Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta


Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

 

an isolated mountain massif in the northern Andes, the highest in Colombia. The highest point is Mount Cristóbal Colón (5,780 m). The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are composed chiefly of crystalline and metamorphic rocks; the slopes are formed of sedimentary rocks. The peaks are covered with permafrost and glaciers. Deciduous forests occur on the northern slopes, whereas the southern slopes are characterized by sparse xerophytic forests and thickets. In the upper belt there are cold, bleak regions called paramos.