The area is virtually sealed off from the dominant state. This isolation, combined with the institutional weakness of the Colombian government, discouraged development strategies towards the sea. The tendency was to penetrate the region merely to secure necessary roads to the sea. The tropical lowlands are considered to harbour one of the 5 richest assemblages of plants and animals with exceptional endemism in a wide range of taxa. Numerous species have limited distribution in the area creating extraordinary 'beta' diversity, or significant variations in species from one locality to another.
Choc contains one of the last prestine stretches of coastline in tropical America.
This coastline is a stopping point for migratory humpback whales and the shoreline is a critical feeding,wintering and stopover site for millions of migratory shorebirds. Mangrove forests protect the coast from erosion while providing nursery for young fish that feed in and depend on nutrient rich waters around mangroves. The region's marine area is home to an abundance of fish species and marine mammal populations. The Colombian Pacific is a site of vast mineral and natural resources. At present, the area is the country's main producer of platinum and the second producer of gold.