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Welcome, you are in Marca País
Welcome, you are in Marca País
Amazonia Region: Colombia's green lung
Learn more about the lungs of the world found in Colombia: the Amazon region.
The Amazon Region covers 42% of the national territory and is known as the "lungs of the world" due to its vast forested area. It is home to the largest variety of freshwater fish on the planet and a variety of exotic mammals such as the pink river dolphin, manatee, jaguar, puma, giant otter, peccary, tapir, capybara, sloth, and several primates. Also found there are the river turtle and the largest caiman in the world.
Geography of the Amazon Region
Amazon Region
The Colombian Amazon is made up of the Andes mountain range and plains that extend eastward to the borders with Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. It shares the Amazon Rainforest with these countries, which has one of the largest biodiversities on the planet.
Hydrography of the Colombian Amazon
The Amazon River runs through the Amazon region, being the second longest and most powerful river on the planet. It contains more water than the Nile, Yangtze, and Mississippi combined. This river also has the largest drainage basin in the world, around 7.05 million square kilometers, accounting for a fifth of the planet's river flow. The basins in Colombia that drain into the Amazon River are the Caquetá and Putumayo rivers. Additionally, among the most important rivers are the Guaviare, Apaporis, and Vaupés rivers.
Species of Flora and Fauna in the Amazon Region
The flora and fauna of the Amazon region is immense, with many species being endemic to Colombia and found only in this area of the country. More than 130,000 plant species and tens of thousands of animals and insects inhabit this area.
Flora of the Amazon Region
It consists of forests of all kinds, with an incredible number of trees, such as Itahuba, Caricari, Tajibos, Cedro, Cuta barcina, Almandrillo, and others. Additionally, the best medicinal plants capable of curing all kinds of diseases grow there. It is a paradise full of magic, with wildflowers of peculiar beauty and great color.
Reyna Victoria Amazónica
One of the most beautiful and representative species of the region blooms there: the Amazon Victoria Regia. A floating plant that can measure 3 to 5 meters in diameter and can even support up to 40 kg in weight. Considered the largest aquatic plant in the world. Additionally, we find Colombia's national flower: Orchids. We also find the sacred Lupuna tree, up to 70 meters high, which is part of many legends from the pre-Columbian cultures of our country.
Fauna of the Amazon Region
The fauna of this region of Colombia is astonishingly diverse, constituting 80% of the existing class diversity in the world. A total of 643 species have been identified, including a variety of families: 1,900 bird species, 185 fish, 67 mammals, 105 amphibians, and 28 reptiles. With Colombia being the country with the highest number of endemic birds and amphibians in the world.
Colombian biodiversity is astonishing. Among the mammals, the Amazon is home to a large number of species, such as monkeys, jaguars, pumas, sloths, and tapirs. In its waters, the pink dolphins live. Additionally, many species of reptiles stand out, such as aquatic and terrestrial turtles, caimans, crocodiles, and a multitude of snakes, including the anaconda. In terms of birds, our ecosystem boasts the highest number of bird species, including macaws, toucans, eagles, and hummingbirds. 20% of the world’s bird species are found in the Amazon forest.
National Natural Parks of the Amazon
In the Colombian Amazon, you can find the Amacayacu Natural Park, which includes floodable jungles, swamps, marshes, dry forests, and characteristic river systems of the region. Find more information about the Amacayacu Natural Park here. There are also other very important parks such as: the Cahuinarí National Natural Park, Chiribiquete Sierra, Tinigua, Nukak, Puinawai, the Serranía de los Churumbelos Auka-Wasi, among others.
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