Serranía del Perijá

Geography

Starting at the southernmost point, near Ocaña, Colombia, this mountain range forms the boundary between the Colombian departments of Norte de Santander and Cesar, and then as the range progresses north, it forms the international boundary between Venezuela (Zulia State) and Colombia (Cesar Department). Included in the range are the Sierra Motilones, Sierra Valledupar, and Sierra Oca. The highest point is Cerro de Las Tetas at 3630 m, followed by Cerro Irapa at 3540 m, Serranía de Macuira at 864 m, and Cerro Aceite at 853 m.

Montane moist forests cover the middle and upper elevations of the range. Plant communities include premontane moist forest with premontane dry forest in drier pockets at lower elevations, montane moist forest at middle elevations, and subalpine moist forest at upper elevations, with areas of high, flat plains, páramo (alpine shrubland), and snow-covered peaks at high elevations. The forests are high in biodiversity with many native species, including endemic and limited range species. Endemic birds include the Perijá metaltail (Metallura iracunda), Perijá brushfinch (Arremon perijanus), Perijá tapaculo (Scytalopus perijanus), Perija starfrontlet (Coeligena consita), Perija antpitta (Grallaria saltuensis), and Perijá thistletail (Asthenes perijana). Other endemic animals include the Perijá lichen gecko (Gonatodes lichenosus), Perija's nurse frog (Aromobates tokuko), and the fish Cordylancistrus perijae. The Perija parakeet (Pyrrhura caeruleiceps), the snake Alemán's snail-eater (Plesiodipsas perijanensis), and the freshwater crab Neostrengeria perijaensis are limited-range species native to both the Serranía la Perijá and the northern Cordillera Oriental.

Peoples

The range is 58% in Venezuela, and 42% in Colombia. Venezuela has set aside a substantial part of the central part of the range as a national park (Sierra de Perijá National Park), and Colombia has a smaller one. In the Venezuelan portion there are Amerindian reservations for the Yucpa and Barí people, and in Colombia for the Iroko and Sokorpa people. Venezuela has started a colonialization border plan building new communities along the border in the Perijá. The town of Cojoro was the first one completed, followed by communities for the Wayuu and Goajira peoples.

Economy and politics

The climate is mostly tropical humid forests, with cultivation of coffee and papaver flowers. It is also a hot spot in the Colombian conflict serving as home to parts of two FARC blocs called the Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP and the Middle Magdalena Bloc of the FARC-EP., and an ELN guerrilla column, that have also strayed into Venezuelan territory.

References

1. —Peakbagger.com: Perija-Guajira
2. fac.mil.co,Accessed March 9, 2007, Colombian Air Force; "The New Corridors of Arms, Drugs and Death"

References

1. "Cordillera Oriental Montane Forests".
2. BirdLife International.. (2023). "''Metallura iracunda''".
3. BirdLife International.. (2023). "''Arremon perijanus''".
4. BirdLife International.. (2021). "''Scytalopus perijanus''".
5. BirdLife International.. (2020). "''Coeligena consita''".
6. BirdLife International.. (2022). "''Grallaria saltuensis''".
7. BirdLife International.. (2021). "''Asthenes perijana''".
8. Rivas, G.. (2016). "''Gonatodes lichenosus''".
9. Rojas-Runjaic, F.J.M.. (2022). "''Aromobates tokuko''".
10. Echevarría, G.. (2019). "''Cordylancistrus perijae''".
11. BirdLife International.. (2021). "''Pyrrhura caeruleiceps''".
12. Ines Hladki, A.. (2016). "''Plesiodipsas perijanensis''".
13. Cumberlidge, N.. (2008). "''Neostrengeria perijaensis''".