Mountains and Volcanoes of Colombia and the Northern Andes
In Colombia the Andes split into three cordilleras. The Central Cordillera holds snow-capped volcanoes: Nevado del Ruiz, Tolima and Huila, the highest volcano in the country. In the south, Galeras, Cumbal and Puracé are active volcanoes. The Eastern Cordillera has the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, topped by Ritacuba Blanco. And on the Caribbean coast rises the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, home of Pico Cristóbal Colón, the highest peak in Colombia.
In 1985 the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz melted part of its glacier, and the mudflows buried the town of Armero, a tragedy that changed how volcanoes are monitored.
Mountains of Colombia and the Northern Andes Vocabulary: 11 Words to Find
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 4 of the 11 read backwards. The longest word is Santa Marta, with 10 letters.
- Cocuy: The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, a glaciated range in eastern Colombia.
- Cristobal: Pico Cristóbal Colón, about 5,700 m, the highest peak in Colombia.
- Cumbal: A 4,764 m volcano in southern Colombia.
- Galeras: An active volcano that looms over the city of Pasto, Colombia.
- Huila: Nevado del Huila, a 5,364 m volcano, the highest in Colombia.
- Nevado: Spanish for "snow-capped", part of many Andean peak names, like Nevado del Ruiz.
- Purace: An active volcano in the Cauca region of Colombia.
- Ritacuba: Ritacuba Blanco, 5,330 m, the highest peak of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy.
- Ruiz: Nevado del Ruiz, a Colombian volcano whose 1985 eruption buried the town of Armero.
- Santa Marta: The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range on Earth, in Colombia.
- Tolima: Nevado del Tolima, a 5,215 m snow-capped volcano in Colombia.
How to Solve the Mountains of Colombia and the Northern Andes Word Search
"Santa Marta" is written without its space in the grid and runs upward along ten squares. "Nevado" and "Huila", with the only H, are the two diagonals, both sloping down to the right. "Ruiz", with the only Z, reads backwards, like "Cristobal" and "Purace". "Cocuy", with the only Y, and "Galeras" run down.
Colombia Geography Activities
- Draw the three cordilleras of Colombia on a map.
- Ask what "nevado" means and why so many peaks carry it.
- Read about Armero and how volcano warnings work today.
Mountains of Colombia and the Northern Andes Word Search FAQ
Who is the Mountains of Colombia and the Northern Andes Word Search for?
Ages 10 and up and Latin American geography.
Which directions do the words run in?
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 4 of the 11 read backwards. 2 of them are diagonal.
Is there an answer key for the Mountains of Colombia and the Northern Andes Word Search?
Yes. Download it from the printable section above: it is a separate PDF with all 11 words marked. Online, each word is crossed off the list the moment you find it.
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