Everything about Guajira Peninsula totally explained
Guajira Peninsula is a
peninsula in northern
Colombia and northwestern
Venezuela in the
Caribbean sea. It is the northernmost peninsula in
South America and has an area of 25,000 km² extending from the
Manaure Bay (Colombia) in the Caribbean sea to the
Calabazo Ensenada in the
Gulf of Venezuela (Venezuela). Most of the territory is part of Colombia, making part of the
Department of
La Guajira, while the remaining strip pertains to the Venezuelan
State of
Zulia. The northern most part of the peninsula is called
Punta Gallinas (12° 28´ N) and is also considered the northernmost part of mainland South America.
Climate
The region receives the flow of the
Trade winds from the northern hemisphere and forms along the northeastern coast of Venezuela and the
Antilles, the
Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub. The Trade winds cause a resurgence of the deep littoral waters and makes the sea more rich in living species on the western side of the peninsula. The northeastern flank of the
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range acts as a barrier that generates abundant rainfall in its steps and originate the
Rancheria River, the only major river in the area. Climate and vegetation varies from south to north, presenting a hyper humid jungle weather in the southern part (3000 mm a year) to the
desertic areas in the north (300 mm a year).
In the northern area there's a small range of mountains called
Macuira that reaches 900 m over sea level that trap some of the Trade winds and cause
mist. Most of the mountain range is a
protected area called
National Natural Park of Macuira. Nearby there's also the 80 km²
Flamingos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary.
The peninsula is mainly inhabited by members of the
native tribe of the
Wayuus which use the plains to raise cattle, sheeps, goats and horses. The descendants of the
Spanish colonizers settled in the southeastern part of the peninsula (sometimes referred to as the
Padilla Province) were the land is more fertile due to the proximity to other river basins, such as the
cesar river basin and is subject to large plantations of cotton, sorghum and cattle ranching.
Since the 1980s the central area of the peninsula was subject to the exploration and exploitation of
coal and
natural gas in the area of
Cerrejon and of
oil in the littoral.
Further Information
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