Colombia Physical Map
Scale Map 1: 5'000000.
Colombia is physically located in America, in the extreme northwest of South America. The country is crossed by the Andes mountain range and the Amazonian plain, it is the only country in South America with coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its latitudinal location corresponds to 17 ° north and 4 ° south latitude, which corresponds to the tropical zone. The total area of Colombia is 2 129 748 km² made up of the continental territory and the maritime waters, the continental territory of Colombia is 1,141,748 km² and the maritime territory is 988,000 km², of which 658,000 km² are in the Caribbean Sea and 330 000 km² in the Pacific Ocean. Colombian waters in the Caribbean Sea have great diversity of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, soft bottoms, beaches and estuaries that feed hundreds of species of fauna and flora. The islands of Gorgona and Malpelo are found in the waters of the Colombian Pacific Ocean.
The Colombian territory presents variety in its relief: central mountain system, composed of the three Andean mountain ranges, independent mountain system of the Andes, the interior and coastal plains and the inter-Andean valleys.
Valleys and plains: The valleys of Magdalena, Cauca and Atrato - San Juan, stand out for their extension between the different inter-Andean valleys of Colombia. In terms of plains, the Llanura del Pacífico, the Llanura Amazónica, the Llanura del Caribe and the Llanos Orientales.
Peripheral mountainous system: The peripheral mountainous system is not part of the Andean mountain ranges; the mountainous area of ??Macarena to the east is part of this system; and the mountains of María, the Serrania de Piojó or Pajuancho, the Serrania del Darién, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the mountains of La Guajira west of the Andean Cordilleras.
Central mountainous system: It is composed of the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Oriental. The Colombian Andes begin in the Nudo de los Pastos. There you will find the Galeras, Cumbal and Azufral volcanoes. In the Nudo de los Pastos the highlands of Túquerres and Ipiales are separated.