The Cordillera Mountains are the longest mountain range in the world. Great Soviet Encyclopedia - Cordillera

Cordillera is the largest mountain system in the world. It is located on the west coast of North and South America. That is, it is divided into two approximately equal parts. For this reason, sometimes its southern part, the Andes, is called the longest mountain system (9000 km).

This is partly true, since the Andes, as a separate object, indeed have a large extent.

The length of the Cordillera is about 18 thousand km. Approximately 9 thousand km for each of its parts - they are almost equal. But if we talk about the size in general, then the northern part is larger - it is wider (up to 1600 km). But the southern one is higher - 6962 meters at the highest point (Mount Aconcagua). In the northern part of the Cordillera, the height reaches 6190 meters (Mount Denali), which is also quite a lot. In general, in terms of height, this mountain system is among the leaders, although it is far from in the first place.

Since the Cordilleras stretch for vast distances, they lie in almost all geographical zones. And this means that the conditions here are very diverse. However, something similar is observed throughout the length of the mountains - glaciation. Even in the hottest climatic zones, there are snow caps on the mountains (due to the relatively high altitude of the mountains). The total area of glaciation is 90 thousand km2.

Peaks of the Cordillera

Although the highest points of the mountain system are located at six thousand meters, the average height of the mountains is 3-4 km. Although, the relief of this geological object is very diverse, so the designation of the height is rather arbitrary.

The highest peaks of the mountain system are:

- Mount Aconcagua (extinct volcano) - 6962 meters.
- Mount Denali (McKinley) - 6190 meters.
- Ojos del Salado (the largest volcano in the world) - 6891 meters.
- Monte Pissis - 6792 meters.
- Lullaillaco (active volcano) - 6739 meters
- Tupungato (active volcano) - 6565 meters.
- Volcano Orizaba - 5700 meters.

- The system consists of a large number of mountain arcs, which already gives a certain uniqueness to the Cordillera.
You can also note the presence of mountain ranges and basins that form elevations and depressions of the relief - this is very interesting.
- In the Cordillera there is a fairly high volcanic activity. True, we are not talking about erupting volcanoes.
- In the mountains there are large reserves of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, as well as oil and brown coal.
- Due to the large number of climatic zones, the flora of the Cordillera is very diverse.

The mountains of America are primarily the Cordillera system - the longest mountain system in the world, which stretches along the western coast of both Americas (North and South America). Any resident of North and South America knows where the Cordilleras are. The slopes of the ridges in the sowing. parts of the Cordillera are covered in main. coniferous forests.

The Cordilleras lie in all geographical zones of America (except for the subantarctic and antarctic) and are distinguished by a wide variety of landscapes and a pronounced altitudinal zonality.

In the northwestern Cordillera of North America and in the southeast of the Andes, glaciers descend to ocean level; in the hot zone, they cover only the highest peaks. The formation of the Cordillera has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes and intense volcanism (more than 80 active volcanoes).

The Cordilleras are unusual in that they are located on two continents at once. In addition to the Rocky Mountains themselves, it includes the Brooks Range in Alaska, the Richardson Range and the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada, and the Eastern Sierra Madre mountain range in Mexico. The highest point of the belt is Mount Elbert, which is located within the state of Colorado.

It includes the Fraser Plateau, the Columbia Mountains, the Great Basin Highlands, the Colorado Plateau, and the Mexican Highlands. In Central America and the islands of the Caribbean, the Cordilleras fall into three main mountain arcs, which are separated by depressions.

The Cordilleras of North America are composed of various geological structures of different ages. Due to the very long extent in the meridional direction, the climate in the Cordillera varies greatly. These mountains stretch along the western side of the aforementioned continents: from Alaska (the northwestern part of North America) to the island of Tierra del Fuego, which is located not far from Antarctica.

The Cordilleras are one of the highest mountains in the world.

Only the Himalayas, as well as several other mountain systems of the central part of Asia, surpass them in height. On the territory where the Cordilleras are located, entire civilizations of the Indians were born, unique in their development and cultural heritage.

The Cordillera of North America is divided into a number of ranges. Further southeast within Canada and the United States, the Cordillera are called the "Rocky Mountains". Cordillera in the west of the mainland Sev. America. Int. some form a plateau, highlands and plateaus - Yukon, Fraser, Colombian, Colorado, Mexican. Glaciers cover approx. 80 thousand km²; most of them are in the mountains of Alaska. To the east evergreen tropical forests grow on the periphery of the Mexican Highlands, in the Cordillera Center. Americas - deciduous tropical forests, thorny bushes, thickets of cacti and secondary savannahs.

Where are the Cordillera located?

In the Cordillera Center. America and the West Indies, three mountain arcs are distinguished: the northern arc follows through the Cayman Islands to Cuba (the Sierra Maestra mountains), Haiti (the Central. Southern parts of the internal plateaus are occupied by dry steppes and deserts. Cordillera - This term has others meanings, see Cordillera (disambiguation) Part of the western belt are large mountains - the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada range and the Transverse Volcanic Sierra.

The relief of North America is diverse and contrasting. In the west, the plains adjoin the mountain structures of the Cordilleras. Within the mountainous West of the mainland are the Cordilleras. By age, the Cordillera is the youngest part of the mainland, although they began to form in the Mesozoic.

Within this mountain system, three belts of ridges are clearly visible. One of them - the Cordillera proper - in the west. The second belt, eastern, covers the Rocky Mountains. In the far north, these ranges converge, in the central part, on the contrary, they diverge.

Cordilleras prevent the penetration of oceanic air masses deep into the continent. With the distance from the Pacific Ocean, significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the Cordillera are more and more clearly visible. By natural features, this large mountain system can be divided into such natural countries: the Cordillera of Alaska and Canada, the Cordillera of the United States, the Mexican Highlands, the mountains and islands of Central America.

The mountain ranges of this natural country fringe the Yukon Plateau to the east and west. The development of the mountains has not yet ended, as evidenced by the large number of active volcanoes. Between them and the Sierra Nevada mountains is a deep depression of the California Valley. This is a mountain system of the Appalachian Highlands, stretching along the east coast of North America. The Cordillera of North America is a system of mountain ranges and plateaus, which is part of the Cordillera system and occupies the west. part of Sev. America.

Physical-geographical zoning of the Cordillera

600 - 800 m, and the Brooks Mountains, 1200 - 1800 m.

Within Canada, C. S. A. has a southeast. The main uplifts of the Canadian part of the C. S. A. - the Rocky Mountains in the East and the Coast Range in the West have an alpine relief, due to the mean. The Canadian Coast Range passes into the Cascade Mountains from the volcanic.

Cordillera - one of the highest mountains in the world

To the south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the mountain belt bifurcates: one branch deviates to the E and continues on the Center Islands. America, the other stretches to the Isthmus of Panama. Between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and South. America, the Cordillera have the character of more or less isolated, predominantly. low ridges and massifs.

The snow limit in Alaska is at an altitude of 600 meters, in Tierra del Fuego - 500-700 meters, in Bolivia and Southern Peru it rises to 6000-6500 meters. The western belt is represented by folded and volcanic ridges that run parallel to the Pacific coast. The inner belt includes a number of plateaus and plateaus located between two other belts. Thus, the arc, which is a structural continuation of the Rocky Mountains and the Eastern Sierra Madre, forms the mountains of the islands of Cuba, northern Haiti and Puerto Rico.

See what the Cordillera of North America is in other dictionaries:

The mountains began to form in the Jurassic, a little earlier than the Andes, whose formation began only at the end of the Cretaceous. To the north of the 50th latitude, the snow supply of watercourses predominates, and to the south - rain. Especially many hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Columbia River basin.

In the Cordillera there are sources of such large rivers as the Yukon, Mackenzie, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande and many others. The Cordilleras of North America are found mainly in countries such as Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Cordillera(Spanish Cordilleras, literally - mountain ranges), the largest and unparalleled mountain system on the globe. The Cordillera mountain system is also one of the highest mountain systems second only to the Himalayas and the mountain systems of Central Asia.

Geography of the Cordillera mountain system

The Cordillera stretch from the Arctic coast of Alaska (66°N) in northwestern North America along the western coasts of North and South America to the southernmost coasts of Tierra del Fuego (56°S) in southern South America. On its way, the Cordilleras pass through many countries of both continents: Canada, the USA, Mexico, the states of Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. The length of the Cordillera mountain system is more than 18,000 kilometers. The highest point is located in South America at the top of Mount Aconcagua at 6960 meters above sea level, and in North America the highest peak of the Cordillera corresponds to the peak on Mount McKinley (in Alaska) reaching a height of 6193 meters. The Cordilleras form a giant barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the eastern parts of both continents. The Cordilleras are a large watershed between two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, and are also the climatic boundary between countries located on both sides of the mountain system. It is customary to divide the entire mountain system of the Cordillera into two parts, corresponding to the territories of both continents, these are the Cordillera of North America and the Cordillera of South America, or the Andes. The entire mountain system consists of numerous parallel ridges bordering a discontinuous belt of internal plateaus and plateaus (in North America - Yukon, Fraser, Columbia, B. Basin, Colorado, Mexican; in South - Peruvian and Central Andean). There are three distinct mountain range systems in North America, one of which (Rocky Mountains) extends to the east of the tableland zone, another system of mountain ranges extends immediately to the west of this zone (Alaska Range, Coast Range of Canada, Cascade Mountains, Sierra Nevada etc.) and the third system of mountain ranges runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, partly on the coastal islands. Arriving in Central America, the Cordillera gradually descends and bifurcates into two branches. One branch runs east along the Antilles, the other crosses the Isthmus of Panama and enters the mainland of South America. The Andes (Cordillera of South America) in the northern and central parts consist of four, and in the rest of the length of two systems of parallel ridges, separated by deep longitudinal depressions or intermountain plateaus.

The highest mountain peaks of the Cordillera are the ridges of the middle Andes, where the height of individual mountain peaks reaches more than 6700 m (Aconcagua, 6960 m; Ojos del Salado, 6880 m; Sajama, 6780 m; Lullaillaco, 6723 m). The width of the mountain range varies quite a lot, so in North America the width of the Cordillera mountain belt reaches 1600 km, and on the southern mainland it reaches only 900 km, which is almost half as much.

The main mountain-building processes, due to which the Cordillera arose, began in North America as early as the Jurassic period, in South America (where the structures of the Paleozoic Hercynian folding take a large part) - at the end of the Cretaceous period and took place in close connection with the formation of mountain systems on other continents ( cm.

Alpine folding). Mountain-building processes actively continued in the Cenozoic. These processes largely determine the main orographic elements.

The folded structures of the Cordillera are closely connected with the mountain systems of northeast Asia and Antarctica. According to the latest observations, the formation of the Cordillera is far from over; rather frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and intense volcanism, often leading to severe destruction and casualties among both people and the animal world, testify to these observations.

In the active regions of the Cordillera, there are more than 80 active volcanoes, of which the most active are Katmai, Lassen Peak, Colima, Antisana, Sangay, San Pedro, volcanoes of Chile, etc. Quaternary glaciation also played an important role in shaping the relief of the Cordillera, especially to the north of 44° N sh. and south of 40°S. sh. The Cordilleras are rich in minerals. Here I mine significant deposits of copper (especially rich deposits in Chile), zinc, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, platinum, tin, oil, etc.

The climate of the Cordillera mountain system

Due to its great length from north to south, the strong dissection of the relief and the high altitude of the mountains, the result is an exceptionally wide variety of natural conditions in the Cordillera mountain system. Cordilleras lie in almost all geographic zones of the globe (except for the Antarctic and subantarctic belts).

The climate of the Cordillera is very diverse and varies greatly depending on the latitude, altitude and exposure of the slopes. The marginal ridges of the Cordillera are strongly moistened in the temperate and subarctic zones (western slopes) and in the equatorial and subequatorial zones (mainly eastern slopes). The internal plateaus have a sharply continental climate; in the subtropical and tropical zones they are distinguished by exceptional aridity. Significant parts of the plateaus, internal depressions and slopes of the ridges, mainly in the tropical zones, are occupied by steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The heavily moistened outlying mountain chains are covered with dense forests. Coniferous forests (in the north) and mixed forests of evergreen beeches and conifers (in the south) are widely developed in temperate zones, and mixed (deciduous-evergreen) subtropical and tropical forests are closer to the equator. On the wet slopes of the ridges of the equatorial, subequatorial and subtropical belts, there are complex spectra of high belts, from hyla to eternal snow. The snow limit lies in Alaska at an altitude of 600 m, in Tierra del Fuego 500-700 m, in Bolivia and Southern Peru it rises to 6000-6500 m. In Alaska and Southern Chile, glaciers descend to ocean level, in the hot zone they cover only the highest tops.

Description and characteristics

The total length of the mountain range is more than 18 thousand km, the maximum width in North America is 1600 km, in South America - 900 km. Almost throughout its entire length, it plays the role of a watershed between the basins of two outstanding oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as a pronounced climatic natural boundary. In terms of height, the Cordillera is second only to the Himalayas (the highest mountains in the world, located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Gangetic Plain) and the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The highest peaks of the Cordillera are McKinley Peak (English Mount McKinley; Alaska, North America, 6193 m) and (Spanish Aconcagua; Argentina, South America, 6962 m).

The Cordilleras cross almost all geographical zones (except for the Antarctic and Subantarctic). The mountain system is characterized by a wide variety of landscapes and a clearly defined altitudinal zonality. The snow limit lies at altitudes: in Alaska - 600 m, in Tierra del Fuego - from 600 to 700 m, in Bolivia and Peru it rises to 6500 m. If in the northwest of North America and in the southeast of the Andes glaciers descend almost to ocean level , then in the tropical zone they crown only the highest peaks.

The mountain system is divided into 2 parts, consisting of many parallel ranges: the Cordillera of North America and the Cordillera of South America, called. One mountain branch passes through the Antilles, the other passes into the territory of the South American mainland.

The main processes of mountain building, as a result of which the Cordillera were formed, took place in North America from the end of the Jurassic period to the beginning of the Paleogene, in South America - from the middle of the Cretaceous period, actively continuing in the Cenozoic era. To date, the formation of the mountain system has not been completed, which is confirmed by frequent earthquakes and high-intensity volcanic processes. There are more than 80 active volcanoes, of which the following are the most active: Katmai (eng. Katmai; south p / o Alaska), Lassen Peak (eng. Lassen Peak; North America), Colima (Spanish Volcan de Colima; western regton Mexico), (Spanish Volcan de Antisana; 50 km southeast of Quito, Ecuador), (Spanish Sangay; Ecuador), (Spanish Volcan San Pedro; northern Chile), Orizaba (Spanish Pico de Orizaba ) and Popocatepetl (Spanish: Popocatepetl) in Mexico, etc.

Relief structure

The relief of the Cordillera is quite complex, the system is subdivided into folded-blocky ridges, volcanic mountains and developing young platform depressions (accumulative plains). Mountain folds were formed at the junction of 2 lithospheric plates, in the area of compression of the earth's crust, which is crossed by many faults starting at the bottom of the ocean.

The largest relief structures of the Cordillera include: Alaska Range (English Alaska Range; Alaska), Coast Ranges (English Coast Ranges), Rocky Mountains (English Rocky Mountains; western USA and Canada), Colorado Plateau (English Colorado Plateau; west USA), Cascade Mountains (Eng. Cascade Range; West of North America), Sierra Nevada (Spanish: Sierra Nevada; North America). The ranges are cut by deep river valleys called canyons.

Cordillera

Andean Cordillera, or (Spanish Cordillera de los Andes) - the southern part of the Cordillera with a length of about 9 thousand km, they border the entire South American continent from the northwest. The average width of the Andes is 500 km (maximum width: 750 km), the average height is about 4 thousand meters.

The Andean ranges are a giant inter-oceanic divide. In the mountains, the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin originate and flow to the east (and many of its tributaries, tributaries of Paraguay, the Patagonian rivers), to the west - small rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin.

The Andean ranges serve as the most important climatic barrier, protecting the territories lying to the west of the Main Cordillera chain from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern territories from the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The mountains stretch across 5 climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate.

Due to the impressive length, the individual landscape parts of the Andes are strikingly different from each other. According to the nature of the relief and climatic differences, 3 main regions are distinguished: Northern, Central and Southern Andes.

The Andes stretch from north to south through the territories of 7 South American states: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Behind (Spanish Drake) is the Antarctic Peninsula, which is a continuation of the South American Andes.

Minerals

The Cordilleras are characterized by a variety of minerals, in particular, huge reserves of ferrous and non-ferrous ores. The Andes are predominantly rich in non-ferrous metal ores, there are significant deposits of tungsten, vanadium, bismuth, tin, molybdenum, lead, arsenic, zinc, antimony, etc.

The territory of Chile has large deposits of copper. In the foothills of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela there are oil and gas deposits, as well as brown coal deposits. In the Bolivian Andes there are iron deposits, in the Chilean Andes - sodium nitrate, in the Colombian - underground pantries of platinum, gold, silver and emeralds.

Cordillera: Climate

Northern Andes. The northern part of the Andes belongs to the subequatorial zone of the northern hemisphere with alternating dry and wet seasons. The rainy season is from May to November. The Caribbean Andes are located at the junction of the tropical and subequatorial belts; a tropical climate with low rainfall dominates here all year round.

The equatorial belt is characterized by an abundance of precipitation and an almost complete absence of seasonal temperature fluctuations, for example, in (Spanish Quito - the capital of Ecuador) fluctuations in average monthly temperatures per year is about 0.4 ° C. The altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed here: in the lower part of the mountains the climate is hot and humid with almost daily precipitation, in the lowlands there are many swamps. As the altitude increases, the amount of precipitation decreases, but the massiveness of the snow cover increases. From a height of 2.5 - 3 thousand meters, daily temperature fluctuations increase (up to 20 ° C). At altitudes of 3.5 - 3.8 thousand meters, the average daily temperatures are about + 10 °C. Even higher - the climate is dry, harsh, with frequent snowfalls; at positive daytime temperatures, severe frosts occur at night. Above 4.5 thousand meters - the zone of eternal snow.

Central Andes. One can note an obvious asymmetry in the distribution of precipitation: the eastern Andean slopes are moistened much more intensively than the western ones. To the west of the Cordillera Main chain, the climate is desert, with very few rivers, in this part of the Andes extends (Spanish: Desierto de Atacama), the driest place on the planet. In some places the desert rises up to 3 thousand meters above sea level. Few oases are mainly located in the valleys of small rivers, fed by water from the melting of mountain glaciers. The average January temperature of the coastal zones ranges from +24°C (in the north) to +19°C (in the south); mid-July - from +19°C (in the north) to +13°C (in the south). Above 3 thousand meters there is also little precipitation, there are invasions of cold winds, then the temperature sometimes drops to -20 ° C. The average July temperature is not higher than +15°C.

Fog is frequent at low altitudes. The climate is very severe, the average annual temperatures do not rise above +10°C. It has a great softening effect on the climate of the surrounding area.

Southern Andes. The Chilean-Argentinean Andes are characterized by a subtropical climate, with dry summers and wet winters. As the distance from the ocean increases, the continentality of the climate increases, and seasonal temperature fluctuations increase.

As you move south, the subtropical climate of the western slopes gradually turns into a temperate oceanic climate. Powerful western cyclones bring a huge amount of precipitation to the coast - more than two hundred days a year there are heavy rains, thick fogs are frequent here, the sea is constantly stormy. The eastern slopes are drier than the western ones, the average summer temperature on the western slopes of the mountains ranges from +10°C to +15°C.

At the southernmost tip of the Andes (Tierra del Fuego), the climate is very humid, shaped by powerful southwesterly winds. Precipitation falls for most of the year, often in the form of drizzle; low temperatures prevail throughout the year with very little seasonal variation.

Vegetation

Impressive heights, a pronounced difference in the moisture content of the western and eastern slopes of the mountains - all this determines the great diversity of the vegetation cover of the Andes, 3 altitudinal belts are usually distinguished here:

Tierra caliente (Spanish Tierra caliente - "Hot Land"), the lower forest belt in the mountains of Central (up to 800 m) and South America (up to 1500 m);
Tierra fria (Spanish Tierra fria - "Cold Earth"), the upper forest belt in Central and South America, from 1700-2000 m (in low latitudes) to 3500 m (under the equator);
Tierra Ellado (Spanish: Tierra helado - "Frosty Land"), a high mountain belt (between 3500-3800 and 4500-4800 m) with a harsh climate.

IN Venezuelan Andes shrubs and deciduous forests grow. The lower slopes ("tierra caliente") from the Northwestern to the Central Andes are covered with humid tropical (equatorial) and mixed forests, which are characterized by various palm trees, banana and cocoa trees, ficuses, etc.

In the tierra fria zone, the nature of the vegetation changes noticeably: tree-like ferns, bamboos, cinchona, and coca bushes are typical for this zone. Between 3000 and 3800 m shrubs and stunted trees grow: creepers and epiphytes, tree ferns, myrtle, heather and evergreen oaks are common. Even higher, predominantly xerophytic vegetation grows, moss swamps and lifeless rocky cliffs are located. Above 4500 m there is a belt of ice and eternal snow.

South, in the subtropics Chilean Andes evergreen shrubs predominate. High mountain plateaus in the north are covered with wet equatorial meadows - (Spanish: Paramo), in Peruvian Andes and in the east of Tierra helado - dry mountain-tropical cereal steppes of Khalka (Spanish: Hulka), on the Pacific west coast - desert vegetation, in the Atacama Desert - numerous succulent epiphytes and cacti. Between 3000 m and 4500 m semi-desert vegetation (dry puna) prevails: dwarf shrubs, lichens, cereals and cacti. To the east of the Main Cordillera, a large amount of precipitation falls, here there is steppe vegetation with cushion-shaped shrubs and various grasses: feather grass, fescue, reed grass.

Tropical forests (cinchona, palm trees) rise along the wet slopes of the Eastern Cordillera up to 1500 m, turning into undersized evergreen forests (bamboos, ferns, lianas); and above 3000 m - in the high-mountain steppes. A typical representative of the flora of the Andean highlands (found up to 4500 m) is polylepis (Polylepis, Rosaceae family) - this plant is common in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador.

In the middle part of the Chilean Andes, today the mountain slopes are practically bare, there are only separate groves consisting of pines, araucaria, beeches, eucalyptus and plane trees.

The slopes of the Patagonian Andes are covered with subarctic multi-tiered forests of tall trees and evergreen shrubs; there are many lianas, mosses and lichens in the forests. To the south there are mixed forests in which magnolias, beeches, tree ferns, conifers and bamboos grow. Oriental Patagonian Andes overgrown mainly with beech forests. The extreme south of the Patagonian slopes is characterized by tundra vegetation.

Mixed forests of tall deciduous and evergreen trees (canelo and southern beeches) occupy a narrow coastal strip in the west of the Andean ranges of Tierra del Fuego; almost immediately above the border of the forest, a snow belt extends. Subantarctic alpine meadows and peatlands are widespread in the east.

Animal world

The Andean fauna is characterized by a large number of endemic species. Alpacas and llamas live in the mountains (the local population uses representatives of these species to obtain meat and wool, as well as pack animals), various types of monkeys, pudu deer, relic spectacled bear and gaemal (endemic) guanaco, vicuña, sloth, Azar fox, marsupial opossum, chinchilla, anteater and degu rodents. In the south live: Magellanic dog, blue fox, tuko-tuko (endemic rodent), etc.

A variety of birds live in abundance in the "foggy forests" (tropical rainforests of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and northwestern Argentina), among them are hummingbirds, which can be found even at altitudes of more than 4 thousand meters. The endemic condor lives at altitudes up to 7 thousand m. Some species of animals, such as chinchillas (which were uncontrollably exterminated in the 19th and early 20th centuries for valuable skins), as well as the Titicaca whistler and wingless grebes, living only in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca (Spanish: Titicaca), today are on the verge of extinction.

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The Cordillera of North America is the northern part of the Cordillera mountain system, stretching along the Pacific coast of the mainland for nine thousand kilometers, and diverging more than one and a half thousand kilometers wide. They start on, their southern border is the valley of the Mexican Balsas River, which separates North and Central America, to the south - the mountains of the Southern Sierra Madre, belonging to the Cordillera of Central America, which pass into the Andes, forming the longest mountain system of the Earth with a length of more than 18 thousand km .
These mountains cross the territory of three countries of North America: the USA (from Alaska to California), Canada and Mexico.
The history of the formation of the Cordilleras of North America is incredibly complex, primarily because of the large area of this object and the significant duration of its formation: for example, the age of the rocks of the vast Colorado Plateau and the eastern ridges of the Rocky Mountains is about 2.4 billion years. The process of formation of the Cordilleras of North America is still in its active phase, earthquakes are not uncommon here, and volcanic eruptions also occur.
In the configuration of this part of the Cordillera, three longitudinal mountain belts are clearly visible.
East, he is a belt with the top of Elbert, - a chain of high massive ridges. In the east, it is bounded by a sharp ledge, which is the boundary of the foothill plateaus (Arctic Plateau, Great Plains), and in the west it is bounded by deep tectonic depressions, called the "Moat of the Rocky Mountains", or by the valleys of large rivers like the Rio Grande. The southernmost section of the eastern belt forms the Eastern Sierra Madre, about 4 km high.
The inner belt is enclosed between the eastern belt and the western belt of the Pacific ridges. In Alaska, these are vast tectonic depressions occupied by river valleys and alternating with relatively low mountain ranges, in Canada - numerous high plateaus under 2.5 km high, within the US and Mexico proper - high mountain ranges and volcanic plateaus.
The western (Pacific) belt, which includes the highest ridges, consists of a belt of Pacific ridges, a belt of intermountain depressions, and a belt of coastal chains. The belt of the Pacific ridges includes the Alaska Range with the highest point of the entire mainland - the top of Denali. Part of the western belt are large mountains - the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Range and the Transverse Volcanic Sierra. Most of the peaks of the local mountains are cones of active and extinct volcanoes 4 km high and above, the most famous are Rainier, Orizaba, Popocatepetl and Nevada de Colima.
Sedimentary rocks accumulated in the depressions between the mountain ranges for a long time, as a result, huge deposits of various minerals were formed throughout the Cordillera of North America, and metal ores were formed in the thickness of the mountains. There are oil deposits in the Canadian Cis-Cordillera foredeep and in depressions in Alaska and California, in the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada and Sierra Madre - ores of gold, tungsten, copper, molybdenum, polymetals, in the Coast Ranges - mercury and everywhere - deposits of stone coal.
Glaciers occupy almost 70 thousand km 2, most of which are located in the mountains of Alaska, among them Bering stands out - the largest mountain glacier in North America (some glaciologists believe that the whole world).
In the Cordillera lie the sources and headwaters of many major rivers in North America: Yukon, Saskatchewan, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande. There are lakes, many are salty, the most famous is Bolshoe Salt.
The Cordillera of North America is the northern part of the Cordillera mountain system, stretching along the western edge of North America and into Central America.
The length of the Cordillera of North America is great, this explains the noticeable difference in landscapes - depending on the latitudinal position of the mountain system.
The natural landscapes of the Cordilleras of North America throughout their length, due to their considerable height, have a pronounced altitudinal zonality, which is largely typical of such large mountainous regions.
The division of the Cordillera zone of North America into four main natural regions is accepted: the Northwest, the Canadian Cordillera, the US Cordillera and the Mexican Cordillera.
The northwestern (Alaskan Cordillera) occupies most of the American and Canadian Yukon plateaus. Here is the kingdom of high mountain ranges with powerful glaciation, the climate is from arctic to temperate. Vegetation is poor, as permafrost is everywhere. On the slopes of the mountains - mountain tundra, and above - glaciers, in the valleys of freezing rivers - forest tundra, on the western coast - warmer - subarctic meadows and coastal coniferous forests appear. Reindeer, arctic fox, polar hare, lemming live in the tundra. The forest is the habitat of the grizzly bear, wolf, fox. A lot of birds.
People settled only on the coast, where all the cities and towns are located.
The population is engaged in fishing, hunting for fur-bearing animals and the extraction of the most valuable minerals (gold, oil), since the export of others is too expensive.
The Canadian Cordillera, partly entering the territory of the United States, is the narrowest part of the mountain belt. There are many mountain ranges and glaciers, but the climate is milder - temperate, humid. Steppes appear in the river valleys, and thickets of mountain coniferous forests appear on the plateau: fir, spruce, red cedar, balsam pine. The animal world becomes more diverse, the moose, wolverine, lynx, cougar, mountain sheep, fur-bearing animal appear: marten, ermine, mink, nutria, muskrat.
The local population is the inhabitants of large port cities like Vancouver, as well as farmers: the steppes are plowed up, the forest-steppe plateaus are used as pastures.
The US Cordillera is the widest part of these mountains, so there is a greater variety of natural conditions. High, forested ridges with glaciers are close to vast desert plateaus. The climate is subtropical, and on the coast - Mediterranean, in the interior, where moisture from the ocean no longer gets, it is arid. On the slopes of the Front Range and the Sierra Nevada there are mountain pine forests, the Coast Ranges - which are lower - are covered with groves of relic sequoia and hard-leaved shrubs - chaparral. But the forests in the west are largely cut down or burned down in forest fires - also through the fault of man.
Where people have settled, large animals are either destroyed or are on the verge of destruction: for example, the bison is almost completely destroyed. The rich fauna is preserved only in very large reserves, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.
The bulk of the population is concentrated along the Pacific coast, where the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco are located.
The Mexican Cordillera is the Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula. The climate is tropical, very dry, the vegetation is poor, with the exception of tropical forests on the slopes of the mountains. Pronghorn antelope, coyote, monkeys, jaguar live here. Most of the population lives in and around Mexico City or in port cities.

general information

Location: Western North America.

Mountain ranges: eastern belt (Brooks, Richardson, Mackenzie, Sawatch, San Juan, Forward, Uinta, Eastern Sierra Madre), inner belt (Kilbuck, Kuskokwim, Rey, Cassiar, Omineka, Columbian, Yukon Plateau, Stikine, Fraser, Snake, Great Basin, Colorado and Mexican Highlands), western (Alaska, Aleutian, Coastal, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Volcanic Sierra, Sierra Vizcaino, St. Elias Massif, Cascade and Chugach Mountains).

Plateaus, uplands and plateaus: Yukon, Fraser, Colombian, Colorado, Mexican.

Administrative affiliation: USA, Canada, Mexico.
Large cities: Mexico City - 8,851,080 people (2010), Los Angeles - 3,928,864 people. (2014), San Francisco - 852,469 people. (2014), Vancouver (Canada) - 2,313,328 people. (2011).
Languages: English, French, Indian dialects.

Ethnic composition: Whites, African Americans, Indigenous peoples.
Religions: Christianity (many branches and directions), Judaism, Islam.

Monetary units: Canadian dollar, US dollar, Mexican peso.

Large rivers (sources and upper reaches): Yukon, Peace, Athabasca, Mackenzie, Saskatchewan, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande, Fraser.

Large lakes: Great Salt, Tahoe.

Numbers

Length: more than 9000 km.

Maximum Width: in Alaska - 1100-1200 km, in Canada - up to 800 km, on the territory of the United States itself - about 1600 km, in Mexico - up to 1000 km.

highest point: Mount Denali (Pacific belt, 6144 m).

Other peaks: Mount (5951 m), Volcano Orizaba (5700 m), Volcano Popocatepetl (5452 m), Mount Whitney (4418 m), Mount Elbert (4399 m), Volcano Rainier (4392 m), Volcano Nevado de Colima (4265 m), Mount Marques-Baker (4016 m), Mount Waddington (4042 m), Yliamna volcano (3075 m).

Glaciers: area - about 67 thousand km 2.

Climate and weather

In the north - arctic and subarctic, to the south - temperate, in the south - from subtropical to tropical. On the eastern (Pacific) slopes - soft, oceanic to Mediterranean, in the interior - continental.

January average temperature: in the north -30°С, in the south -17°С.
July average temperature: in the north +15°С, in the south up to +30°С.

Average annual rainfall: on the southern ridges of Alaska - 3000-4000 mm, on the coast of British Columbia - up to 2500 mm, on the internal plateau of the USA - up to 400-200 mm, in the Mojave Desert - 50 mm per year.

Relative humidity: from 70-80% in the north to 50-60% in the south.

Economy

Minerals: oil, natural gas, hard and brown coal, manganese, gold, silver, tungsten, copper, molybdenum, mercury, uranium, vanadium, limestone, granite, marble.
Industry: mining, metallurgical, heavy and transport engineering, chemical, food.

Agriculture: in the north - reindeer breeding, in the temperate zone - cereals and cattle, in the south - citrus fruits.

Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

Attractions

■ Natural: national parks Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Sequoia, Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon (all - USA), Jasper, Banff, Yoho, Nahanni, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes, Garibaldi Provincial Park (all - Canada).

Curious facts

■ In general, the Cordillera is the longest mountain system in the world, located along the western coast of South and North America. The total length is about 18 thousand km, the average width is about 1000 km. The Cordilleras are located on the territory of 9 states, starting with the USA and Canada in the north and ending with Chile in the extreme south.
■ The world's largest mountain glacier, Bering, is located in the Nugach Mountains in Alaska, its length is 203 km and its area is about 5800 km 2 . The glacier was named after the Russian traveler Vitus Bering (1681-1741). The glacier is only 10 km away from the coast of the Gulf of Alaska. As a result of the global increase in air temperature over the past 100 years, the glacier has shrunk by 12 km, its mass has decreased, which put pressure on the earth's crust and restrained seismic activity. As a result, the number of earthquakes in Alaska has increased dramatically.
■ The western (Pacific) belt of the Cordillera of North America has a characteristic feature: intermountain longitudinal depressions are not only lowlands like the Great California Valley, but also large sea bays and straits, like Cook Bay and Shelikhov Strait, flooded with sea water when the level of the World Ocean rises .
■ The Cordillera of North America has all the major types of glaciers: large ice fields and caps, flanked glaciers (Depont Glacier in the Coast Range), foothill or foot glaciers (Malaspina), valley glaciers (Hubbard), cirque and short hanging glaciers, mostly disappearing (Sierra Nevada), and star-shaped glaciers are formed on volcanic peaks, so named because numerous glacial flows depart from them (there are several dozen of them only on Mount Rainier).
■ The Mackenzie Mountains in Canada were named after Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892), Canada's second prime minister. He carried out a number of important reforms, but his government fell in 1878, when an economic crisis began in Canada, and so severe that, with all his authority, Mackenzie was unable to overcome it.
■ Groves of sequoiadendron, or mammoth trees, on a narrow strip of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, including in the Sequoia National Park, are the most massive trees in the world: each up to 1500 m 2 of wood.
■ In 1799-1867. Mount McKinley (the modern name of Denali) was the highest point of the Russian Empire, but in 1867 it was sold to the United States along with all of Alaska.
■ Most of the most famous volcanic eruptions in the United States are associated with volcanoes in the Cascades, including the eruption of Lassen Peak in 1914-1915. and the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

One of the largest mountain systems on our planet is the Cordillera Mountains.

They amaze with their huge scale (they are perfectly visible from space, if you look at the mainland), length and extraordinary beauty with their inherent uniqueness of the local climate, flora and fauna.

Where are the Cordillera

The Cordilleras (Cordilleras, the English origin of the name) are located on the west coast of America and stretch from north to south. These are huge mountains several thousand kilometers long, up to 18,000 km long and 1,600 km wide.

Looking at the physical map of the world, you can see that the mountains pass through 10 countries and capture the entire western hemisphere of the earth. The coordinates are impressive: south latitude 32/39/12; west longitude 70/00/42.

Note: the age of this system is simply enormous - the Cordilleras were formed in the Jurassic period, and scientists say that their formation has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent volcanoes (more than 80 active).

The highest point of the Cordillera

The average height of the Cordillera is 3-4 thousand meters above sea level. The highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Aconcagua, located in South America in the Andes near the border with Chile.

Mount Aconcagua

And the place where the Andes formed is called the Patagonian platform. The absolute height of this mountain is about seven thousand kilometers (6961 m) above sea level.

In North America, the highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Denali, located in southern Alaska. Mountain just below Aconcagua, height 6190 m.

Characteristics of the Cordillera of North America

The mountains originate in Alaska and pass through the entire continent, through three countries (Canada, USA, Mexico) to a point in the south in the valley of the Mexican river Balasas on the border with Central America.

The tectonic structure is complex, there are: areas of ancient, middle and new folding, many active volcanoes.

Throughout the length of the Cordillera there are three main belts:

internal - consists of plateaus and plateaus in the middle of the western and eastern, there are many tectonic depressions with rivers;
eastern - the Rocky Mountain belt, large ridges separate the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico from the Arctic Ocean;
western - volcanic mountains parallel to the Pacific coast.

Three main arcs of the Cordillera

In Central America, the mountains diverge into arcs:

One arc forms mountains in Cuba and northern Puerto Rico and Haiti. The arc was formed from the eastern and western belts, from the north.
The other starts from the borders of Mexico from the south, further through Central America, to the western part of Panama. This arc smoothly transitions into .
The last arc from the south of the western belt takes the direction to the mountains of the southern side of Puerto Rico and Haiti, and the mountains of Jamaica.

Geological structure and minerals

The lowlands between the mountain ranges accumulated sedimentary rocks for a long time.

And now large deposits of minerals have formed in the mountains of North America, while the mountains themselves are valuable in metal ore:

there are oil fields in Alaska;
the Rocky Mountains are rich in copper, gold, and tungsten;
the coastal part of the ridges is of interest for the extraction of mercury and coal.

natural areas

Since the Cordillera pass through the whole of America, the natural zones of the mountain capture everything: forest-tundra, mixed forests, forest-steppes, forests, semi-deserts and deserts, tropical shrouds and forests. Only the arctic and subarctic zones are missing.

Rivers and lakes of the Cordillera

In the north of Alaska there are glaciers (large - Bering). Many rivers begin their journey in the Cordillera mountains, for example: Missouri, Yukon. Very full-flowing rivers of the Pacific basin.

The southern rivers are filled with rainwater, the northern rivers are fed by glaciers and snow.

Spring high water is typical for the northern regions of the mountains. The strong northern rivers are used for irrigation and power generation. Notable Reservoirs: Columbia, Colorado. There are also fresh and salt lakes.

Climate and climatic zones

The climate in the Cordillera is diverse due to the vast territory on which they are located:

Humidity in the southern part of the mountains is not more than 60%, and in the northern part up to 80%.
The average air t in summer in July is plus, in the south up to 30 degrees, and in the north up to 15. Winter average t in January in the north is -30, in the southern regions -17.
The amount of precipitation per year is the largest in southern Alaska up to 4000 mm, and the most meager in the Mojave Desert - 50 mm.

Mountains, passing through all climatic zones:

the south is the tropics and subtropics;
the north of the belt changes climate from arctic to subarctic, then temperate;
in the central, inland regions - the continental belt, and on the Pacific slopes of the mountains - the soft oceanic.

Flora and fauna

The natural landscape of the mountains is very diverse (due to altitudinal zonation).

Allocate natural areas:

Northwestern consists mainly of glaciated mountain peaks and plateaus. The climate is harsh, permafrost, to the south coast - a little warmer. The landscape is tundra, woodland. Deer, lemings, and many birds live in the tundra. Bears, wolves, lynxes, cougars can be seen in the forests.
Canadian Cordillera in southeastern Alaska. Moderate climate, cedar and fir forests in the landscape. Tui grow on the slopes of the Pacific coast. The inhabitants of the forests are deer, mountain sheep, elks, bears, wolverines, cougars, foxes.
US Cordillera is the country where most of them are located. Nature is also very rich, on the slopes of the mountains - pine forests. There are dry plateaus. The low coastal mountains are covered with evergreen bushes and relict trees. The animal world is significantly exterminated. Lizards, snakes, rodents live in semi-deserts.
mexican cordillera- the climate is dry, there are many seismic zones. Shrubs, forests, cacti grow in the savannahs. Hares, wolves, cougars, rodents are inhabitants of the local desert. Wolves, lynxes, bears live in the forests, and monkeys, tapirs, and predators live in the tropics.

National parks in the Cordillera

In order to see the many sights, you must definitely visit the reserves located on the territory of the Cordillera.

Grand Canyon

To get acquainted with the peculiarities of flora and fauna, appreciate the beauty of the landscape, see volcanoes, you can go to one of the national parks:

In the USA - Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Yosemite, Glacier.
In Canada - Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Garibaldi, Nahanni.

Conclusion

The area and grandeur of the Cordillera is amazing, the geographical position and a large number of mountain ranges with amazing secrets attracts and makes you want to go on a trip.

The material will help to form an accurate representation and supplement existing knowledge about the mountains in North America. Get an idea of the mountain systems of the study area. The article will provide an opportunity to consolidate the knowledge gained earlier.

Features of the relief of the mainland

The peculiarity of the North American mountains is that they are located in almost every geographic zone. The mountainous terrain of the continent is provided with landscape diversity and a rich palette of the natural world.

Glaciers located in the mountains cover an area of 90 thousand km. sq. The bulk of the hills are concentrated in the northern part of the mainland.

Mountains of mainland North America

The largest mountain ranges are the Cordillera, they are divided into two parts: the Cordillera of North America and the Cordillera of South America.

The Northern Cordilleras occupy the territories of such countries as: