Andes: absolute height and coordinates of the highest point. Detailed information about the mountains. Southern Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego

Copper mountains. So in the language of the Incas, the name of the longest mountains in the world sounds. This is the Andean Cordillera or just the Andes.

The length of this mountain range is not comparable to any other on the planet. The Andes stretched for a record 9 thousand kilometers. They start at the Caribbean Sea and reach Tierra del Fuego.

The highest peak of the Andean Cordillera is Mount Akonkagau. It rises exactly 6962 meters. By the way, there are places where the Andes are 500 kilometers wide, but the maximum width of the mountain system is 750 kilometers. This value is registered in the Central Andes, in the Andean Highlands.

However, most of the Andean Cordillera is occupied by a plateau called Puna. It has a very high snow line. It reaches 6500 meters, but the average height of the mountains is about 4000 meters.

As experts say, the Andes are relatively young mountains. Here the process of mountain building ended several million years ago. The origin of fossils began in the Precambrian and Paleozoic periods. Then land areas began to appear in place of the boundless ocean. For a long time, the area where today's Andes are located was either land or sea.

The mountain range has finished being formed by the uplift of rocks, as a result of which huge folds of stone have advanced to an impressive height. By the way, this process is still going on. Sometimes in the Andes there are earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The longest mountains in the world are also the largest inter-oceanic watershed. The famous Amazon River, as well as its tributaries, originates in the Andean Cordillera. In addition, the tributaries of other major rivers in South America - the Parana, Orinoco and Paraguay - begin here. The mountains serve as a climatic barrier for the mainland, in other words, the Andes isolate the land from the west from any influence of the Atlantic Ocean, on the other hand, from the east, they protect it from the Pacific Ocean.

It is not surprising, given the extent of the mountains, that the Andes are located in six climatic zones. Subtropical temperate, equatorial, southern tropical, northern and southern subequatorial. On the western slopes, unlike the southern slopes, up to ten thousand millimeters of precipitation falls annually. Consequently, the landscape in different parts is radically different.

According to the relief, the longest mountains in the world are divided into three regions. These are the southern, northern and central Andes. The Ecuadorian Andes, the Caribbean Andes and the Northwest Andes belong to the North. The main Cordilleras are divided by the depressions of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. And there are many volcanoes. For example, Huila grew to 5750 meters, Ruiz to 5400 meters, and the current Kumbal rises to 4890 meters.

The longest in the world - Andes mountains (Very beautiful)

A volcanic target with the highest volcanoes hit the Ecuadorian Andes. What is worth only one Chimborazo with a height of 6267 meters. No less giant Cotopaxi breathes down his back - its height is 5896 meters. The chain crosses seven states of South America at once. These are Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Argentina. And the highest point of the Ecuadorian Andes is Mount Huascaran with a height of 6769 meters.

As for the Southern Andes, they are divided into Patagonian and Chilean-Argentinean. In this part, the highest peaks are Tupungato with a height of 6800 meters and Medcedario with a height of 6770 meters. The snow line in this part reaches 6 thousand meters.

Diverse and wonderful

No less interesting is the animal world of the Andes. There are alpacas, llamas, chain-tailed monkeys, as well as pudu deer, gaemal, relic spectacled bears, vicuñas, sloths, blue foxes, chinchillas, hummingbirds. In a word, those whom the inhabitants of Russia can only meet in zoos.

A feature of the Andes is a large species diversity of amphibians - there are more than 900 species of them. There are about 600 species of mammals and almost 2 thousand species of birds in the mountains. Almost 400 species of freshwater fish are found in local rivers.

tourist treat

Travelers will immediately catch the eye of a patchwork of crops that cover the mountain slopes. And its color changes from dark green to golden. Tourists are invited to move along the ancient Indian trails, where sometimes, however, they will have to stop to miss a herd of goats, sheep or guanacos. And no matter how many times the Andes are visited, for the first or hundredth, nature will never leave you indifferent.

Unforgettable will be meetings with local residents. You can talk to them both in their language and with gestures. However, some mountain dwellers are not very willing to engage in dialogue. In the event that a contact resident is caught, it will not be bad to look at his lifestyle. Huts here are made of raw bricks, people sometimes live without electricity, and draw water from a nearby stream.

Well, hiking in the mountains is not quite reminiscent of mountaineering. These are most likely walks along steep trails. But they also need to be done only by well-trained and absolutely healthy people with special equipment.
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The longest mountain system

The Inca Empire in the Andes is one of the most mysterious disappeared states. The tragic fate of a highly developed civilization that appeared in far from the most favorable natural conditions and died at the hands of illiterate aliens still worries humanity.
The era of great geographical discoveries (XV-XVII centuries) made it possible for European adventurers to quickly and fabulously get rich in new lands. Most often cruel and unprincipled, the conquistadors rushed to America not for the sake of scientific discoveries and cultural exchange between civilizations.
The fact that the papal throne in 1537 recognized the Indians as spiritualized beings did not change anything in the methods of the conquistadors - they were not interested in theological disputes. By the time of the "humane" papal decision, the conquistador Francisco Pizarro had already managed to execute the Inca emperor Atahualpa (1533), defeat the Inca army and capture the capital of the empire, the city of Cuzco (1536).
There is a version that at first the Indians mistook the Spaniards for gods. And it is quite possible that the main reason for this misconception was not the white skin of the aliens, not that they were riding on unseen animals, and not even that they possessed firearms. The Incas were struck by the incredible cruelty of the conquistadors.
At the first meeting of Pizarro and Atahualpa, the Spaniards ambushed thousands of Indians and captured the emperor, who did not expect anything like this at all. After all, the Indians, whom the Spaniards condemned for human sacrifice, believed that human life is the highest gift, and that is why the human sacrifice to the gods was the highest form of worship. But in order to simply destroy thousands of people who did not come to the war at all?!
That the Incas could offer serious resistance to the Spaniards is beyond doubt. After the murder of the captive Atahualpa, for whom the Indians paid a monstrous ransom - almost 6 tons of gold, the conquistadors began to plunder the country, mercilessly melting down Inca jewelry pieces into ingots. But the brother of Atahualpa Manco, appointed by them as the new emperor, instead of collecting gold for the invaders, fled and led the fight against the Spaniards. The last emperor, Tupac Amaru, was only able to be executed by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo of Peru in 1572, and even after that, the leaders of new uprisings were named after him.
Not much has survived from the Inca civilization to this day - after the death of hundreds of thousands of Indians, both at the hands of the Spaniards and from work in the mines, hunger, European epidemics, there was no one to maintain irrigation systems, high mountain roads, beautiful buildings. The Spaniards destroyed a lot to get building material.
A country whose inhabitants were accustomed to supply from public warehouses, in which there were no beggars and vagabonds, for many years after the arrival of the conquistadors became a zone of human disaster.

Nature

The Andes pass through all climatic zones, so the flora and fauna of these mountain ranges is very diverse.

Different theories determine the age of the Andean mountain system from 18 million years to several hundred million years. But, more importantly for people living in the Andes, the process of formation of these mountains is still ongoing.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, glaciers in the Andes do not stop. In 1835, Charles Darwin observed the eruption of the Osorno volcano from the island of Chiloe. The earthquake described by Darwin destroyed the cities of Concepción and Talcahuano and claimed numerous victims. Such events in the Andes are not uncommon.
So, in 1970, a glacier in Peru literally in seconds buried the city of Yungay under itself with almost all the inhabitants, about 20,000 people died. In Chile in 2010, an earthquake claimed several hundred lives, left millions homeless, and caused enormous property damage. In general, serious disasters occur in the Andes with a frightening cycle - once every 10-15 years.
The most severe climate is noted on the central plateaus of the Andes, where precipitation, if any, occurs even in summer in the form of snow. It is believed that these highlands are the most barren and driest in the world, which is quite due to the combination of rarefied dry air, fierce winds and dazzling sun.
The Andes perform the function of an interoceanic watershed: the rivers belonging to the Atlantic Ocean basin flow east of the Andes, and many of them originate in the mountains, the source of the Amazon itself, the largest river in the world, is located in the Andes. The rivers belonging to the Pacific Ocean are generally short and flow west of the Andes.
Also, the Andes, which are the longest in the world, are also a climatic barrier that isolates the Pacific coast of South America from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and most of the continent from the influence of the Pacific Ocean. As a result of the great length of the Andes, their landscape parts differ significantly; according to various natural features, the Northern Andes (up to 5º S), Central Andes (5-28 "S) and Southern Andes (28-41º 30º S.) are distinguished. Another feature of this mountain system is a clearly defined altitudinal zonality, according to which three belts are distinguished - tierra caliente - the lower high-altitude forest belt, tierra fria - the upper forest belt and tierra elada - a belt with a harsh climate.
Depending on the distance from the equator and the height above sea level, both equatorial, tropical and subtropical forests with their abundance of vegetation (palms, bananas, ficuses, cocoa trees, bamboos, evergreen trees and shrubs) and temperate forests grow in the Andes. Subarctic forests and tundra vegetation are characteristic of high altitudes and southern latitudes. It is believed that many of the most important agricultural crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, come from the Andes.
There are many unique species in the animal world of the Andes. So, Andean camels, llamas, alpacas, vigoni and guanacos are not found anywhere else in the world. The Andes are home to over 900 amphibian species, about 600 mammal species, and over 1,700 bird species. Many of them are endemic.

general information

Location: bordering the continent of South America from the north and west

States in which the Andes are located: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina

The peoples inhabiting the Andes: Indians, Europeans, Mestizos, African Americans, Mulattos, Asians

Languages: mainly Spanish, as well as Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní and other Indian tribal languages

Religion: Primarily Catholic

Main seaports: Guayaquil (Ecuador), Valparaiso (Chile).

The most important airports: Simon Bolivar International Airport (Caracas, Venezuela); Eldorado International Airport (Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia), Mariscal Sucre International Airport (Quito, Ecuador), Jorge Chavez International Airport (Lima, Peru), El Alto International Airport (La Paz, Bolivia), Santiago International Airport (Chile).

The most important rivers are: Orinoco, Marañon, Ucayali, Medeira, Pilcomayo, Bermejo, Parana, Rio Salado, Colorado, Rio Negro.

Major lakes: Titicaca, Poopo.

Economy

The leading industry is mining: deposits of tungsten, silver, tin, oil are being developed (Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile); copper (Chile), gold and emeralds (Colombia), iron (Bolivia).

Agriculture: bananas (Ecuador, Colombia), potatoes, coffee (Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador), corn, tobacco, wheat, sugar cane, olives, grapes; sheep breeding, fishing on large lakes.

Climate and weather

Most of the precipitation (up to 820 mm per year) falls from May to November.

In highland Quito, the temperature is kept within +13ºС... +15ºС, but there are big differences between day and night.

Precipitation (up to 1200 mm per year) - from September to May.

In La Paz, the average monthly temperature in November is about +1ºС, in July - about +7ºС.
In Chile, the average temperature in the north of the country is from +12ºС to +22ºС, in the south - from +3ºС to +16ºС.

Attractions

■ Cape Horn National Park;
■ Santa Fe de Bogota: Catholic churches of the 16th-18th centuries, National Museum of Colombia;
■ Quito: Cathedral, Museum of Musical Instruments, Museum of Del Banco Central;
■ Cusco: Cusco Cathedral, La Campagna Church, Haitun-Rumiyok Street (remains of Inca buildings);
■ Lima: the archaeological sites of Huaca Hualyamarca and Huaca Pucllana, the archbishop's palace, the church and monastery of San Francisco;
■ Archaeological complexes: Machu Picchu, Pachacamac, the ruins of the city of Caral, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Kenko, Pisak, Ollantaytambo, Moray, the ruins of Pikiljakta.

Curious facts

The Andes Mountains serve as the most important climatic barrier in South America, isolating the territories to the west of the Main Cordillera from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, to the east - from the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The mountains lie in 6 climatic zones (equatorial, northern and southern subequatorial, southern tropical, subtropical and temperate) and are distinguished by sharp contrasts in the moisture content of the eastern and western slopes.

Due to the considerable length of the Andes, their individual landscape parts differ significantly from each other. By the nature of the relief and other natural differences, as a rule, three main regions are distinguished - the Northern, Central and Southern Andes. The Andes stretched through the territories of seven states of South America - Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

Highest point: Aconcagua (6962 m)

Length: 9000 km

Width: 500 km

Rocks: igneous and metamorphic

Andes - revived mountains erected by the latest uplifts on the site of the so-called Andean (Cordillera) folded geosynclinal belt; The Andes are one of the largest Alpine folding systems on the planet (on the Paleozoic and partly Baikal folded basement). The formation of the Andes dates back to the Jurassic. The Andean mountain system is characterized by troughs formed in the Triassic, subsequently filled with layers of sedimentary and volcanic rocks of considerable thickness. Large massifs of the Main Cordillera and the coast of Chile, the Coastal Cordillera of Peru are Cretaceous granitoid intrusions. Intermountain and marginal troughs (Altiplano, Maracaibo, etc.) formed in the Paleogene and Neogene times. Tectonic movements, accompanied by seismic and volcanic activity, continue in our time. This is due to the fact that a subduction zone passes along the Pacific coast of South America: the Nazca and Antarctic plates go under the South American one, which contributes to the development of mountain building processes. The extreme southern part of South America, Tierra del Fuego, is separated by a transform fault from the small Scotia plate. Beyond the Drake Passage, the Andes continue the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Andes are rich in ores, mainly of non-ferrous metals (vanadium, tungsten, bismuth, tin, lead, molybdenum, zinc, arsenic, antimony, etc.); the deposits are confined mainly to the Paleozoic structures of the eastern Andes and the vents of ancient volcanoes; in Chile - large copper deposits. There is oil and gas in the forward and foothill troughs (in the foothills of the Andes within Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina), and in the weathering crusts - bauxites. In the Andes there are also deposits of iron (in Bolivia), sodium nitrate (in Chile), gold, platinum and emeralds (in Colombia).

The Andes consist mainly of meridional parallel ranges: the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, the Central Cordillera of the Andes, the Western Cordillera of the Andes, the Coastal Cordillera of the Andes, between which lie the internal plateaus and plateaus (Puna, Altipano - in Bolivia and Peru) or depressions. The width of the mountain system is mainly 200-300 km.

I have always been in awe of the sight of mountain peaks propping up the sky, bathed in sunlight. Powerful, monumental, unshakable Atlanteans, breathing calmness. And if I am faced with a choice between the sea, the forest, and huge stone masses, I will without hesitation prefer the latter. Only mountains can be better than mountains!

And there are few places on the planet where I have experienced such inspiration as near the majestic Andes. As part of the Cordillera mountain system that bisects the planet from the northernmost extremities of Canada almost to Antarctica itself, the Andes proudly bear the responsibility of keeping the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the southern hemisphere from mixing. The highest, longest, youngest mountains in the world. Rising to a height of almost 7,000 meters, strewn with dormant and awake volcanoes, this huge prehistoric creature stretches for 9,000 kilometers and plunges its southern edge into turbulent waters, forming a complex pattern of straits and glaciers, where ships have died for many centuries. The Andes keep a lot of secrets, mysteries and dangers: the gold of the Incas is hidden somewhere, planes died somewhere.

This is where I come back every time an airline like Iberia, Lufthansa or Turkish Airways announces a sale.

Northern Andes

In the north, the Andes rise above the tropical rainforests of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, their character is difficult: the height of 4500-6000 meters and changeable weather require special skills from the tourist. But you can choose a simpler option: rent a car and go around the foothills of volcanoes and lakes, or take a ride on the longest cable car in the world (almost 2 kilometers) Teleferico de Merida in Venezuela.

Central Andes

On the territory of Peru and Bolivia, the Andes keep in their depths vast and fertile plateaus on which the Incas once built cities. But for me, the main treasures of these places are high-altitude lakes, full-flowing like Titicaca and turned into salt marshes like. You can spend some amazing days exploring the customs of the inhabitants of the island of Taquile on Titicaca, where men knit from colored wool. Or spending the night on the reed-woven islands of Uros under huge and bright stars at an altitude of 3800 meters. Or rushing with a breeze through a huge pit of salt. Or coming up with the most incredible compositions for photography in a place where there is no perspective. And, of course, enjoying the most memorable sunsets in life.

Southern Andes, Carretera Austral

A long and narrow strip of land called Chile and the endless Argentinean pampas stretch along the Andean ridges, the tops of which cling to clouds. Moreover, they cling in the literal sense: rain clouds driven by Pacific winds cannot overcome the mountain barrier and shed precious moisture on the southern Chilean side (northern Chile is not so lucky with the world's driest Atacama desert). The famous road, built in the mid-1970s under Pinochet, winds here - Carretera Austral, or "southern road". This is one of the most picturesque and interesting routes I have traveled, it gives me the opportunity to fully enjoy the beauty of mountain peaks, turbulent rivers, azure lakes and proud pines for 1240 kilometers.

The best time to travel is during the summer months (December to February) as ferries are closed at other times of the year and you won't be able to enjoy the full experience of the trip. Therefore, feel free to plan a big vacation for the January holidays and then, in addition to the famous South Road, you can see the huge Perito Moreno glacier, breathe in the famous Patagonian winds and find out why Tierra del Fuego is called that. By the way, the Northern and Central Andes are friendly to travelers all year round.

Where to start

The starting point of Carretera Austral is the Chilean city of Puerto Montt. This is a nice little village with a European spirit, from where tourists, after admiring the old mahogany cathedral, go to the Lake District, to the Villarrica volcano or to the island of Chiloe. Here you have to decide how you will conquer the South Road: the most daring go hitchhiking or on bicycles, while the rest rent a car.

From the island of Chiloe, you can take a ferry to the town of Chaiten and move either north or south.

Another option is to start from the south, from the village of Villa O "Higgins, which can be reached by ferry from Argentina, which runs several times a week from November to March and only takes on board pedestrians or cyclists (costs about $ 60, or 40,000 pesos) , or entrusting itself to the care of a travel company that not only organizes delivery to the ferry by bus, but also offers to see the glaciers on the lake "on the way" (the tour will cost from $130).

What to bring

1. Regardless of which method of transportation you choose, you need to have a supply of provisions with you, you will find supermarkets only in relatively large settlements, in other settlements - only village shops with a minimum set of products.
2. Do not forget a set of medicines you need and essentials (from a band-aid to toothpaste and repellents). Carretera Austral is not the place where you can take only a passport and a credit card.
3. Comfortable clothes and shoes are a must as there are so many amazing alluring places to explore!
4. Enough cash in local currency (Chilean pesos), you will not find ATMs until Coyaic itself, and cards are not accepted anywhere.

If you choose to travel on foot or by bike

Since the distances between settlements and campsites are large, you will need:

• tent,
• sleeping bag (in the mountains even in summer the nights are cold),
• gas-burner,
• pot and utensils,
• and other camping gear.

You can rent everything you need, including a bicycle, in Puerto Monte (the choice is very scarce, and the prices are very high) or in Santiago, where a huge number of rentals with good bicycles are open. To do this, you will need to present a passport and a bank card to hold a deposit (depending on the rental period from $ 250). The rental price starts from $30 per day or $120 per week.

If you choose to travel by car

You can rent a car in Puerto Monte or, as I did, in Santiago (in this case, you will need to lay down several days to drive along the magnificent highway for almost 1000 kilometers, stopping at wineries and stopping by national parks).

1. Prepare, in addition to ordinary rights, international rights (some rental agencies do not issue a car without them) and, of course, a bank card with a sufficient amount in the account to block the deposit.
2. Explore the websites of rental offices to choose the most suitable option. In no case do not watch small cars, only four-wheel drive! If possible, give up the options for cars that seem to have just come out of the salon, choose a car that has undergone a baptism of fire, because small stones will inevitably fly on a gravel road.
3. South of the Carretera Austral Andes are full of many magnificent landscapes, for example, you can admire the famous peak of Fitzroy and the beauty of the Torres del Paine National Park. But, since some regions of the country are occupied by impenetrable mountains, part of the journey will have to be done through the territory of Argentina. To do this, you will need special documents for the car. Be sure to contact the rental agency in advance - documents for crossing the border are prepared for several days. And be prepared for the fact that you will be charged a fee of $ 200 for registration.
4. You will rarely encounter gas stations along the way, so take every opportunity to replenish your gas supplies.

So, you are saddled with a four-wheeled beast (I, for example, got a red pickup truck, on the hood of which someone played tic-tac-toe with a nail) and are ready for adventure.

By sea

At the very beginning of the journey, three ferries will be waiting for you, which will go around the impregnable, densely forested mountain slopes (see the map below). The first ferry departs from La Arena every hour and costs about $15 (10,000 pesos) per car. In half an hour you will reach the peninsula, which can only be reached by sea. The second ferry leaves from the Ornopien settlement (it has several shops and you can stop for the night), located at the southern end of the peninsula, twice a day - in the morning and in the afternoon. It is better to check the schedule in Puerto Monte. This ferry takes 5 hours and costs $54 (35,000 pesos) and this price includes the third ferry, which leaves when all passengers on the second ferry have safely covered 10 kilometers of gravel.

By land

As a result of all sea travels, during which majestic mountains, forests and waterfalls will pass by, you will find yourself in the village of Kaleto Gonzalo. From here, boldly head south, stopping in picturesque places and climbing deep into the mountains. Your average speed will be 50 km/h, so you won't miss the signs for recommended hiking trails to particularly beautiful and amazing natural treasures and numerous national parks.

Carretera Austral ends at a dead end in the village of Villa O'Higgins, from where you can cross to Argentina (only those who travel on foot or by bicycle are taken on the ferry), or go back if you travel by car.

Where to go

All along the South Road you will encounter several opportunities to cross the border into Argentina: at the village of Santa Lucia, next to the Lago las Torres park, the town of Coyaki and before reaching Cochrane. I would highly recommend the latter option, as you will not only be able to see almost all of Carretera Austral, but also drive past a magnificent lake called Lago General Carrera in Chile and Lago Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Tourist infrastructure

You can spend the night in campsites, which are scattered along the entire Carretera Austral, or in settlements. Almost all locals rent rooms from $10 to $55 (8000-35000 pesos) per night for two and will be happy to feed you breakfast (and not always for an additional fee). Free campsites are just cleared areas. Those equipped with a toilet, hot showers and awnings will cost from $5 to $10 per night.

For example, on January 2nd, I stopped in the picturesque village of Via Cerro Castillo, where the whole large family of the owners gathered for dinner in the evening. Despite my poor knowledge of Spanish, I was invited to share a meal with everyone and enjoy a wonderful evening. The men prepared a traditional dish - they roasted a young lamb on the cross - a la cruz, and the women cut fresh vegetables and herbs. It was the most delicious lamb I have ever tasted in my life. And the glare of the fire on their open and friendly faces, songs to the accordion and majestic mountains under the shadow of the starry sky forever stuck in my memory.

Catering establishments are found only in the largest settlements: Ornopyrene, Koyaki, Cochrane. Elsewhere, the best you can expect are small grocery stores. I usually tried to have a hearty breakfast and dinner where I spent the night (if the hosts didn’t cook, then I asked permission to use the kitchen), and during the day I was rescued by pre-made sandwiches.

Southern Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego

On the western edge of the Patagonian steppes rise the Southern Andes. They are no longer as high as in the north, but no less beautiful for that. Along the entire foothills of the mountains there are delightful natural reserves, the main pearls of which are the giant Perito Moreno glacier, one of only two on the planet Earth that does not decrease, but grows, and the Torres del Paine park, the harsh beauty of which attracts travelers from all over the world. What marvels Patagonia has prepared and how to get to them is well written.

And further south, the red grass of Tierra del Fuego rustles under the wind, where, according to legend, the giants lived, and the Andes lower their tail dotted with peaks into the ocean, from which glaciers slide down like caps. Here, as the last stronghold of the mountains, Cape Horn rises from the water, landing on which is good luck. Few ships and fierce cold currents roam between this lone lighthouse outpost and Argentina.

The Andes are many-sided and unpredictable, they fascinate and fall in love, having seen them at least once, you will return again and again. After all, only the Andes can be better than mountains!

Remember:

Question: What is the largest belt of volcanism and earthquakes that the Andes belong to?

Answer: To the Eastern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Question: On the boundary of which lithospheric plates are the Andes located?

Answer: Nazca Plate and South American Plate

Andes - revived mountains erected by the latest uplifts on the site of the so-called Andean (Cordillera) folded geosynclinal belt; The Andes are one of the largest alpine folding systems on the planet.

Question: What currents approach South America from the west?

Answer: Cold Peru Current

My geographical research:

Question: How much precipitation falls on the slopes of the Northern Andes?

Answer: The northern part of the Andes belongs to the subequatorial belt of the Northern Hemisphere; here, as in the subequatorial belt of the Southern Hemisphere, there is an alternation of wet and dry seasons; precipitation falls from May to November, but the wet season is shorter in the northernmost regions. The eastern slopes are much more humid than the western ones; precipitation (up to 1000 mm per year) falls mainly in summer. In the Caribbean Andes, located on the border of the tropical and subequatorial zones, tropical air dominates throughout the year; there is little precipitation (often less than 500 mm per year); the rivers are short with characteristic summer floods.

Question: How are the altitudinal belts of the eastern and western ranges of the Northern Andes changing? Explain the reasons for the similarities?

Answer: The Northern Andes are characterized by a clearly defined system of altitudinal belts. In the lower part of the mountains and on the coastal lowlands, it is humid and hot, the highest average annual temperature for South America (28 ° C) is observed here. At the same time, there are almost no seasonal differences. In the lowlands of Maracaibo, the average August temperature is 29°C, the average January temperature is 27°C. The air is saturated with moisture, precipitation falls throughout almost the entire year, their annual amounts reach 2500-3000 mm, and on the Pacific coast - 5000-7000 mm.

Above the lower hot mountain belt up to a height of 2500-3000 m is the temperate zone of the Northern Andes tierra templada. This belt, as well as the lower one, is characterized by an even course of temperature throughout the year, but at a height the daily temperature amplitudes are quite significant. Strong heat, characteristic of the hot zone, does not happen. The average annual temperature ranges from 15 to 20°C, the amount of precipitation and humidity are much less than in the lower zone. The amount of precipitation is especially sharply reduced in closed high-mountain basins and valleys (no more than 1000 mm per year).

The tierra templad belt is the most favorable for life. Due to equal and moderate temperatures, it is called the belt of eternal spring.

The next belt of mountains is called by the local population "cold land", or tierra fria (tierra fria). Its upper limit passes at an altitude of about 3800 m. Here the temperature is even, but it is lower than in the temperate zone (only 10 ... 11 ° C), high relative humidity and frequent fogs are characteristic.

The next altitudinal belt of the Northern Andes is alpine, known to the local population as "paramos", it reaches the border of eternal snows at an altitude of about 4500 m and is characterized by a harsh climate. With positive daytime temperatures in all seasons, there are strong night frosts, snow storms and snowfalls. There is little precipitation, and evaporation is very strong.

Above 4500 m in the Northern Andes begins a belt of eternal snow and ice - tierra elada, or "frosty land" (tierra elada), with a constantly negative temperature. Many massifs of the Andes have large alpine-type glaciers. They are most developed in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Central and Western Cordillera of Colombia. The high peaks of the Tolima, Chimborazo and Cotopaxi volcanoes are covered with huge caps of snow and ice. There are also significant glaciers in the middle part of the Cordillera de Mérida.

Question: how does the amount of precipitation in the Central Andes change from west to east? Explain the reasons.

Answer: Between 5° and 28°S. there is a pronounced asymmetry in the distribution of precipitation along the slopes: the western slopes are much less moistened than the eastern ones. To the west of the Main Cordillera there is a desert tropical climate (the formation of which is greatly facilitated by the cold Peruvian current), there are very few rivers, precipitation falls up to 100 mm per year, and moist air masses from the Atlantic Ocean penetrate into the eastern part, which increases the amount of precipitation up to 1000 mm. in year.

Question: what altitudinal belts replace each other on the western and eastern ridges of the Central Andes? Explain the reasons.

Answer: The Central Andes - stretched from 5 to 28 ° S.l. This is the widest (700-800 km) and the most difficult natural part of the mountain system, which lies within the tropical zone. Here is the Atacama Desert on the Pacific coast, dry mountain-steppe landscapes on the slopes of high mountains (tens of peaks exceed 6500 m), semi-desert landscapes - puns, occupying high plateaus and plateaus between the Eastern and Central Cordillera

On the eastern slopes, altitudinal zonality is expressed, which is characteristic of the humid regions of the Andes mountains. Even where the lower mountain belt is adjacent to the dry savannahs of the Gran Chaco, higher, at the level of orographic cloud formation, wet mountain hylaea of ​​the tierra templada belt appear, giving way to formations of the tierra fria and tierra elada belts.

Questions and tasks:

Question: Describe the location of the Andes.

Answer: Andes, (Andean Cordillera) - the longest (9000 km) and one of the highest (Mount Aconcagua, 6962 m) mountain systems of the Earth, bordering all of South America from the north and west; southern part of the Cordillera. In some places, the Andes reach a width of over 500 km (the greatest width - up to 750 km - in the Central Andes, between 18 ° and 20 ° S). The average height is about 4000 m.

The Andes are a major inter-oceanic divide; to the east of the Andes, the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin flow (the Amazon itself and many of its large tributaries, as well as the tributaries of the Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana, the Magdalena River and the Patagonian rivers, originate in the Andes), to the west - the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin (mostly short).

The Andes serve as the most important climatic barrier in South America, isolating the territories to the west of the Cordillera Main from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, to the east - from the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The mountains lie in 5 climatic zones (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate) and are distinguished (especially in the central part) by sharp contrasts in the moistening of the eastern (leeward) and western (windward) slopes.

Due to the considerable length of the Andes, their individual landscape parts differ significantly from each other. By the nature of the relief and other natural differences, as a rule, three main regions are distinguished - the Northern, Central and Southern Andes.

The Andes stretched through the territories of seven states of South America: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

Question: What is the difference in altitudinal zonality in different parts of the Andes?

Answer: The number of altitudinal belts depends on the height of the mountains and their position in relation to the equator.

The high Andes are the largest climatic frontier on the South American continent. A continuous mountain barrier separates the Pacific from the Atlantic air masses, and this clearly affects the difference in climate between the western and eastern slopes of the mountains. The flora and fauna of the Andes is as diverse as the relief and climate of this huge mountain system.

In the equatorial regions, where the climate is constantly hot and humid, moist equatorial forests grow at the foot of the Andes. There are cocoa trees, and various palm trees, tree ferns, creepers, beautiful orchids, and bamboos along the banks of the rivers.

The humid equatorial forest rises along the western and eastern slopes to a height of 1000-1200 m. Above the slopes are covered with mountain forest. The air here is constantly humid; rain, fog and dampness are common occurrences. In this forest, which covers the mountains to a height of 2500-2800 m, tree fern, bamboo, cinchona grow. The trees are entwined with vines...

The higher the mountains, the cooler the climate. The nature of the forest is also changing markedly. Tree-like ferns disappear, bamboo becomes lower and smaller, long and thick lianas are replaced by thinner ones, which do not climb so high on trees, and sometimes spread along the ground, deciduous forest becomes lower and rarer, dense undergrowth appears in it, and at an altitude of 3600- 3800 m the forest disappears.

Above the forest boundary in the equatorial part of the Andes lies a belt of alpine meadows - paramo, extending to the belt of eternal snow and ice. The vegetation of this belt is dominated by grasses, there are also mosses, and in some places stony deserts.

The belt of snow and ice lies even higher, it starts from a height of 4500-4700 m.

Question: What crops are grown in the Northern Andes, and which in the Southern?

Answer: Coffee, corn, tobacco, potatoes are grown in the Northern Andes.

Citrus fruits, grapes, olive trees are grown in the Southern Andes.

Question: Why are there no large centers of agriculture in the Central Andes?

Answer: The Central Andes are located in the tropical climate zone, in the natural zone of deserts (Atacama) and semi-deserts.