**Geography and Geology**:
– The Andes are the longest continental mountain range globally, spanning 8,900km and 200 to 700km wide.
– They extend through seven South American countries and are divided into the Southern, Central, and Northern Andes.
– The Andes are part of the American Cordillera and the Pacific Ring of Fire due to tectonic plate processes.
– The Andean orogeny began during the Triassic period, causing various degrees of tectonic stress and uplift.
– The Antarctic Peninsula appears to be a continuation of the Andes, and the Magallanes Basin evolved due to the Andean orogeny in southern Patagonia.
– Seismic activity in the Andes is caused by ongoing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions from tectonic forces, with notable events like the 2010 Maule (M8.8) and 1960 Valdivia (M9.5) earthquakes.
– Volcanism in the Andes is due to the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic Plates, leading to diverse volcanic zones and activity styles within the Andean Volcanic Belt.
**Climate and Environment**:
– The Andes are divided into the Tropical, Dry, and Wet Andes based on climate, influencing the significant impact on South America’s climate.
– The Altiplano Plateau is the world’s second-highest, and the Andes have a rain shadow effect on the western fringes of Chile.
– Glaciers and rock glaciers are present in different climatic zones of the Andes.
– The Andes host diverse flora, with various natural and floristic regions, including rainforests, tropical dry forests, and about 30,000 species of vascular plants.
– Fauna in the Andes includes nearly 1,000 species, such as the vicuña, guanaco, llama, alpaca, chinchillas, and the Andean condor.
**Human History and Activity**:
– The Andes have a rich history, initially inhabited by hunter-gatherers and later developed agriculture, leading to the rise of the Inca Empire.
– Spanish conquistadors colonized the region in the 16th century, with independence wars in the 19th century forming independent Andean states.
– The Inca civilization expanded in the central Andes during the 15th century, building aqueducts and roads before being defeated by the Spaniards in 1532.
– Andean peoples speak languages like Quechua and Aymara, with cities like Bogotá, Santiago, Lima, and La Paz located in or near the Andes.
**Economic Resources and Development**:
– The Andes are famous for mineral wealth, with Chile and Peru major copper producers globally, and Bolivia producing tin.
– Agriculture in the Andes includes practices like irrigation for over 6,000 years, terracing on mountain slopes, and cultivation of staple crops like potatoes and maize.
– Mining in the Andes includes vast resources like copper, gold, tin, and lithium, with countries like Chile, Peru, and Bolivia being major producers.
– Efforts like the Accion Andinas reforestation plan focus on conservation and reforestation in the Andes, planting nearly 10 million trees since 2018.
**Infrastructure and Connectivity**:
– Transportation in the Andes includes connections like the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, highways linking east and west, and railways connecting Chile with Peru.
– Agriculture in the Andes involves practices like irrigation, with crops like tobacco, cotton, and coffee being important exports.
– Mining in the Andes is a significant economic activity, with countries like Chile and Peru being major producers of copper and gold.
– Geological studies in the Andes focus on plate tectonics, seismic activity, glacial studies, biodiversity, and environmental features in the region.
The Andes (/ˈændiːz/ AN-deez), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (Spanish: Cordillera de los Andes; Quechua: Anti) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is 8,900 km (5,530 mi) long and 200 to 700 km (124 to 435 mi) wide (widest between 18°S and 20°S latitude) and has an average height of about 4,000 m (13,123 ft). The Andes extend from South to North through seven South American countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Andes Mountains | |
---|---|
Spanish: Cordillera de los Andes | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Aconcagua, Las Heras Department, Mendoza, Argentina |
Elevation | 6,961 m (22,838 ft) |
Coordinates | 32°39′11.51″S 070°0′40.32″W / 32.6531972°S 70.0112000°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 8,900 km (5,500 mi) |
Width | 330 km (210 mi) |
Naming | |
Native name | Anti (Quechua) |
Geography | |
Countries | |
Range coordinates | 32°S 70°W / 32°S 70°W |
Along their length, the Andes are split into several ranges, separated by intermediate depressions. The Andes are the location of several high plateaus—some of which host major cities such as Quito, Bogotá, Cali, Arequipa, Medellín, Bucaramanga, Sucre, Mérida, El Alto, and La Paz. The Altiplano Plateau is the world's second-highest after the Tibetan Plateau. These ranges are in turn grouped into three major divisions based on climate: the Tropical Andes, the Dry Andes, and the Wet Andes.
The Andes are the highest mountain range outside Asia. The range's highest peak, Argentina's Aconcagua, rises to an elevation of about 6,961 m (22,838 ft) above sea level. The peak of Chimborazo in the Ecuadorian Andes is farther from the Earth's center than any other location on the Earth's surface, due to the equatorial bulge resulting from the Earth's rotation. The world's highest volcanoes are in the Andes, including Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border, which rises to 6,893 m (22,615 ft).
The Andes are also part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost-continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of the Americas and Antarctica.