The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de Almaguer'', refers to a group of mountains within the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

of south central

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, and Nariño Departments. To the south is the Pasto Massif and to the north begins the

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and Eastern Andes.

Geography

The total area is , which is distributed as follows: of forests, of

agroecosystem Agroecosystems are the ecosystems supporting the food production systems in our farms and gardens. As the name implies, at the core of an agroecosystem lies the human activity of agriculture. As such they are the basic unit of study in Agroecology, ...

s, of

páramo Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrowe ...

s, of snow zone, have

xerophytic A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or t ...

vegetation and of urban settlements. The altitude varies between and . This area is identified as the source of 70% of the Colombian safe water for human consumption and irrigation. The headwaters of the Magdalena and

Cauca River The Cauca River () is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. From its headwaters in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Magangue in Bolivar Department, and ...

s (Caribbean slope), Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers (

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Boli ...

) and the

Patía River The Patía River () is a river in southwestern Colombia. It flows over to drain into the Pacific Ocean north of Tumaco. The Patía River is the longest river on the Colombian Pacific Coast. The last is navigable by boat. Geography The Patía ...

(Pacific slope). The massif contains 362 high mountain bodies of water, 13

s and other

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

s rich in flora and fauna. From south to north are the páramos of ''Cutanga'', ''Letero'', ''Las Papas'' (Potatoes), ''Apio'' (Celery) and ''Buey'' (Ox). Sotará and Puracé are the prominent volcanoes of the area, the latter being within the Puracé National Natural Park. Very few people have traversed the mountains of this region because it is covered by rugged terrain and an impenetrable and cold páramo environment, both of which are natural guardians which preserve the water sources that provide water for half of Colombia before emptying into the sea. File:Cerro Lerma.JPG, Cerro de Lerma
in Cauca File:Macizo Colombiano.jpg, Las Reginas

References

External links

Ministerio del Medio Ambiente; Poblacion y ordenamiento ambiental: Macizo Colombiano
{{Mountain Ranges of Colombia Andes Mountain ranges of Colombia Mountains of Colombia