Andes

The Andes are the longest mountain range in the world. They stretch along the western edge of South America. The Andes run for about 8,900 kilometres (5,500 mi) through seven countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.

These tall mountains have an average height of 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). They include some of the highest mountains outside of Asia.

One famous peak is Aconcagua in Argentina. It rises to nearly 7,000 metres (22,838 ft). The Andes also have the world's highest volcanoes, like Ojos del Salado. They contain plateaus such as the Altiplano Plateau, which is the second highest in the world.

The mountains shape the weather and affect the lives of many people who live nearby.

Etymology

The word Andes might come from the Quechua language. In Quechua, anti means "east". This connects to Antisuyu, an area in the old Inca Empire.

Some believe the word could also come from the Aymara language, where anta means "copper".

The word cordillera is a Spanish word that means "rope". People use it to talk about parts of the Andes and the whole mountain chain along the west side of North and South American continents.

Geography

The Andes mountain range is the longest mountain system in the world. It stretches about 7,000 km along the western edge of South America. The Andes go through seven countries. It includes high peaks like Aconcagua in Argentina, Huascarán in Peru, and Illimani in Bolivia.

The range has three main sections: the Southern Andes in Argentina and Chile, the Central Andes in Bolivia and Peru, and the Northern Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The Andes has many different climates and environments, from rainy forests to dry high plains.

Geology

The Andes are a long chain of mountains along the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with lots of volcanic activity. They formed because of movements in the Earth’s crust, called tectonic plate processes. These movements happened mainly during the Mesozoic and Tertiary eras. The Nazca Plate and the South American Plate pushed together, making the land rise and form mountains.

The Andes have bends or turns called oroclines. One big bend is the Bolivian Orocline, where the mountains change direction near Bolivia. These turns help shape the wide and tall landscape of the Andes. The mountains still change because of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, showing how active the Earth can be.

Main article: Andean orogeny

Main article: Andean Volcanic Belt

History

Main article: History of Andean South America

The Andes Mountains were first home to people who hunted and gathered food. Over time, these people began to farm and build large communities. One of the most famous of these was the Inca Empire, which ruled the Andes for many years.

In the 1500s, Spanish explorers arrived and took control of the region. Later, in the 1800s, the countries in the Andes fought for and won their independence from Spanish rule. Today, these mountains are home to several countries that were once part of the Spanish empire.

Climate and hydrology

See also: Tropical Andes, Dry Andes, and Wet Andes

The Andes mountains have many different climates depending on where you are and how high up you go. The higher you climb, the colder it gets. In the south, it is rainy and cool, while in the middle, it is dry. The north is warm and rainy, with temperatures around 18 °C (64 °F) in Colombia. The weather can change a lot over just a short distance — you might find rainforests just a few kilometers from snowy mountain peaks like Cotopaxi.

The mountains affect the temperatures of nearby areas. The height where snow can be found changes depending on where you are. In some places, snow starts as low as 4,500 meters, while in others it can be much higher. In parts of Chile and Argentina, there are two main climate zones: the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes. In the Dry Andes, rain is scarce and temperatures can change a lot. Some special icy formations called rock glaciers are more common here than regular glaciers.

Flora

The Andes Mountains have many different kinds of plants. They stretch from warm, rainy areas to very dry and cold places. Once, thick forests grew around the northern Andes, but today many of these forests are gone.

The Andes are home to about 30,000 types of plants. Many of these grow only here. One important plant is the small tree called Cinchona pubescens, which helps treat a sickness called malaria. Other valuable plants from the Andes include tobacco and potatoes. High up in the mountains, special forests of Polylepis trees grow in several countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. These trees grow as high as 4,500 metres above sea level. Sadly, many of these forests are in danger because people have been cutting them down.

Fauna

Main article: Fauna of the Andes

The Andes mountains are home to many different animals. Almost 1,000 types of animals live there, and most of them are found only in this region. You can see mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

Special animals in the Andes include the vicuña and guanaco, and their domesticated relatives, the llama and alpaca. Chinchillas, small and cute rodents, live in the higher parts of the Andes. The Andean condor, one of the largest birds in the Western Hemisphere, flies through these mountains. Other interesting animals are the huemul, cougar, and different types of foxes. In lakes, such as Lake Titicaca, you might find special birds and frogs. The forests of the Andes, in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, are full of beautiful birds, including hummingbirds and quetzals.

Human activity

See also: Cultural periods of Peru, Inca Empire, and Viceroyalty of Peru

The Andes Mountains have been important to people for thousands of years. In the 1400s, the Inca people built a big empire in the central Andes. They made roads and aqueducts that some people still use today.

Today, many big cities are in and near the Andes. Some of the largest cities are Bogotá, Santiago, Medellín, Cali, Quito, and Lima. La Paz in Bolivia is one of the highest capital cities in the world, sitting very high in the mountains.

The Andes have always been good for farming. Ancient farmers found ways to grow crops on steep slopes. Today, people still grow crops like potatoes, maize, tobacco, cotton, quinoa, and coffee in the Andes. The mountains also have valuable minerals, and mining has been important for many years.

Peaks

Main article: List of mountains in the Andes

The Andes Mountains have many tall peaks. The highest peak is Aconcagua in Argentina. These mountains go across several countries, and each country has its own important peaks.

See also: List of mountains in Argentina

See also: Argentina–Chile border

Main article: List of mountains in Chile