Nechí River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nechí River |
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| Country | Colombia |
The Nechí River is an important river in northwestern Colombia. It flows into the larger Cauca River. The Nechí River starts in a place called Yarumal. It forms a natural border for many towns and areas, including Antioquia, Campamento, Angostura, Anorí, Valdivia, Tarazá, Cáceres, Zaragoza, El Bagre, Caucasia, and Nechí. This river area is well-known for its large amounts of gold.
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What's in a Name?
The name "Nechí" comes from the Yamesí language. In this language, "Ne" means "gold" and "Chi" means "river." So, Nechí River means "Gold River." This name makes sense because there are many valuable minerals, especially gold, found in this area.
River's Location and Surroundings
The Nechí River is located about 7 degrees north of the equator. The Porce River is a smaller river that flows into the Nechí from the south. The town of Angostura is located where the Nechí River cuts through the Andes mountains. The weather here is very hot and humid, even during the dry season. Temperatures can range from 24 to 35 degrees Celsius (75 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit).
The land around the river where mining happens looks like a large oval bowl. This bowl is surrounded by hard, crystal-like rocks. The Nechí River flows right through this area, dividing the land. Inside this bowl, there are flat areas made of gravel. These gravel areas form steps or terraces, showing where the river used to flow at different levels long ago. Gold is found in these gravel layers.
Gold Mining History
People started using large machines called dredges to find gold in the Nechí River even before the year 1900. At first, several different companies operated these dredges. Over time, a large Canadian company called Pato Consolidated Gold Dredging, Ltd. took over most of these operations. This company was one of the biggest gold mining companies in the world at that time. By 1964, Pato had seven dredges working on the Nechí River, downstream from Zaragoza.
One part of the river, called the Mapuri tract, was mined by the Colombia Gold Mines Corporation. Records from 1909 show that the Zaragoza area, on the Nechí River, produced a lot of gold. It's said that during 19 years of Spanish rule, this area produced about $6 million in gold. In 1922, dredges on the Nechí River also found Platinum. In November 1986, a challenging event caused mining operations to pause for a short time in the area.
Getting Around the River
Traveling by boat on the Nechí River can be very dangerous. When the river floods, strong currents can push boats against rocks, making it hard to pass.
Ancient Treasures Found
In 1918, a special collection of gold ornaments was found in the Nechí River basin. These ancient treasures were given to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago by the Wrigley Company. Miners who found the gold gave it to a company agent in Colombia, and then it was donated to the museum. This collection includes gold breast-plates, aprons, fancy earrings, bells, and necklaces. It is considered one of the most valuable collections of ancient Colombian art in the world.
Later, in 1996, archaeologists found 29 more ancient sites between the Nechí and Magdalena Rivers. These sites included places like Brisas Palagua, La Suiza, and San Juan Bedout. Tools like scrapers and a spear point were found there, showing that people lived in this area a very long time ago.
Local People and Their Lives
The people living around the Nechí River are mainly of African and Mulatto heritage. Because of how people moved and settled over time, the lowland mining areas near the Nechí River have a higher population of Black people compared to the highland areas. Many people in this region are very poor. Their main foods include fish from the river, rice, beans, plantains, meat, and a lot of panela (a type of unrefined sugar).
See also
In Spanish: Río Nechí para niños
