Aburrá Valley

Aburrá Valley (in Spanish Valle de Aburrá), is the natural basin of the Medellín River and one of the most populous valleys of Colombia in its Andean Region with near 4 million inhabitants in its biggest urban agglomeration: The Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. The valley is located on the Central Range, over the Antioquian Mountain just between the Magdalena and Cauca valleys from east to west. The name "Aburrá" comes from an ancient language spoken in the place by the "Aburreans" (Aburraes) before the Spaniards settled the place during the 16th century.

The valley is oriented from south to north being the south the highest level and the north the low level. The altitudes of the mountains around the valley (west and east mountains), can reach up to 3,100 meters above the sea level (Padre Amaya Peak). The lowest level is 1,300 meters above the sea level. From its north natural limit to its southern part, the valley is 60 kilometers long, while there are several varieties in its width being the wider part the one that corresponds to the municipality of Medellín with 8 to 10 kilometers and the narrowest the part that corresponds to the municipality of Copacabana with 3 kilometers.

There are archaeological evidences of human settlements in the Aburrá Valley since 10,500 years by hunters and collectors. The Spaniard conquers of the Valley found groups like Aburrá, Yamesí, Pequé, Ebejico, Norisco and Maní that were in the Valley since about the 5th century. The Aburrá people gave the name to the Valley. They lived from agriculture (maize, beans and cotton), textile weaving and decoration, commercialization of salt and goldsmith. Under the Spaniard rule they lost the possession of the land and were located in mines and feudalist systems. Sickness brought by the Europeans, the heavy work and mistreatments caused their extinction, at least from the Valley. Descendants and peoples related to the Aburrá Valley ancient ancestors could be found today in other regions of the Antioquia State like Urabá and the West and South regions.

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