Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)

The Cordillera Oriental (English: Eastern Ranges) is the widest of the three branches of the Colombian Andes. The range extends from south to north dividing from the Colombian Massif in Huila Department to Norte de Santander Department where it splits into the Serranía del Perijá and the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuelan Andes. The highest peak is Ritacuba Blanco at 5,410 m (17,750 ft) in the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy.

Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Ranges)
Highest point
PeakRitacuba Blanco[1]
Elevation5,410 m (17,750 ft)
ListingAltiplano Cundiboyacense, Serranía de los Yariguíes, Serranía de las Quinchas, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Serranía del Perijá
Dimensions
Length1,200 km (750 mi) SW-NE
Area144,252 km2 (55,696 sq mi)
Geography
CountryColombia
Parent rangeAndes
Geology
Age of rockNeoproterozoic-Holocene
Mountain typeAndean Subduction-related orogen

Geography edit

The western part of the Cordillera Oriental belongs to the Magdalena River basin, while the eastern part includes the river basins of the Amazon River, Orinoco River, and Catatumbo River. Within it, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy (with the only snowy peaks in this mountain range) stand out. The mountain range contains the most páramos in the world.[citation needed]

The Cordillera Oriental montane forests ecoregion covers the eastern slopes of the cordillera and its northern end. The Magdalena Valley montane forests cover the western slopes. The Northern Andean páramo covers the highest elevations.

Protected areas edit

Regional geology edit


See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)". Retrieved 20 February 2013.