Magdalena River Valley

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Magdalena River in blue with the associated watershed (and valley) in a shade lighter than the remaining map

The Magdalena River Valley (Spanish: El Valle del Río Magdalena) is a valley in Colombia located within the Colombian Andes mountain ranges. The valley is specifically located between the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental and crossed by the river of the same name, the Magdalena River.


The first recorded European contact with the potato was in 1537 in the Magdalena valley. The Spanish invaders became familiar with the crop and it was probably around 1570 when a Spanish ship first introduced potatoes to Europe.[1]


The Magdalena River valley was formed after a series of tectonic formed depressions that filled up with continental sediment in the Tertiary period. These sediments came from the Cordillera Central.[2]


The Magdalena River valley is home to a species of butterfly, Magdalena valley ringlet or Splendeuptychia ackeryi, first identified in 2009.[3] There are many endangered birds and mammals found in the region, including the Brown Spider Monkey and the endemic Blue-billed Curassow and White-mantled Barbet. These species are threatened by habitat loss, among other factors.


  1. ^ Evolution of crop plants, by simmonds.
  2. ^ Historia de la Geología en Colombia
  3. ^ "Moustache helps identify butterfly". Retrieved February 21, 2009. [dead link]