The Magdalena River

The Andes Mountains are one of the world’s biggest mountain ranges. They are located in the western part of Colombia, where most of the people live. North of the border with Ecuador, the Andes fan out into three distinct ranges, called the cordilleras, which run through the country from the south on a northeasterly axis. The three different cordilleras are the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Central, and the Cordillera Oriental. Two great river valleys, the Magdalena and the Cauca, separate them and provide avenues of penetration from the Atlantic coastal lowlands into the heart of the country. The Colombian Cordilleras belong to the northern portion of the great Andean mountain system, which extends along the Pacific coast of South America. Agriculture on the Andes is difficult, and crop yields are relatively poor. The water supply is inadequate, and a large part of the plateau region is dry or receives little and irregular seasonal rainfall. Some animals are able to live in these difficult conditions such as alpacas, jaguars, and the black-and-chestnut eagle. In the Colombian Andes, the temperature typically ranges from 14ºC to 22ºC (57ºF-72ºF) with cooler temperatures in higher altitudes and warmer temperatures in lower elevations. Some examples are cities like Bogota, which experience cooler temperatures because of its high up elevation. In conclusion, the Andes mountains play a vital role in Colombia’s geography because they form the backbone of the country, dividing it into distinct regions.