The Characteristics of the Orinoquía region Most important are its abundant rivers and its biodiversity. This geographical area is in Colombia .
In this country five geographical regions can be distinguished, thanks to the physical and climatic conditions, the composition of the soils and the vegetation. These regions are: the Caribbean region, the Pacific region, the Andean region, the Amazon region and the Orinoquía region.
The Orinoco region constitutes the Orinoco savannah, along with the Venezuelan plains. This area is sparsely populated. The main characteristics of this region are presented below.
You can also see the 8 natural regions of the world and their characteristics .
List of the most important characteristics of the Orinoquía region
1- Location
The Orinoquía region, also known as the eastern plains, is located to the east of Colombia. It limits the northwest with Venezuela, the south with the amazonian region and the west with the Andean region.
2- Departments
The Orinoquía region is constituted by the departments Arauca, Casanare, Meta, Vichada and the northern part of Guaviare. Some important cities are Villavicencio, capital of Meta department and the"entrance"to the Colombian plains, Acacias, Villanueva, Yopal and Tame.
3- Rivers
The name of the region comes from the Orinoco River, which establishes the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The area is covered by several smaller rivers that form part of the Orinoco basin.
Most of these smaller rivers are navigable, some of them are Guaviare, Meta, Vichada, Tomo and Arauca. These rivers, in turn, receive the waters from other streams.
4- Flora and fauna
The fact that the region is covered by multiple watercourses contributes to the biodiversity of the area.
The gallery forests are the main vegetation of the region. These forests are the ones that accompany the rivers in their route.
The deer savanna, the Scoundrel , he Cute monkey And tiger are some of the mammalian species that characterize the fauna of the Orinoquía region. As for the reptiles, they emphasize the anaconda, the caiman of the Orinoco and the serpent of four noses.
Likewise, the area has more than 450 species of birds, most of which are aquatic. One of the most important bird species is the Orinoco goose (the only species of goose that can be found in Colombia).
5- Subregions
In the Orinoquía region, the following subregions can be found:
- Piedemonte llanero. Composed of the plains located to the east of the region, near the Andes.
- Plains of Meta and Guaviare. Composed of the valleys that form these two rivers.
- Serranía de la Macarena. Subregion famous for the homonymous national park.
- Swamps of the Arauca. As its name indicates, this zone corresponds to the marshes that form in the banks of the river Arauca.
6- Economics
The economy of the region is based on cattle ranching and agriculture, thanks to the vast plains that cover the region.
Likewise, the Orinoquía region is one of the most important for the country due to its reserves of natural gas and oil, located mainly in Arauca and Casanare.
7- Tourist attractions
The main tourist attractions of the region are: La Macarena Natural Park and Tuparro Natural Park.
8- Natural Park La Macarena
Caño Cristales River. Photo retrieved from: cano-cristales.com.
The La Macarena Natural Park is located in the Meta department. This serrania, which reaches an area of 622,000 hectares, reached the status of national park in 1971 and is now an ecological reserve, since it converges the flora and fauna of three regions: the Amazon, the Andean and the Orinoco.
In this park, there is the famous Caño Cristales river, also known as the river of the five colors or the liquid rainbow, due to a visual effect produced by the multicolored aquatic plants that inhabit it.
In it, you can find green algae and red and pink mosses, colors that add to the yellow of the sand and the blue of the sky reflected by the water.
However, this optical effect can not be observed throughout the year; The river presents these iriscidencias from July to December, and is in its greater splendor in the month of August. This stream is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
9- The Tuparro Natural Park
Photo retrieved from deunacolombia.com
The Tuparro Natural Park is located in the Vichada department. In the park, there are the rivers Tomo (to the north), Tuparro, Tuparrito and Caño Maipures (to the south).
This area represents a sanctuary for birds, orchids, monkeys, snakes and freshwater dolphins. It receives its name from the Cerros Tuparros, rock formations that previously belonged to the Massif de Guayana, (Tepuyes de Roraima, in Venezuela, also formed part of this massif).
The biggest attraction of the park is the Raudal Maipures, especially during the dry season. Other attractive locations are Pozo Azul, Caño Lapa, Cerro Tomas, Cerro Peinillas. The flora and fauna of the park, and the Orinoquía region, in general, are impressive.
Similarly, the rivers that cross the Tuparro Natural Park are ideal for fishing, especially from January to March.
10- Other attractions
As well as the beauty of the landscapes of the Orinoco region represent an attraction, the traditions and festivities of the region attract the attention of tourists.
Various musical festivals take place in the area, such as the National Song Festival, the Joropo International Festival (in Villavicencio), the Cimarrón de Oro (in Yopal), among others.
The folklore of the Orinoco region is also striking. The music is characterized by the use of traditional instruments like harps and cuatros, and is usually accompanied by the joropo dance.
11- Problems in the region
Gas and oil reserves have contributed to the economic development of the region, and have attracted the attention of government organizations, private industry and large foreign investors.
However, the exploitation of these reserves, coupled with climate change, has also generated significant damage to ecosystems.
In addition, 51% of the population uses firewood kitchens, which contributes to the deforestation of the area.
Other geographical regions of Colombia
The Caribbean region
It is located in the northernmost point of the country, between the homonymous sea and the Andes. The departments of La Guajira, Cesar, Magdalena, Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre, Córdoba and the north of Antioch and Chocó make up this area. Similarly, some islands, such as San Andrés and San Bernardo are part of the Caribbean.
Some of the most important cities of the region are Cartagena, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Riohacha and Sincelejo.
The region is mainly composed of coastal areas and savannahs, with elevations that do not exceed 300 meters above sea level, with the exception of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Rivers, streams, marshes and floodplains abound, the sizes of which vary. With regard to the soils, these are desert, especially in the peninsula of La Guajira.
The Pacific region
It is a coastal zone, located between Panama and Ecuador. This zone, which extends for about 1300 km, has an extreme rainy climate, which makes it one of the wettest on the planet.
In this area, is the city Buenaventura, where is the most important port of the country; The majority of imports and exports are made in this city.
A second port, Tumaco, is located in the Nariño department. The Gorgona, Gorgonilla and Malpelo islands are part of this region.
The Andean region
It is the area with the greatest population density and also the greatest economic and social development. It includes the cities Bogota, capital of the country, Medellín, Cúcuta, Cali, Popayán, Pasto, Manizales, Ibagué, Tunja, Armenia, Rucaramanga and Neiva.
The Amazon region
It includes the Caqueta, Putumayo, Guaviare, Vaupés, Guania and Amazonas departments, giving it a total extension of 422168 km2.
The warm climate of the zone precludes the development of agriculture and livestock; The economy depends mainly on trade in tropical fish, which are sold to aquariums.
In this region there are approximately 50,000 indigenous people organized in communities that are located near the watercourses that cross the Amazon jungle.
The most important city in the region is Leticia, capital of the Amazonas department; This is a small city and is also the point where Colombia, Brazil and Peru converge, so it is also known as the Three Borders.
References
- Geographic Regions of Colombia. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 24, 2017, from discovercolombia.com.
- Orinoquia. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 25, 2017, from spanishincolombia.gov.co.
- Orinoco Region. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 24, 2017, from colombianparadise.com.
- Orinoquia Region. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 25, 2017, from colombia.co.
- Originoquia or Llanos Region. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 24, 2017, from http://www.colombiabirdwatch.com.
- Top three National Parks. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 24, 2017, from uncovercolombia.com.
- Orinoquia region. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 24, 2017, from deunacolombia.com.
- Ecosystem Accounts Planned for Strategic Orinoquia Region of Colombia. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 25, 2017, from wavespartnership.org.