Northern Range

Portions west of Arima, especially the southern slopes and valleys, have been extensively deforested, since they lie immediately north of the most heavily populated parts of the island.

At the western end of the Northern Range, the capital city, Port of Spain, climbs into the hills and the valleys are settled and largely deforested.

The hills rise abruptly from the lowlands of northern Trinidad (the so-called East–West Corridor), but only the two tallest peaks, El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche top 900 m. The south-facing valleys run deep into the hills and support major rivers, such as the Caroni River, while the north-facing valleys are generally short and are drained by smaller streams.

Numerous sulphur springs occur on the river beds of Rio Seco Falls, demonstrating the volcanic nature of the region.

The biodiversity within the Northern Range, which represents a combination of species from the South American continent and from the Caribbean islands further north is high.