Northern Range
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The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across north
The Northern Range covers approximately twenty-five percent of the land area of Trinidad.Geography
The Northern Range runs from the
At the western end of the Northern Range, the capital city, Port of Spain, climbs into the hills and the valleys are settled and largely deforested.
The Arima Valley remains as the westernmost valley that is still primarily forested, in a large part due to the presence of the Asa Wright Nature Centre in this valley.
The hills rise abruptly from the lowlands of northern Trinidad (the so-called East–West Corridor), but only the two tallest peaks, El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche top 900 m. The south-facing valleys run deep into the hills and support major rivers, such as the Caroni River, while the north-facing valleys are generally short and are drained by smaller streams.
There are numerous streams and waterfalls in the Northern Range. The highest waterfall is Maracas waterfall, towering 91.5 metres (300 ft) high. Other waterfalls include the Rincon Falls, Rio Seco Falls and Marianne Falls.
Geology
The Northern Range consists mainly of
The country's largest cave system, the
Numerous sulphur springs occur on the river beds of Rio Seco Falls, demonstrating the volcanic nature of the region.
Ecology
The biodiversity within the Northern Range, which represents a combination of species from the South American continent and from the Caribbean islands further north is high. The densely forested peaks are home to over 100 species of mammals and 430 species of birds. Animals such as
The hills are mostly forested, although deforestation and the formation of fire-savannahs is one of the major environmental concerns in Trinidad.
On the summits of El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche, the vegetation is quite different from the lower montane forests. Elfin woodland and cloud forests cover the summits, and are home to the near endemic
Gallery
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Northern Range from Asa Wright Nature Centre
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Southern slopes of the Northern Range showing the Benedictine abbey of Mount Saint Benedict
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The western Northern Range viewed from the Diego Martin valley
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Port of Spain Hills
See also
- Southern Range
- Central Range, Trinidad and Tobago
- Caroni Plain
- Naparima Plain
- Nariva Plain
References
- ^ Northern Range Assessment (2005). Report of an Assessment of the Northern Range, Trinidad and Tobago: People and the Northern Range (page 3). State of the Environment Report 2004. Environmental Management Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.