Driving Directions Colombia
COLOMBIA is situated in the north of South America, and most of the country lies between the equator and 10°N. The Andes Mountains are split into three ranges in Colombia: the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Central, and the Cordillera Oriental. The most westerly range is the Cordillera Occidental, which consists of fairly low but rugged foothills that rise behind the Pacific coast. On the east side of these, the River Cauca flows from south to north, joining with Colombia’s main river, the Magdalena, 322 kilometers or 200 miles south of the Caribbean coast. Rising on the eastern side of the Cauca valley, the Cordillera Central’s high peaks attain more than 5,029 meters or 16,500 feet, and many are active volcanoes. On the far side of these lies the great Magdalena river, running northwards for a distance of over 15,289-kilometers or 9,500 miles, which is nearly the entire length of the country. To the east again are found the Andean range of the Cordillera Oriental, a region of plateaux, plains, peaks, and lakes.