Cordillera Septentrional facts for kids

The Cordillera Septentrional is a mountain range in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. Its name means "Northern mountain range" in English. Sometimes, especially in older books, it is called the Sierra de Montecristi.

This mountain range stretches for about 200 km. It goes from the coast of the Monte Cristi province all the way to near the Samaná Bay. This is a few kilometers east of San Francisco de Macorís. At its widest point, the range is about 40 km across.

The Cordillera Septentrional runs along the northern coast of the Hispaniola island. It goes from the northwest to the southeast. There are only small valleys between the Atlantic coast and the mountains. The mountains here are about 600 metres high on average.

Tallest Mountains in the North

The Cordillera Septentrional has some impressive peaks. In the west, the range ends at a small mountain called "El Morro." This mountain is close to the city of Monte Cristi. When Christopher Columbus saw this mountain on January 4, 1493, he named it Monte Cristo or Monte Christi. This means "Mountain of Christ" in English.

The highest mountains in this range are found in the central part. They are located north of the Valverde and Santiago provinces.

Key Peaks to Explore

• Pico Diego de Ocampo (1,249 m): This is the highest point in the range. It is northwest of Santiago de los Caballeros. You can find it north of Villa González.
• El Peñón (1,100 m): This mountain is located north of Tamboril.
• Jicomé or Murazo (1,083 m): This peak is north of Esperanza.

Other important mountains include El Mogote (970 m), which is north of Moca. Also, Quita Espuela (985 m) is northeast of San Francisco de Macorís. Quita Espuela is the tallest mountain in the eastern part of the range. This area was once known as the Sierra de Macorís.

The Isabel de Torres mountain (799 m) is also part of this area. It is about 5 km southeast of the city of Puerto Plata.

Rivers Flowing from the Mountains

The rivers that start in the Cordillera Septentrional are usually short. On the southern side of the range, the longest river is the Licey. This river flows into the River Camú.

On the northern side, the rivers are longer. They flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these rivers include the Bajabonico, Camú del Norte, Yásica, and Boba.

Plants and Nature

The western part of the Cordillera Septentrional has small hills and is very dry. Because of this, only plants that like dry areas, such as cacti, grow there.

In the central and eastern parts of the range, it rains more often. You can find rainforests in some areas, especially in the eastern section. Interestingly, pine trees do not grow in the Cordillera Septentrional. This is different from other main mountain ranges on the island.

People and What They Do

There are only a few small towns located within the Cordillera Septentrional. Some of these towns are Altamira, Imbert, and Jamao al Norte.

The western part of the range is too dry for much farming or other activities. However, in the central and eastern parts, farming is very important. The main crops grown here are coffee and cacao. Raising cattle is also a big activity in areas where the mountains are not too steep.

A special material called Amber is found in the Cordillera Septentrional. It is found in the mountains north of Tamboril. This amber is used to make beautiful jewelry.