The main rivers of Colombia

Image: Lifeder

The history of humanity is related to rivers, since it is close to these where the first civilizations settled, so these aquatic areas are vital to the history of the humanity. For all this we must talk about longest and most important rivers in Colombia, dividing them according to the areas where they flow. With all this, in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about rivers of Colombia with map.

Index

1. Rivers of Colombia: Caribbean slope
2. The rivers of the Pacific Ocean slope
3. The rivers of Colombia on the Orinoco slope
4. Amazon slope

There are 4 types of slopes of the main rivers in Colombia, two of which flow directly into the sea, and the other two flow into another country. The Caribbean slope is made up of all those Colombian rivers that flow into the Caribbean Sea. Some of the main rivers of the slope are the following:

Sinú River

It is a Colombian river that flows into the Caribbean Sea, and that passes through the department of Córdoba. It has a length of

Atrato River

It is a river in Colombia that flows into the Caribbean Sea and is characterized by being the largest in the country. It has a length of 750 km and a basin of 38,500 km2 . His birth takes place in the Cerro de Caramanta and flows into the Gulf of Urabá, located in the Caribbean Sea.

Nechí River

Located in the north-western part, it is a river that rises in the Plains of Cuivá, and that flows into the Cauca river. It has a length of 252 km, and a basin of 14,500 km2.

Ranchería River

It is a river located in the northern part of the Colombian country, which is born in the hill La Horqueta, and empties into the Caribbean Sea. Its birth takes place in a mountain range, with a height of up to 3000 meters above sea level. Its length is not too long compared to that of other rivers on the list, having only 150 km of length.

Cauca River

This river is one of the main ones in the entire Colombian country, being the area where many of the country's main economic activities take place. His birth takes place in the Colombian Massif, and its mouth is located in the Magdalena River. Its length is 1350 km, and its basin has an extension of 63,300 km2.

Magdalena river

It is the most important river in all of Colombia. Its source takes place in the Colombian Massif, and ends at Bocas de Ceniza in the Caribbean Sea. It has a length of 1550 km, and its basin has an extension of 258,000 km2.

Image: Slideshare

The second of the slopes in which the rivers of Colombia are classified is the Pacific ocean slope, being the one formed by all those tributaries that flow into the Pacific, following a direction from south to north. The main rivers of this slope are the following:

Patía River

This river in the southwestern part of Colombia is the longest on the entire slope of the Colombian Pacific. It has its origin in the Sotará volcano, in the Colombian Massif, and its mouth in the Pacific Ocean. Its length is 400 km, being somewhat smaller than that of some rivers of other slopes, but the longest of the Pacific.

San Juan River

This important river is born in the Cerro de Caramanta, in the department of Antioquia, and flows into the Coast of San Juan, in the Pacific Ocean. Its length is 380 km, and the extension of its hydrographic basin is about 15,000 km2.

Micay River

This is one of the main rivers of the Pacific slope, possessing an extension of 235 kilometers. His birth takes place between the hills of Guabas and Loro, and empties into the Pacific.

Mira River

This river passes both through Colombia and Ecuador, being located in the southwest of the Colombian country. His birth takes place in the Oriental mountain range, and after 328 kilometers flows into the Pacific by the Cape Mangroves.

Image: Slideshare

To this slope belong all the Colombian rivers that drain their waters through Venezuela, being those belonging to the Orinoco basin. They owe their name to the Orinoco River, the most important of those belonging to this slope.

Orinoco river

One of the most important rivers in all of South America, both due to its passage through Colombia and Venezuela, since it is the longest room in the entire area. Most of its length is in Venezuela, so it is not the longest river in Colombia.

Guaviare River

This long river is born in the Colombian Eastern mountain range, and empties into the Orinoco. Its length is 1500 km, and the extension of its basin reaches up to 140,000 km2.

Meta River

Another of the tributaries of the Orinoco, originating from the union of the Humea, Guatiquía and Guayuriba rivers, and flowing into the Orinoco near the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Its length is 1000 kilometers, while the extension of its hydrographic basin is almost 94,000 km2.

Vichada River

Located to the east of Colombia is another of the tributaries of the Orinoco, flowing into it after being born by the union of the Planas and Tillavá rivers. Its length is about 580 kilometers, while the extension of its basin reaches up to 25,000 km2.

Image: Colombian water wealth

To conclude this lesson on rivers of Colombia with map, we must talk about the Amazon slope. This slope is formed by all those Colombian rivers that flow into the Amazon, either by Venezuela or by Brazil.

Vaupés River

This river passes through both Brazil and Colombia, being born at the junction of the Itilla and Unilla rivers, and flowing into el Rio Negro, which is the largest tributary of the Amazon. Its length is 1,050 kilometers, and its basin has an extension of 50,000 km2.

Putumayo River

This river is born in the Knot of the Pastures, in Colombia, and flows into the middle course of the Amazon, in Brazil. It has a length of 1,813 kilometers, and its basin has an area of ​​almost 150,000 km2.

Caquetá River

This river has its source in the Páramo de las Papas, in Colombia, while it flows into Brazil, in the Amazon. It has a length of 2,280 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 267.00 km2.

Image: Colombia

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