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The Andes is a vast mountain range forming a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. It is roughly 7,000 km (4,400 miles) long, 500 km (300 miles) wide in some parts (widest between 18° to 20°S latitude), and of an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 feet). Subject: The Andes as seen from a plane flying from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina Source: Property of User:Cantus File links The following pages link to this file: Andes Categories: GFDL images ...
Subject: The Andes as seen from a plane flying from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina Source: Property of User:Cantus File links The following pages link to this file: Andes Categories: GFDL images ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1162x2183, 730 KB) Satellite view of Andes, source: http://earthobservatory. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1162x2183, 730 KB) Satellite view of Andes, source: http://earthobservatory. ...
A digital elevation model (DEM) is a representation of the topography of the Earth in digital format, that is, by coordinates and numerical descriptions of altitude. ...
A second of arc or arcsecond is a unit of angular measurement which comprises one-sixtieth of an arcminute, or 1/3600 of a degree of arc or 1/1296000 ≈ 7. ...
The most general definition of a mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ...
South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ...
To help compare orders of magnitude; this page lists lengths between 100 and 1,000 km (105 and 106 m). ...
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 1 km and 10 km (103 and 104 m). ...
The Andean range is composed principally of two great ranges, the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Occidental, often separated by a deep intermediate depression, in which arise other chains of minor importance, the chief of which is Chile's Cordillera de la Costa. Other small chains arise on the sides of the great chains. The Cordillera de la Costa starts from the southern extremity of the continent and runs in a northerly direction, parallel with the coast, being broken up at its beginning into a number of islands and afterwards forming the western boundary of the great central valley of Chile. To the north this coastal chain continues in small ridges or isolated hills along the Pacific Ocean as far as Venezuela, always leaving the same valley more or less visible to the west of the western great chain. The mountains extend over seven countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The name Andes comes from the Quechua word andi, which means "high crest." This article needs to be wikified. ...
Cordillera de la Costa means Mountains on the Coast. ...
Quechua (Standard Quechua, Runasimi Language of People) is an Native American language of South America. ...
The Andes range is the highest mountain range outside Asia, with the highest peak, Aconcagua, rising to 6,962 m (22,841 feet) above sea level. The summit of Mount Chimborazo in the Ecuadorean Andes is the point on the Earth's surface most distant from its center, because of the equatorial bulge. The Andes cannot match the Himalaya in height but do so in width and are more than twice as long. The Cerro Aconcagua is located in Argentina and is the highest mountain in The Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, as well the highest peak outside of Asia and one of the Seven Summits. ...
The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ...
Mount Chimborazo is an extinct volcano located in the Andes mountains of central Ecuador, 150 kilometres south-southwest of the capital Quito. ...
An equatorial bulge is a planetological term which describes a bulge which a planet may have around its equator, distorting it into an oblate spheroid. ...
Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ...
Physical features
Geology The formation of the Andes extends into the Paleozoic Era, when terrane accretion was the dominant process. It was during the Cretaceous Period that the Andes began to take their present form, by the uplifting, faulting and folding of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of the ancient cratons to the east. Tectonic forces along the subduction zone along the entire west coast of South America where the Nazca Plate and a part of the Antarctic Plate are sliding beneath the South American Plate continue to produce an ongoing orogenic event resulting in minor to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to this day. In the extreme south a major transform fault separates Tierra del Fuego from the small Scotia Plate. Across the 1,000 km wide Drake Passage lie the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula south of the Scotia Plate which appear to be a continuation of the Andes chain. The Paleozoic Era is a major division of the geologic timescale, one of four geologic eras. ...
A terrane in paleogeography is an accretion that has collided with a continental nucleus, or craton but can be recognized by the foreign origin of its rock strata. ...
Cretaceous period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic period, about 146 million years ago (Ma), to the beginning of the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary period (65. ...
Old fault exposed by roadcut near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ...
See also folding A fold in Slichowice nature reserve in Kielce (Variscan orogeny) The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of plastic (i. ...
Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...
Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of a pre-existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means change in form, derived from the Greek words meta, change, and morphe, form. The protolith is subjected to extreme heat (>150 degrees Celsius) and pressure causing profound...
A craton is an old and stable part of the continental crust that has survived the merging and splitting of continents and supercontinents for at least 500 million years. ...
Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ...
The Nazca plate is shown in light blue on this map The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America. ...
The Antarctic plate is shown in blue on this map The Antarctic Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of Antarctica and extending outward under the surrounding oceans. ...
The South American Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of South America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ...
Orogeny is the process of mountain building, and as such is both a tectonic structural event, a geographical event and a chronological event, in that orogenic events happen within a time frame, affect certain regions of rocks and crust, and cause distinctive structural phenomena and related tectonic activity. ...
A transform fault is a geological fault that is a special case of strike-slip faulting which terminates abruptly, at both ends, at a major transverse geological feature. ...
Tierra del Fuego (Spanish: Land of Fire) is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America. ...
The Scotia plate is shown in blue-green towards the bottom of this map The Scotia Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate bordering the South American Plate on the north, the South Sandwich microplate to the east, and the Antarctic Plate on the south and west. ...
Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica. ...
Antarctic Peninsula map Booth Island and Mount Scott flank the narrow Lemaire Channel on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. ...
The Andes range has many active volcanoes, the most famous being Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanos in the world. Cotopaxi is a volcano located about 50 km south of Quito, Ecuador. ...
The Andes can be divided into three sections: the Southern Andes in Argentina and Chile; the Central Andes, including the Chilean and Peruvian cordilleras; and the northern section in Venezuela, Colombia, and northern Ecuador consisting of two parallel ranges, the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Oriental. The term cordillera comes from the Spanish word meaning 'rope'. The Andes range is approximately 200–300 km wide throughout its length, except in the Bolivian flexure where it is 640 km wide [1] [2].
Climate The climate in the Andes varies greatly depending on location, altitude, proximity to the sea. The southern section is rainy and cool, the central Andes are dry. The northern Andes are typically rainy and warm, with an average temperature of 18 °C in Colombia. The climate is known to change drastically. Tropical rainforests exist just miles away from the snow covered peak, Cotopaxi. The mountains have a large effect on the temperatures of nearby areas. The snow line depends on the location. It is at between 4,500–4,800 m in the tropical Ecuadorian, Colombian, Venezuelan, and northern Peruvian Andes, rising to 4,800–5,200 m in the drier mountains of southern Peru south to northern Chile south to about 30°S, then descending to 4,500 m on Aconcagua at 32°S, 2,000 m at 40°S, 500 m at 50°S, and only 300 m in Tierra del Fuego at 55°S; from 50°S, several of the larger glaciers descend to sea level (Google Earth images). Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ...
The snow line is the point above which, or poleward of which, snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. ...
Tierra del Fuego (Spanish: Land of Fire) is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America. ...
Google Earth is a free-of-charge, downloadable virtual globe program. ...
Image File history File links Andes_-_punta_arenas. ...
Image File history File links Andes_-_punta_arenas. ...
City of Punta Arenas Punta Arenas in Tierra del Fuego Punta Arenas is the main city in the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the Región de Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile. ...
Plant and animal life Tropical rainforests encircle the northern Andes. The cinchona, a source of quinine which is used to treat malaria, is found in the Bolivian Andes. The high-altitude Polylepis forests are present in the Andean areas of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The trees, Queñua, Yagual, Quinua and other names that local people use to call them, can be found at altitudes of 4,500 m above sea level. Once abundant, the forests began disappearing during the Incan period when much of it was used for building material and cooking fuel. The trees are now considered to be highly endangered with only 10 percent of the original forests remaining [3]. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ...
Species See text Cinchona L., is the name of a genus in Rubiaceae family, large evergreens that can grow over 10 metres tall. ...
Quinine, C20H24N2O2, is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic, anti-malarial and analgesic properties and a bitter taste. ...
The llama can be found living at high altitudes, predominantly in the Peru and Bolivia. The alpaca, a type of llama, is raised for its wool. The nocturnal chinchilla, an endangered member of the rodent order, inhabits the Andes' alpine regions. The South American condor is the largest bird of its kind in the Western hemisphere. Other animals include the huemul, puma, camelids and, for birds, the partridge, parina, huallata, and coot. Llamas and pumas play important roles in many Andean cultures. Binomial name Lama glama (Linnaeus, 1758) The llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid that originated in North America and then later on moved on to South America. ...
Genera Chinchilla Lagidium Lagostomus Chinchillas and their relatives viscachas are small, nocturnal mammals native to the Andes mountains in South America and belonging to the family Chinchillidae. ...
Families See Classification Section The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ...
Binomial name Vultur gryphus Linnaeus, 1758 Gymnogyps californianus (Shaw, 1797) Condor is the name for two species of bird in one of the vulture families. ...
Species Hippocamelus bisulcusMolina, 1782 Hippocamelus antisensis The Huemul is an endangered mammal of the Cervidae family. ...
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
Genera Perdix Alectoris Lerwa Bambusicola Ptilopachus Rollulus Haematortyx Caloperdix Arborophila Xenoperdix Melanoperdix †See also Pheasant, Quail, Grouse Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. ...
Species Fulica cristata Fulica atra Fulica alai Fulica americana Fulica caribaea Fulica leucoptera Fulica ardesiaca Fulica armillata Fulica rufifrons Fulica gigantea Fulica cornuta The coots are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family. ...
The people
Mountaineering/Surveying Woodbine Parish and Joseph Barclay Pentland surveyed a large part of the Bolivian Andes from 1826 to 1827. Sir Woodbine Parish (September 14, 1796—August 16, 1882) was a British diplomat and traveler. ...
Medallion of Joseph Barclay Pentland, by Pierre Jean David Joseph Barclay Pentland (1797-1873) was an Irish geographer, natural scientist, and traveler. ...
The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
Transportation The people of the Andes are not well connected to urban regions. Due to the arduous terrain, vehicles are of little use. People generally walk to their destinations, using the llama as their primary pack animal.
Agriculture The ancient peoples of the Andes such as the Incas have practiced irrigation techniques for over 6,000 years. Because of the mountain slopes, terracing has been a common practice. Maize and barley were important crops for these people. Currently, tobacco, cotton and coffee are the main export crops. The potato holds a very important role as an internally consumed crop.
By far the most important plant in terms of history and culture is coca, the leaves of which have been central to the Andean people for centuries. Coca has been a staple dietary supplement and cornerstone to Andean culture throughout much of its history.
Mining Mining is quite prosperous in the Andes, with iron, gold, silver and copper being the main production minerals. The Andes are reputed to be one of the most important sources of these minerals in the world.
Peaks This is a partial listing of the major peaks in the Andes mountain range—typically 5 km or more in height. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1365, 246 KB) Licancabur and Laguna verde, by User:Gerd Breitenbach 2003, source File links The following pages link to this file: Licancabur ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1365, 246 KB) Licancabur and Laguna verde, by User:Gerd Breitenbach 2003, source File links The following pages link to this file: Licancabur ...
Licancabur is a stratovolcano which lies on the border of Chile and Bolivia near the Laguna Verde. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (952x540, 76 KB) Llullaillaco (Chile, Argentina) by User:HeikoStamer 2002. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (952x540, 76 KB) Llullaillaco (Chile, Argentina) by User:HeikoStamer 2002. ...
Llullaillaco, pronounced yOOyÄ«yäkÅ, is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina (province of Salta) and Chile. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 331 KB) Aconcagua, Argentina, January, 2005, by Sergio Schmiegelow File links The following pages link to this file: Aconcagua Gallery of mountains ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 331 KB) Aconcagua, Argentina, January, 2005, by Sergio Schmiegelow File links The following pages link to this file: Aconcagua Gallery of mountains ...
The Cerro Aconcagua is located in Argentina and is the highest mountain in The Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, as well the highest peak outside of Asia and one of the Seven Summits. ...
Hector Zumba Campos Jackson Heights NY File links The following pages link to this file: Chimborazo (volcano) ...
Hector Zumba Campos Jackson Heights NY File links The following pages link to this file: Chimborazo (volcano) ...
Chimborazo is a province in Ecuador. ...
Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1466 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1466 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Alpamayo is one of 50 peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, part of the Peruvian Andes. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links El_misti. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links El_misti. ...
El Misti is a volcano located in southern Peru near the city of Arequipa. ...
Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1328 KB)View of Nevado Huascarán from the town of Huaraz File links The following pages link to this file: Ancash Region Huascarán ...
Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1328 KB)View of Nevado Huascarán from the town of Huaraz File links The following pages link to this file: Ancash Region Huascarán ...
Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain of the Cordillera Blanca, part of the Western Andes. ...
Bolivia - Ancohuma, 6,427 m
- Cabaray, 5,860 m
- Chacaltaya, 5,421 m
- Huayna Potosí, 6,088 m
- Illampu, 6,368 m
- Illimani, 6,438 m
- Macizo de Larancagua, 5,520 m
- Macizo de Pacuni, 5,400 m
- Nevado Anallajsi, 5,750 m
- Nevado Sajama, 6,542 m
- Patilla Pata, 5,300 m
- Tata Sabaya, 5,430 m
Cabaray is stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Chacaltaya is a mountain in Bolivia with an elevation of 5421 m (17,785 feet). ...
Huayna Potosà is a mountain in Bolivia, located about 25 km north of La Paz. ...
Illimani is an extinct stratovolcano in western Bolivia, just south of La Paz and east of the Altiplano, in the Cordillera Oriental range of the Andes Mountains. ...
Macizo de Larancagua is a stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Macizo de Pacuni is a stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Nevado Analljsi is stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Nevado Sajama is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. ...
Patilla Pata is a stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Tata Sabaya is a stratovolcano in Bolivia. ...
Bolivia/Chile - Cerro Minchincha, 5,305 m
- Irruputuncu, 5,163 m
- Licancabur, 5,920 m
- Olca, 5,407 m
- Parinacota, 6,348 m
- Paruma, 5,420 m
- Pomerape, 6,348 m
Cerro Minchincha is a stratovolcano on the border of Bolivia and Chile. ...
Elevation: 5,163 m (16,939 ft) Latitude: 20° 44′ 0″ S Longitude: 68° 33′ 0″ W Location: Bolivia/Chile Range: Andes Type: Stratovolcano Last eruption: unknown First ascent: Easiest route: Irruputuncu is a stratovolcano which lies on the border of Chile and Bolivia. ...
Licancabur is a stratovolcano which lies on the border of Chile and Bolivia near the Laguna Verde. ...
Olca is a stratovolcano on the border of Chile and Bolivia. ...
Parinacota is a massive stratovolcano on the border of Chile and Bolivia. ...
Paruma is a stratovolcano that lies on the border of Bolivia and Chile. ...
Pomerape is a stratovolcano lying on the border of Chile and Bolivia. ...
Chile/Argentina - Aconcagua, 6,962 m
- Acotango, 6,052 m
- Cerro Bayo, 5,401 m
- Cerro Escorial, 5,447 m
- Cordón del Azufre, 5,463 m
- Falso Azufre, 5,890 m
- Lastarria, 5,697 m
- Llullaillaco, 6,739 m
- Maipo, 5,264 m
- Marmolejo, 6110 m
- Ojos del Salado, 6,893 m
- Olca, 5,407 m
- Pissis, 6,795 m
- Sierra Nevada de Lagunas Bravas, 6,127 m
- Socompa, 6,051 m
The Cerro Aconcagua is located in Argentina and is the highest mountain in The Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, as well the highest peak outside of Asia and one of the Seven Summits. ...
Acotango is the middle and highest of a group of stratovolcanos straddling the border of Bolivia and Chile. ...
Cerro Bayo is a volcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Cerro Escorial is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Cordón del Azufre is a small volcanic complex located on the Central Andes, at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Falso Azufre is a volcano complex at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Lastarria is a stratovolcano along the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Llullaillaco, pronounced yOOyÄ«yäkÅ, is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina (province of Salta) and Chile. ...
Maipo is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Marmolejo is a peak in the Andes on the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Ojos del Salado is an extinct volcano in the Andes on the border of Argentina-Chile and also the highest volcano on Earth. ...
Olca is a stratovolcano on the border of Chile and Bolivia. ...
Monte Pissis is an extinct volcano in Argentina. ...
Sierra Nevada, also known as Sierra Nevada de Lagunas Bravas, is a complex volcano which lies in both Chile and Argentina. ...
Socompa is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. ...
Colombia Galeras is a volcano in Colombia, near the city of Pasto. ...
Pico Cristóbal Colón is the highest mountain in Colombia and the fifth greatest in the world, measured by relative height (see list of peaks by prominence). ...
Nevado del Ruiz is a volcano in Colombia. ...
Ecuador - Antisana, 5,753 m
- Cayambe, 5,790 m
- Chimborazo, 6,267 m
- Corazón, 4,790 m
- Cotopaxi, 5,897 m
- El Altar, 5,320 m
- Illiniza, 5,248 m
- Pichincha, 4,784 m
- Reventador, 3,562 m
- Sangay, 5,230 m
- Tungurahua, 5,023 m
Antisana is a volcano of the northern Andes, in Ecuador, 5,753 m high; also a village on its flanks, 13,000 ft high, the highest village in the world. ...
Cayambe is the name of a volcano located in the central branch of the Ecuadorian Andes, in Pichincha province some 70 km north of Quito. ...
The Chimborazo is an extinct volcano located in the Andes mountains of central Ecuador, 150 kilometres (93 miles) south-southwest of the capital Quito. ...
Corazón (span. ...
Cotopaxi is a volcano located about 50 km south of Quito, Ecuador. ...
El Altar is an extinct volcano on the western side of Sangay National Park in Ecuador, 170 km south of Quito. ...
Illiniza is a volcano in Ecuador, located about 55 km southwest of Quito. ...
Pichincha is an active volcano in the country of Ecuador whose capital Quito wraps around its eastern slopes. ...
Reventador is an active volcano which lies in the eastern Andes in Ecuador. ...
The Sangay is a constantly active volcano in southeastern Ecuador. ...
Tungurahua (Quechua tunguri=gullet, rahua=burn, spit fire) is an active stratovolcano in Ecuador. ...
Peru - Alpamayo, 5,947 m
- Carnicero, 5,960 m
- El Misti, 5,822 m
- El Toro, 5,830 m
- Huascarán, 6,768 m
- Jirishanca, 6,094 m
- Rasac, 6,040 m
- Rondoy, 5,870 m
- Sarapo, 6,127 m
- Seria Norte, 5,860 m
- Siula Grande, 6,344 m
- Yerupaja, 6,635 m
- Yerupaja Chico, 6,089 m
Alpamayo is one of 50 peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, part of the Peruvian Andes. ...
El Misti is a volcano located in southern Peru near the city of Arequipa. ...
Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain of the Cordillera Blanca, part of the Western Andes. ...
Siula Grande is a mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash, in the Peruvian Andes. ...
Yerupaja or Nevado Yerupaja is a mountain of the Cordillera Huayhuash in north central Peru, part of the Andes. ...
Venezuela - Pico Bolívar, 4,981 m
- Pico Humboldt, 4,940 m
- Pico La Concha, 4,870 m
- Pico Piedras Blancas, 4,740 m
The Pico BolÃvar is the highest mountain in Venezuela, at 4,981 meters. ...
Pico Humboldt is Venezuelas second highest peak, at 4,940 meters above the sea level. ...
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