Colombia’s most populated region is characterized by its dramatic topography and climatic diversity. Home of the most famous coffee growing area (the Eje Cafetero), the Andean region covers the Colombian section of the continent’s Andes mountain range.
Close to the Ecuadorian border in the southwest of Colombia, the Andes divides into three distinct, approximately parallel chains called cordilleras (mountain ranges) that span the country northeastwards to almost reach the Caribbean Sea and are referred to as the western, central and eastern mountain ranges.
| BOGOTA, MEDELLIN AND CALI – THE THREE MOST POPULAR AND ECONOMICALLY POWERFUL CITIES IN THE COUNTRY – ARE IN THE REGION |
In addition to its eponymous highlands, the region features plateaus, valleys and desert areas. Climate and vegetation vary considerably according to altitude, from the hot river valleys and basins below 3,300 feet to the more populous and productive lands in the temperate zone between 6,500-9,800 feet altitude, right up to the frozen lands at 15,000 feet and above.
Nestled at an elevation of 8,700 feet above sea level is the nation’s capital Bogota. A mix of Spanish, English and Indian influences, some 8.62 million people now live in the third-highest capital in the world, and it is a city rich in culture and contrasts that has been referred to as the ‘Athens of South America’ for its collection of universities and libraries.
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