Amazonic Region

AMAZONIC REGION

Click to lisening the amazonic songs

*** TOPICS ***

Location

Cities and Departments

Characteristics (Geography)

Language

Landscapes

Things to do there

Food

Celebrations

Customs and Traditions

Souveniers and distinctive products

Any other relevant information

 

** Location **

The Amazonian region is located in south Colombia. Principaly there indigena groups, they speak differents languages the most popular is Tupi. This region covers about 40% of the territory form Colombia and 61% of the forests, is the least populated region of the country.

clic to lisening


** Cities and Departments **

The departments of the amazonic region are the following:

Amazonas → Leticia.
Caqueta → Florencia.
Guainia → Inirida.
Guaviare → San José del Guaviare.
Putumayo → Mocoa.
Vaupes → Mitú.
Vichada → Puerto Carreño.  

All this departments are considered the zone green of the country.

** Characteristics (Geography) **

The Amazonian region is bordered by Andean and Orinoquia region to the north, Venezuela to the east,  Brazil to the south-east, Peru to the south and Ecuador to the south-west. The subregions of the Amazonic are Amazonian Piedemonte, Caqueta Plains, Inirida Plains, Guaviare Plains, Southern Amazonia, Putumayo Plains, Chiribiquete Serrania and Amazonian Trapeze. The main rivers irrigating this region are Amazonas, Caqueta, Putumayo, Guaviare, Apaporis and Vaupes. Some important caractaristics are the following:

• Amazon: Totally composed of plains covered with jungles.
• Vaupes: It's territory is flat with some ondulations and it is covered in jungle.
• Caqueta: Is a mountainous territory.
• Putumayo: Is characterized by vegetation arborea.
• Guainia: It's territory is flat with some ondulations.
• Guaviare: It's territory is flat with some ondulations and it is covered in jungle.

** Language ** 

Colombia has eighty ethnic groups approximately, they speak around sixty-four languages and more than three hundred dialects.The following are some the most important in the Amazonian region:

•    Tupi language: Is the matrix of the autochthonous languages and is the most speaked in the region.
•    Ye or Ge languages: In second place is the language most used.
•    Caribe languages: This language originated from the northern part of the Amazon.
•    Arawak languages: Is one of the most diverse and widespread in America.
•    Pano tacanas laguages: Southwest Amazon.
•    Tucanas languages: At the top of the Amazon and vaupes.

** Landscape **


The landscape of this region is a thick green mat with crowded trees as tall as a ten-story building in which the few open green areas are occupied by wide rivers.  

Click to lisening 


** Things to do there **

There are a great variety of activities that yo can do in the amazonic region, such as ecological walks, ethnotourism and extrem sports. 

** Gastronomy **

The Gastronomy is combined with many ingredients that also come from Brazil and Peru, so you can find many different dishes, unique and also very typical.

In the department of the Amazon, exotic fruits predominate that are used to make exquisite juices, desserts and creams.

The food that most people choose there and also tourists are bananas, cassava and fish.

Among the most popular dishes prepared with turtle egg, with morrocoy turtle. They like to eat mico, tapioca, capibara, boa which they consume like smoked loin with lemon, vinegar, potato, with regard to the abundance of rivers, too much fish.

* TIPICAL DISHES *


Juane Peruana: The juanes dish is made from a mixture of rice and chicken and different herbs, the presentation of this dish is wrapped in banan leaves or bijao. This is one of the favorite foods for both people living in these lands and tourists.
 

 
Shipashmute: Is made from tender corn with beans, adding cilantro when cooked to give it more flavor.

Typical Drinks: The chicha of jora, the chicha of rice, the guarapo,the aguardiente o coñazo, macerated diverse as of the abejado, chuchuhuasi, liquor of blackberry, liquor of milk, the mistela, the lodging.  





** Typical Dances, Music, Celebrations **
 
The songs and the tunes are characterized, besides the dances of profane and magical character. The most recognized is the dance of the SAN JUANERO, where it used proviously to communicate with the mythical spirits of the ancestors.

                      Clic here to lisensing EL SANJUANERO 

• Zayuco: It is a dance that takes place during the union of the indigenous Huitotos, there are songs that are only exclusive to men's dancing.
• Mocoa Carnival: This carnival aims to take care of the roots of putomayo department. It takes place in december and during the days of commemoration dance are performed, the reign of the carnival takes place and there are different bands of music than come from other regions of the country.
• Festival and Reign: National and international ecology: in this event the queen of ecology is chosen. It is held in caqueta and promotes culture and tourism.

** Customs and Tradition **

The people of this region show their creativity in the manufacture of textiles based on the waist loom called "Hilahua or callua." This work is done especially among women for the manufacture of garment and accesories such as blankets. ponchos, vests, blankets, and carpets. Wood Carving in mahogany, cedar and ishpingo is also used for the manufacture of decorative and utilitarian objects such as furniture and waxing (balconies, doors, windows, chairs and tables). 
Also outstanding are the crocheted fabrics (sheep wool bedspreads, sweaters, rugs and cotton thread tablecloths), chafts.

view video

** Souveniers and distinctive products **

The amazon region  is very rich in ethnic groups. While most of the populations people who preserve their customs, language, culture and traditios.

We can mention that there are the NUKAKS (are nomads) the YIKUNAS, the TOUCANS the CAMSAS, the HUITOTOS the YAGUAS and the INGAS.

Their food is obtained by native agriculture and they fish special methods, in amazonic region are some exotic fruits such as the cupazu, the araza, the caimaron.

Traditionally most of the tribes of the amazon have a hunter gatherer culture.

** Any other relevant information **

Fibers, woods, bark and clay are items that have been used by indigenous communities for centuries to leave evidence of their culture in backpacks, sculptures, pottery and more.

view video

© Amazonic Region / Disegned and development by Luisa Estefani Villa - Edison Brand - Gustavo Agudelo and Mauricio Marin