GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE
In the department of Córdoba, stretching from south to north, the Western Mountain Range splits into three branches—the Abibe, Ayapel, and San Jerónimo mountain ranges—forming a mountainous region that is both rolling and rugged. To the south lies the Paramillo National Natural Park, an important ecological reserve in Colombia where the Sinú and San Jorge rivers originate.
Heading toward the coast, the Abibe mountain range—which separates the coastal alluvial plain from the Atrato River basin—splits into the El Águila and Las Palomas ranges, with the latter ending near the sea at Punta Arboletes, on the border with Antioquia. The highest point of the Abibe mountain range is Alto de Carrizal (2,200 meters above sea level). Other significant peaks include Alto de Carepa (1,600 m.a.s.l.) and Alto de Quimarí (1,600 m.a.s.l.). The Ayapel mountain range separates the San Jorge River from the Cauca River and ends in Antioquia territory. These two mountain ranges—the Abibe to the west and the Ayapel to the east—serve as natural boundaries with the department of Antioquia.
For its part, the San Jerónimo mountain range—the longest in the region—runs through the center of the department and divides the vast Córdoba plain into the two major valleys of the Sinú and San Jorge, which cover 18,765 square kilometers, nearly 80% of the department’s total area. This mountain range crosses the department of Sucre and ends in Bolívar, in the well-known Montes de María.
The southern region of the department is mountainous, featuring the Abibe, San Jerónimo, and Ayapel mountain ranges, which are extensions of the Western Mountain Range. There you will find the Paramillo Natural Park, a nature reserve featuring dry lowland forests, lowland and mountain rainforests, and peaks such as Paramillo del Sinú, at the summit of the Cordillera Occidental. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of native flora and fauna in northern South America, and the Sinú and San Jorge rivers originate there. It covers an area of 460,000 hectares and ranges in elevation from 100 to 3,960 meters.
Environmental Subregions of Córdoba
Subregion | Municipalities | Area (km²) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Upper Sinú | Tierra Alta, Valencia | 5696 | Classified as a tropical rainforest, it accounts for 60% of the forests within the department. These heterogeneous forests play a crucial role in the Sinú River basin and its tributaries, and the area features highly fertile soils. It is home to Paramillo National Natural Park and the Urrá Hydroelectric Plant. |
Lower Sinú | Lorica, Purisima, Momil, Chima, Cotorra | 1920 | Classified as a heavily disturbed tropical dry forest, with 0.10% forest cover relative to the department. Several lagoon systems have been identified. |
Waterfront | San Antero, San Bernardo del Viento, Moñitos, Los Córdobas, Canalete, Puerto Escondido | 1920 | Tropical dry forest with significant human impact in watershed areas; 7,900 hectares of mangroves and 5,500 hectares in the estuary zone |
Sheets | Sahagún, Chinu, Pueblo Nuevo, San Andrés de Sotavento | 2752 | Classified as a tropical dry forest, with 100 hectares of natural secondary forest dominated by Tabebuya roseae oak trees resulting from natural regeneration; land used for livestock grazing |
Saint George | Planeta Rica, Montelibano, La Apartada, Buenavista, Puerto Libertador, Ayapel | 7455 | Tropical dry forest and tropical rainforest, comprising 171,082 hectares of natural secondary forest, interacting with major waterways, significant deforestation, and moderately deep soil |
Middle Sinú | Monteria, Cerete, Cienaga de Oro, San Carlos, San Pelayo. | 5178 | Classified as a tropical dry forest; forest cover accounts for 0.05% of the department’s total forest area; pastures replace all other vegetation; the department’s largest cotton-producing region; deep soils suitable for short-rotation crops; the livestock sector is the main source of meat and milk production |
Physical Location
In addition to the mountain ranges mentioned above, the department of Córdoba features several notable landforms, such as Murrucucú Hill and the San Antonio Ridge.
The department of Córdoba is located in the Colombian Caribbean region, in the far northwestern corner of the country; it lies between 09°26’16” and 07°22’05” north latitude and 74°47’43” and 76°30’01” west longitude, and covers an area of 25,020 km². Figure 1.
The department comprises the Sinú and San Jorge river basins. The topography of Córdoba consists of two main areas: one flat and the other mountainous and hilly. The Sinú and San Jorge valleys are part of the former, and most of the municipalities with the highest level of economic development in the department are located there. (IGAC, 1996).
The department covers a total area of 2,506,822 hectares, which includes the following river basins: the Sinú River, accounting for 52% of the department’s area, and the San Jorge River, accounting for 38%, which together cover 90% of Córdoba’s territory; the remaining 10% corresponds to the so-called coastal zone of Córdoba, which includes smaller watersheds that drain directly into the sea along the Córdoba coast, covering 3.8% of the area, on the coast of the department of Sucre.
Administrative Location
The department of Córdoba is located in the northern part of the country and is bordered to the north by the Caribbean Sea and the department of Sucre, to the east by the departments of Sucre, Bolívar, and Antioquia, to the south by the department of Antioquia, and to the west by the department of Antioquia and the Caribbean Sea.
Administrative Location of the Department of Córdoba
Córdoba is divided into 30 municipalities: Montería (the capital city), Ayapel, Buenavista, Canalete, Cereté, Ciénaga de Oro, Chimá, Chinú, Cotorra, La Apartada, Lorica, Los Córdobas, Momil, Montelívano, Moñitos, Planeta Rica, Pueblo Nuevo, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Libertador, Purísima, Sahagún, San Andrés de Sotavento, San Antero, San Bernardo del Viento, San Carlos, San Pelayo, Tierralta, Tuchín, San José de Ure, and Valencia. (IGAC, 1996).