on this slope, with more than 400 kilometers in length. However, the uneven terrain means that navigable areas are few.

The route of this river is made towards the south, passing through the Andean mountain ranges and ending in the Pacific in Nariño.

Mira river basin

This river is born in Ecuador and defines the border between the two countries in part of its route. The areas through which it passes tend to be jungle and uninhabited.

Baudo river basin

With just 375 km², this basin is one of the smallest. Despite this, it has more than a hundred tributaries. His tour focuses on the department of Chocó.

Minor basins

Those that stand out the most are those of the Guapi and Micay rivers.

Slope of the Orinoquía region

Photography: Mario Carvajal (www.mariocarvajal.com), The Orinoco River is the fourth longest river in South America. For this reason, this river has dozens of tributaries. The Orinoco route takes place mainly in Venezuela, the country of its birth. However, this river enters Colombia. The basins that supply it are:

Guaviare river basin

It is born in the eastern Andean mountain range. It is the longest, with more than 1,350 kilometers. Its tributary is the Inírida and marks the border between the plains and the jungle.

Meta river basin

The most important river in the region, due to its 785 navigable kilometers. It is a highly functioning river for trade between the two countries.

Vichada river basin

It is born in the plain and is highly navigable. It is used mainly for irrigation and gives its name to the department of Vichada.

Tomo river basin

It is born in the department of Meta and crosses the entire Vichada, until it flows into the Orinoco River.

Arauca River Basin

River that is found mainly in Venezuela and marks the border, runs 400 kilometers in Colombia and empties into the Orinoco.

Slope of the Amazon region

The Amazon River is the longest river in the world. Consequently, the Amazon slope is the largest river basin in the world. Colombia supplies the Amazon River, which originates in Peru and passes through its territory, through three basins:

Caquetá river basin

It is born in the Páramo de las Papas and enters Brazil, where it empties into the Amazon. It is navigable although it has interruptions.

Putumayo river basin

River born in Colombia, marks the border with Peru and enters Brazil to flow into the Amazon.

Vaupés river basin

Born in the middle of the Amazon, it joins the Negro River which, loaded with waters from the Orinoco, joins the Amazon.

Slope of the Catatumbo region

Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in Latin America and 60% of its fresh water comes from the Catatumbo River.

It is located in the state of Zulia, in Venezuela. Two large Colombian rivers contribute to the basin of this lake. It is the smallest hydrographic basin in Colombia.

Zulia river basin

It is born in the department of Norte de Santander and continues its course towards the north and joins the Catatumbo in the town of Found, to which it owes its name.

Sardinata river basin

It is also born in the North of Santander and reaches the Catatumbo, receiving the Tibú River as a tributary.

References

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