Colombia: Biodiversity Synonym

When thinking of Colombia, it comes to mind a geographically and natural privileged territory, that emerges from the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and that is found in the northeastern end of Latin America, serving as a meeting point for the continent.

Its 1’142.000 kilometer surface it’s crossed by the imposing Andean mountain range that comes from Ecuador, its neighbor country, and it divides itself in tree branches that receive the names of western, central and eastern mountain range. Additionally, the Colombian territory counts with 2 important mountain formations: the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the wonderful Serranía de la Macarena.

According to its altitude, Colombia counts with all warm, cold and in between weathers, and because of the fact that its soils come from volcanic activity they blend perfectly to offer the most varied and exotic crops.

Its unique mountain system,  with its plateaus, rainforests, plains, snowy mountains, “páramos” (similar to Tundra), and wetlands; its coasts lie on the two oceans; the extend and torrential rivers that go trough it; the fact of having a part of the Amazon, the biggest lung of the world, determine the richness of the flora and fauna and the climatic variety for which the country is known worldwide.

All of these geographical characteristics make Colombia unique in terms of multiple cultural richness and biodiversity. It is a Pacific and a Caribbean, Andean, Llanero (from de plain), and Amazonic. In sum, a country full of contrasts.

Biodiversity

Its varied geographical characteristics have granted the adequate conditions so that in its territory can live a great variety of animal and vegetable species.

• Colombia has 0.8% of the planet’s terrestrial surface, but it’s the third country with greater biodiversity in the world, after Brazil and Indonesia.
• It’s famous for its flowers, amongst which outstands the orchid, the national flower that has near 3.000 varieties.
• It holds the first place in the world when it comes to bird diversity. It has near 1.800 species of the more than 9.000 existing species in the planet.
• It counts with a huge amphibian, reptile, bats, rodent and insect varieties. It counts with more than 3.000 butterfly species.
• It embraces typical fauna of rain forests such as jaguar, armadillos, monkeys, snakes and several bear varieties amongst which outstand the anteater bear and the spectacled bear.