Andean natural region
The Andes mountains form the most populated region of Colombia and contain the majority of the country's urban centers. They were also the location of the most significant pre-Columbian indigenous settlements. Beyond the Colombian Massif in the south-western departments of Cauca and Nariño, the Colombian Andes divide into three branches known as "cordilleras" (from the Spanish for "mountain range"): the West Andes run adjacent to the Pacific coast and is home to the city of Cali. The Central Andes run up the center of the country between the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys (to the west and east respectively) and includes the cities of Medellín, Manizales and Pereira. The East Andes extend northeast towards the Guajira Peninsula, and includes the cities of Bogotá, Bucaramanga and Cúcuta.
Cordillera de Lípez
The Cordillera de Lípez is a mountain range in northern Potosí, Bolivia, and northern Argentina, part of the Andes. The range covers an area of 23,404 km² (9,036 sq mi) and runs in a northeast-southwest direction, between the parallels 22 degrees and 23 degrees, helping to form the boundary between Bolivia and Argentina. Thus the Cordillera de Lípez is a transverse range in the Andes, between the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Occidental, creating the southern boundary of the Bolivian Altiplano.