Chicamocha Canyon 3.18

The Chicamocha Canyon is a steep sided canyon carved by the Chicamocha River in Colombia. This river flows through the departments of Boyacá and Santander, where it reaches its maximum depth near the outskirts of Bucaramanga.The canyon is the result of the erosion caused by water. It created deep cliffs on both sides. The Chicamocha Canyon begins near the town of Soatá in the Department of Boyacá and flows mainly through the Department of Santander, extending all the way to the municipality of Lebrija. This geographic feature was caused by the movement of tectonic plates that extend from the Chicamocha canyon to other regions such as Bucaramanga.The canyon extends over 108,000 acres and 2000 meters in depth. The canyon was formed about 46 million years ago. On this territory many million years ago, there was a lake that hosted many marine animals whose remains have been found. The canyon is currently administered by Chicamocha National Park.In 2009, the canyon was nominated as one of the 7 natural wonders contest.EtymologyThe name Chicamocha in the Chibcha language of the Muisca means "silver-plated son, under the moon on the mountain range".