Long-axis direction North-South Age Cretaceous-Holocene | Type River valley Watercourses Magdalena River | |
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Bounded by Central Ranges
Eastern Ranges
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Caribbean Sea Population centers Barrancabermeja, Ibagué, Honda Similar Colombian Massif, Nevado del Huila, Nudo de los Pastos, Serranía del Baudó, Nevado del Tolima | ||
The magdalena river valley
The Magdalena River Valley (Spanish: Valle del Río Magdalena) is a valley in Colombia located within the Colombian Andes. The valley is specifically situated between the Central and Eastern Ranges and crossed by the river of the same name, the Magdalena River.
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Geology
The Magdalena River Valley was formed after a series of tectonic formed depressions that filled up with continental sediment in the Tertiary period. These sediments came from the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The Magdalena Valley, subdivided into the Upper, Middle and Lower Magdalena Valleys, is an important area for oil exploration in Colombia.
Flora
The first recorded European contact with the potato was in 1537 in the Magdalena valley. The Spanish invaders became familiar with the crop and it was probably around 1570 when a Spanish ship first introduced potatoes to Europe.
Fauna
The Magdalena River Valley is home to a species of butterfly, Magdalena valley ringlet or Splendeuptychia ackeryi, first identified in 2009. There are many endangered birds and mammals found in the region, including the brown spider monkey and the endemic blue-billed curassow and white-mantled barbet. These species are threatened by habitat loss, among other factors.