In the extreme west are the very narrow and discontinuous Pacific coastal lowlands, which are backed by the SerranÃa de Baudó, the lowest and narrowest of Colombia's mountain ranges.
The tierra templada (temperate land), extending from an altitude of 3,300 to 6,600 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m), is the zone of coffee and maize.
Treeless pastures dominate the páramos, or alpine grasslands, at altitudes of 12,800 to 15,100 ft (3,900 to 4,600 m).
As extremes of altitude are reached, the normal lung faces additional impediments in transferring oxygen to the blood.
At extremealtitudes (over 5,000 meters) there is a progressive decrease in muscle fiber size and oxidative enzyme activity.
While they may be used by the uninformed altitude traveler to improve the poor quality of sleep that is commonly experienced, the consequence of their ingestion is the further reduction in arterial oxygen saturation during sleep cycling.
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