Northern Range
In the north of Trinidad: The Northern Range.
Seen the Northern Range, the Asa Wright Nature Centre from
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The Northern Range is a mountain range in the north of the island of Trinidad in Trinidad and Tobago.
Geography
The Northern Range is an extension of the Venezuelan part of the Andes. The mountain range is about 100 km long in east-west extension and extends from the Chaguaramas Peninsula in the Gulf of Paria in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east Taco. In North - south extension it is 20 kilometers long and ranges from the Caribbean Sea to the Eastern Main Road. This puts the Northern Range, an approximately 25% of the land mass of Trinidad. The political regions of Trinidad, through which the Northern Range pulls are from west to east Diego Martin, Port of Spain, San Juan- Laventille, Tunapuna - Piarco, Arima and Sangre Grande. The two highest peaks are the Cerro del Aripo, north east of Arima, with 940 meters and the Tucuche north of Port of Spain with 936 meters.
Geology and climate
The Northern Range consists mainly of sedimentary rocks ( shale and limestone). The eastern foothills are partly of volcanic origin. With 3810 millimeters per year, rainfall is the highest in Trinidad.
Waters
The water catchment area of the Northern Range is the most important element of the drinking water supply of Trinidad. The Hollis Reservoir (10 ° 42'N 61 ° 11'W ), the oldest water reservoir of Trinidad, located north-east of Arima and can at maximum filling per day provide 37 million liters of water. It is fed from the Quare River and rain water from the surrounding mountains. The second longest river in Trinidad, the Caroni River, flows from the Northern Range, then the East - West Corridor runs along the west and finally empties into the Gulf of Paria. More Springing in the Northern Range rivers are Caura River and Oropuche River ( draining to the south ) and Marianne River, Shark River and Yarra River ( draining northward into the Caribbean Sea).
Flora and Fauna
To the west of the Northern Range, the suburbs of Port of Spain pull up the slopes. There, the ridge is largely populated and deforested. To the east, the forest cover is increasing, however, the Northern Range is exposed to unregulated mining, agriculture and urbanization, erosion and degradation. In the Valley of Arima, however, is due to lying there Asa Wright Nature Centre even original tropical rainforest exists. Other protected areas in the Northern Range are the Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and the Valencia Wildlife Sanctuary. The Northern Range has a high biodiversity, since mixing the fauna of South America and the northern Caribbean islands here.
In Dunston Cave in the valley of Arima and in the Aripo Cave at Cerro del Aripo populations of rare fat Schwalms exist. An endemic of Trinidad and is now occurring only in the Northern Range species is the endangered Trinidadguan. At altitudes 800-940 m around the two peaks Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche endemic to Trinidad Phyllodytes lives auratus ( Golden Tree Frog). According to the IUCN he is " threatened with extinction " as ( critically endangered ) listed. Even the native here Trinidadguan is threatened with extinction.
In the Williams Bay there are larger seagrass occurrence. In the Northern Range endemic plants are, inter alia Dicliptera aripoensis and Justicia flaviflora.
Economy and Transport
The west of the Northern Range is densely populated by the sprawling suburbs of Port of Spain, according benefited the area of Port of Spain status as a financial center in the Caribbean and one of the most important trading centers in the Caribbean. The same is true for the cities of the village in the south of the Northern Range cities of the East - West Corridors. The predominant industries in the true heartland of the Northern Range, however, are agriculture, forestry and ecotourism.
The densely populated north-west of the Northern Range is crossed by numerous roads, northeast of Champfleur hears the tapping but abruptly, and roads lead only to large parts of the Northern Range around. The Eastern Main Road runs south of the mountains of Port of Spain through the densely populated East - West Corridor to Arima and beyond to Valencia, woe she bends south towards Sangre Grande. Parallel to the Eastern Main Road runs the Churchill - Roosevelt Highway from Port of Spain to Arima. From Valencia, the Toco Main Road continues along the Northern Range to the east coast and from there to the mountain around to the north to Toco. North of Port of Spain, the North Coast Road winds over the Northern Range to the north coast and extends along the east to Blanchisseuse. There, the road ends; the 30 km long section between Blanchisseuse and Matelot is not tapped. From Matelot from the Paria Main Road runs along the coast to Toco. From Blanchisseuse from the Arima Road winds southwards over the Northern Range and happened on the way to the Arima Asa Wright Nature Centre and the village of Brasso Seco Paria. From Champ Fleurs from another road to the north in the Northern Range in, by Trinidad's former capital, St. Joseph, and the Maracas Valley through to after Loago.
Tourism
In the Valley of Arima, the Asa Wright Nature Centre is a combination of resort and ornithological research station. Northeast of Arima is the Cleaver Woods Recreation Park, representing the lifestyle of the natives of Trinidad, the Caribs and Arawaks.
Cities and towns in the Northern Range
Cities over 10,000 inhabitants
Smaller towns
Cantaro, Curepe, La Pastora, La Seiva, Las Cuevas, Matelot, Saint Joseph, Salybia, Toco.