geo.wikisort.org - Mountains

The Cordillera de Mérida is a series of mountain ranges, or massif, in northwestern Venezuela. The Cordillera de Mérida is a northeastern extension of the Andes Mountains and the most important branch of the Venezuelan Andes. The ranges run southwest–northeast between the Venezuelan-Colombian border and the Venezuelan Coastal Ranges. The Táchira depression separates the Cordillera de Mérida from the Cordillera Oriental, which forms the Colombia-Venezuela border.

The ranges runs from southwest to northeast and parts lie within each of the following states: Táchira, Mérida, Barinas, Trujillo, Portuguesa and Lara. The southeastern slopes are drained by tributaries of the Orinoco River, while the streams that drain the northwestern slopes empty into Lake Maracaibo. At the northeast tip of the massif lies the town of Barquisimeto and the headwaters of the River Cojedes. In the centre of the massif is the city of Mérida. Two ranges of peaks lie on either side of the city, the Sierra de la Culata to the north and Sierra Nevada de Mérida to the south. Pico Bolívar, at 4,981 meters elevation (16,342 feet), is the highest peak in Venezuela.[1]

Most of the ranges are covered by Venezuelan Andes montane forests, although the highest elevations (above 3,100 meters) are above tree line. These ranges are home to the Cordillera de Mérida páramo, an enclave of the páramo (tropical alpine grasslands) of the northern Andes. Protected areas in the massif include Sierra Nevada National Park and Sierra La Culata National Park.

One glacier, the Humboldt glacier, is located in this mountain range,[2] in which the snowy season is July–August. Snow typically covers the mountains above 4,200 meters, and sometimes above 3,800 meters.

External links

• World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Cordillera de Mérida páramo". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.

References

На других языках

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[de] Cordillera de Mérida

Die Cordillera de Mérida (dt.: Kordillere von Mérida) umfasst eine Reihe von Berggipfeln und -massiven im Nordwesten Venezuelas. Die Cordillera de Mérida ist ein nordöstlicher Ausläufer der Anden. Sie breitet sich an der südwestlichen Grenze Venezuelas mit Kolumbien (Kolumbiens nordöstliche Grenze), bis zur Küste Venezuelas aus. Der Táchira-Graben trennt die Cordillera de Mérida von der Cordillera Oriental.

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- [en] Cordillera de Mérida

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[es] Cordillera de Mérida

La cordillera de Mérida es la cadena montañosa de mayor altura en Venezuela, cuyo máximo punto es el pico Bolívar. Junto con la serranía de Perijá conforman el ramal venezolano de la cordillera de los Andes. La cordillera está compuesta por diversas serranías, siendo las más conocidas la sierra Nevada de Mérida-sierra de Santo Domingo[1] y la sierra La Culata, ambas localizadas en la zona media de la cordillera dentro del estado Mérida.

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[fr] Cordillère de Mérida

La cordillère de Mérida est le prolongement au Venezuela de la cordillère des Andes. Son sommet le plus élevé est le pic Bolívar avec 4 978 m d'altitude.

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[it] Cordigliera di Mérida

La Cordigliera di Mérida è una serie di catene montuose, o massiccio, del Venezuela nord-occidentale. Costituisce una propaggine nord-orientale della Cordigliera delle Ande ed è il ramo più importante delle Ande venezuelane. Corre in direzione sud-ovest/nord-est tra il confine con la Colombia e la Cordigliera della Costa. La depressione di Táchira separa la Cordigliera di Mérida dalla Cordigliera Orientale, che forma il confine tra la Colombia e il Venezuela.

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[ru] Кордильера-де-Мерида

Кордилье́ра-де-Ме́рида (исп. Cordillera de Mérida) — горный хребет в Андах, в Венесуэле. Является северо-восточной ветвью Восточной Кордильеры Колумбии.

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