States located in the Andes. The longest mountains in the world

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.

Which is simply amazing, can rightly be called one of the wonders of our planet. These mountains border the entire western coast of South America, and besides, they are a powerful natural barrier separating the mainland and the Pacific Ocean. What is the absolute height of the highest point of the Andes? And what is unique about this mountain system?

controversial issue

Many geographers consider the Andes to be part of the Cordillera mountain system, which stretches along the western coast of North and South America and has a total length of 18,000 kilometers. Therefore, they are even called the Southern Cordillera. The thing is that this mountain range clearly has a common origin. It is believed that it arose when both parts of America began to move east.

Other scientists call Cordillera only mountains in the Northern Hemisphere. The Andes are distinguished as an independent system. Their arguments are based on the fact that the Cordillera differ in both relief and position above sea level. Therefore, the highest point of the Andes is (6962 meters). The Cordillera cannot boast of such indicators: Mount McKinley, which is located in Alaska, rises up to 6194 meters. And if you agree with the first opinion, then Mount Aconcagua, and not McKinley, should be considered the highest point of the Cordilleras.

But if we talk about the Andes, their height in any case does not change their indicators. The summit of Aconcagua rises above the entire western hemisphere. It is also striking that the average height of the mountains (Andes) is 4000 m, despite the fact that they extend 9000 km (!) in length and up to 750 km in width. Even from space you can see such a huge stone massif with snow-capped peaks. Among other things, the Andes is also the highest mountain system on Earth.

History of occurrence

It is believed that the Andes began to emerge in the Paleozoic and Precambrian era, and finally formed during the Jurassic period. Scientists suggest that at first land areas appeared from the ocean, which over time again went under water, and this was repeated periodically.

As a result, layers of marine sediments several kilometers thick accumulated on the continental shelves. Over tens of thousands of years, they hardened, turning into deposits of stone. Further, under pressure, they were pushed out in the form of huge folds. All this was accompanied by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The entire process of relief formation was completed by the general uplift of the entire system.

young mountains

The Andes are classified as (the era of tectogenesis in the Cenozoic). Therefore, despite their considerable age (60 million years are attributed to them), they are considered young mountains. Their peers are the Himalayas, the Pamirs, the Caucasus, the Alps. Therefore, there are many seismically dangerous zones in the Andes, and some volcanoes are active. This is due to the fact that the mountains have not yet completed their formation process and are still growing. The average speed is 10 cm per year.

As a result of this, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and glacier collapse often occur in the Andes. Unfortunately, serious disasters occur in the Andes with a frightening cycle - once every 10-15 years. Not so long ago (in 2010) the world was shocked by the earthquake in Chile, which affected millions of people.

Relative and absolute height: what's the difference

Speaking about the height of the Andes, it should be clarified how the absolute height differs from the relative one. The first is the distance from sea level to the highest point of the feature. The second is calculated from the foot of the mountain to the top. It goes without saying that it will always be less than the absolute value.

This rule is confirmed by the Andes. The height of Aconcagua from sea level is 6962 meters, and from the foot - 6138 meters, that is, 824 meters less than the absolute one. This, by the way, is of great importance for climbers, because the real distance that they need to overcome is equal to relative indicators. But the state of health, which depends on atmospheric pressure and the temperature minimum, is already determined by the absolute height. Experienced climbers never ignore these numbers.

If you look at South America in a section, then the relief of its surface is very peculiar. There is a fairly large amplitude between the minimum and maximum values.

The Amazonian lowland is the largest on the planet, its area covers 5 million square kilometers. Its average absolute height is less than 200 meters above sea level. But there are parts, especially near the Atlantic coast and in the center of the mainland, that rise no more than 100 meters. And the minimum is 10 meters above sea level. The surface rises as it approaches the western part of the continent. The maximum performance is 150-250 meters.

So what is the height of the Andes relative to the Amazonian lowland? If we take into account only the difference in average heights, then this is already impressive: a drop from 200 to 4000 meters - and this is all at a width of about 5000 kilometers.

Given the maximum variation in absolute heights, it turns out that the rise of the surface ranges from 10 meters to almost 7 kilometers. This could not but affect the climate and atmospheric pressure zones, but more on that below.

Aconcagua is located in Argentina. The etymology of this name is not exactly known, but it may be derived from the words "acon caguac", which in the language of the Quechua tribe means "stone guard".

The navigator will help you get to the foot of Aconcagua, and then conquer the peak of the Andes mountain system. The absolute height and coordinates of the highest point are indicated to the nearest meter and minute: the peak lies at 6962 meters above sea level and is located at 32 ° 39′ S. sh. 70°00′ W d.

Major Peaks

The Andes can boast of 13 six-thousanders. Here is their list:

1. Aconcagua (6962 m).
2. Ojos del Salado (6893 m). It is located on the border between Argentina and Chile.
3. Pisis (6795 m). It is located in the most picturesque part of the Andes. In the neighborhood from it lie the most beautiful lakes and glaciers.
4. Bonet (6759 m). Located near the Laguna Brava National Park.
5. Tres Cruzes (6749 m). This is also a volcano with three peaks. Nearby is the national park of the same name.
6. Huascaran (6746 m). The highest mountain in Peru.
7. Lulaillako (6739 m). This is the highest place in the world where the remains of an ancient civilization have been discovered. Archaeologists have found three Inca mummies here.
8. Mercedario (6700 m). This is a huge glacier, from which many mountain rivers originate.
9. Walter Penck (6658 m). This volcano is named after its explorer from Germany, who worked here at the end of the 19th century.
10. Incahuasi (6638 m). This mountain was a place of worship for the Incas.
11. Yerupaya (6617 m). In translation, the name sounds like "white dawn", perhaps because of the eternal snows that cover the peak.
12. Tupungato (6570 m). Located on the border of Chile and Argentina, 80 kilometers from Aconcagua.
13. Sayyama (6542 m). This is the highest point in Bolivia.

Regions

Since the described mountain system is too extended in length, three main landscape zones are distinguished in it: the Northern, Southern and Central Andes.

The first of them consists of three massifs: the Caribbean (located on the territory of Venezuela), the Northwestern (Colombia-Venezuela) and the Ecuadorian (they are also called Equatorial) Andes. It is interesting that these mountains go into the sea - islands like Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao are actually peaks that have not yet risen from the depths. This part of the Andes is distinguished by the highest chain of volcanoes in the world, some of which are still active.

If we talk about the central landscape zone, then there, in addition to the main part itself, one can also distinguish the Peruvian Andes. Here is the highest capital of the world - the city of La Paz (Bolivia), built at an altitude of 3700 m.

The width of the Andes in this part reaches its maximum: 750 km. A large area is occupied by the Puna Plateau, the average heights of which range from 3.7 to 4 kilometers. Also, it is in the Central Andes that the second peak after Aconcagua is located - Ojos del Salado. There are many six-thousanders here. All of them have one interesting feature - a very high snow line (starts from 6500 m). This part is characterized by alpine lakes, the most famous of them is Titicaca, resting at an altitude of 3821 m.

Despite the fact that this is where the famous peak is located, in general, the Southern region of the mountains is much lower than the Central. The height of the Andes in meters is clearly on the decline here. Accordingly, the snow line also decreases (the peaks starting from 1500 m lie under the white cover). When immersed in the ocean, they take on a different look: they transform into archipelagos and islands. The predominant heights of the Andes mountains on Tierra del Fuego, which is also covered with ridges, are significantly lower (up to 2500 m).

Climate

The northern part of the mountains lies in the subequatorial and equatorial climatic zone. The first is characterized by alternating wet and dry seasons. The eastern slopes are abundantly moist, while the western slopes are characterized by a drier climate. In the Caribbean Andes, the air is almost tropical. The annual rainfall is very low. But the Ecuadorian Andes are more stable in terms of temperature: there the thermometer needle basically stands still all year round. This is enjoyed by the inhabitants of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. This area is very well hydrated.

In the Central Andes, the climate is very harsh due to the large difference in humidity between the western and eastern slopes of the mountains. Here is the Atacama - the driest desert in the world, where no more than 50 mm of precipitation falls per year.

The southern Andes lie in the subtropical zone, which smoothly passes into the temperate climate zone. Due to strong winds, the amount of precipitation here reaches 6000 mm. This is not surprising, because on the south coast it rains almost 200 days a year.

Climbing Aconcagua

Aconcagua is second in the list of the Seven Peaks. Second only to Everest. Matthias Jurbiggen, who climbed the Andes in 1897, is considered to be the first conqueror of the Andes.

Compared to other peaks, climbing Aconcagua is technically easy, especially from the north side. Unlike climbing Everest, oxygen tanks are not required to conquer the Andes - the altitude here is less than 2000 m.

Records

Despite the possibility of sudden storms, every year about 5,000 daredevils try to reach the summit and find themselves on the highest point of the entire western hemisphere. Records have already been set.

For example, the fastest ascent (5 hours 45 minutes) was carried out in 1991. Apparently, interest in the Andes has increased again recently, as several records have been set at once, and almost one after another. So, in 2013, 9-year-old American schoolboy Tyler Armstrong became the youngest representative of the stronger sex to master the summit of Aconcagua. And 12-year-old Romanian Jeta Popescu gave a decent answer in February 2016.

At the same time, the Spaniard Fernanda Maciel took first place in the list of the fastest complete (top - descent - top) ascents, having done it in 14 hours and 20 minutes. A similar record for men's rise was recorded a year earlier. The greatest height of the mountains (Andes) succumbed to the climber Karl Egloff, who managed in 11 hours 52 minutes.

Another fact is also surprising: at a distance of 4400 meters from sea level is the highest art gallery in the world. It is located in the base camp of Plaza de Mulas. It exhibits the work of contemporary Argentine artist Miguel Doura. Apparently, climbers are provided with leisure.

Ancient civilization in the Andes

It is believed that people have mastered the highlands as early as 4000 years ago, at least, this is how it dates from the first archaeological excavations. Yes, the Andes hide many mysteries! Their height, apparently, did not at all frighten the Incas, who built an entire civilization here.

Researchers are especially perplexed by the Sacsayhuaman archaeological complex (3700 m), the fortress of which consists of huge processed stones weighing up to 200 tons. And just below (3500 m) is the ancient agricultural laboratory of Morai, where the Incas, most likely, conducted experiments with plants.

The Andes can truly be called the heritage of the world, because they keep both the wealth of breathtaking landscapes and the mysteries of the ancient history of mankind.

ANDES (Andes, from Anta, in the Inca language copper, copper mountains), Andean Cordillera (Cordillera de los Andes), the longest (estimated from 8 to 12 thousand km) and one of the highest (6959 m, Mount Aconcagua) mountain systems of the globe; frames South America from the north and west. In the north they are bounded by the basin of the Caribbean Sea, in the west they face the Pacific Ocean, in the south they are washed by the Drake Passage. The Andes is the main climatic barrier of the mainland, isolating the eastern part from the influence of the Pacific Ocean, the western part from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.

Relief. The Andes consist mainly of the submeridional ranges of the Western Cordillera of the Andes, the Central Cordillera of the Andes, the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, the Coastal Cordillera of the Andes, separated by internal plateaus and depressions (see map).

According to the totality of natural features and orography, the Northern, Peruvian, Central and Southern Andes are distinguished. The northern Andes include the Caribbean Andes, the Colombian-Venezuelan and Ecuadorian Andes. The Caribbean Andes are elongated latitudinally and reach a height of 2765 m (Mount Naiguata). The Colombian-Venezuelan Andes have a northeast strike and are formed by the Western, Central and Eastern (height up to 5493 m) Cordillera. The ridges fan out north of 1° north latitude and are separated by the valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. The northern branches of the Eastern Cordillera cover the intermountain depression of Maracaibo. The isolated massif Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (altitude 5775 m, Mount Cristobal Colon) rises steeply above the Caribbean coast. Along the coast of the Pacific Ocean there is a lowland up to 150 km wide, with low (up to 1810 m) ridges, separated from the Western Cordillera by the valley of the Atrato River. The Ecuadorian Andes (1 ° north latitude - 5 ° south latitude), less than 200 km wide (the minimum width of the Andes), are elongated submeridionally and formed by the Western (height up to 6310 m, Mount Chimborazo) and Eastern Cordillera, separated by a depression - the Quito graben. Along the coast - lowlands and low mountains. The Peruvian Andes (5°-14° south latitude), up to 400 km wide, strike northwest. The coastal plain is almost non-existent. Western (height up to 6768 m, Mount Huascaran), Central and Eastern Cordillera are separated by the valleys of the Marañon and Huallaga rivers. In the Central Andes (Central Andean Highlands, 14°28° S), the strike changes from northwest to submeridional. The Western Cordillera (altitude up to 6900 m, Mount Ojos del Salado) is separated from the Central and Cordillera Real by the vast Altiplano basin. The Eastern and Central Cordillera are separated by a narrow depression with the upper reaches of the Beni River. The Coastal Cordillera stretches along the coast, framed from the east by the Longitudinal Valley. The Southern Andes (Chilean-Argentinean Andes and Patagonian Andes), 350-450 km wide, are located south of 28 ° south latitude and have mainly a submeridional strike. They are formed by the Coastal Cordillera, the Longitudinal Valley, the Main Cordillera (altitude up to 6959 m, Mount Aconcagua) and the Precordillera. To the south, the heights decrease to 1000 m (on Tierra del Fuego). The Patagonian Andes are strongly dissected by modern and ancient (Quaternary) glaciers into numerous massifs and ranges. The coastal Cordillera passes into the chain of islands of the Chilean archipelago with deep valleys and fjords, and the Longitudinal Valley into a system of straits. The Andes are part of the Pacific volcanic ring, and the shape of the relief is largely determined by volcanic forms - plateaus, lava flows, volcanic cones. There are up to 50 large active, 30 extinct volcanoes and hundreds of small volcanic structures. In the Northern Andes - the volcanoes Cotopaxi (5897 m), Huila (5750 m), Ruiz (5400 m), Sangay (5230 m) and others; in the Central Andes - Lullaillaco (6723 m), Misti (5822 m) and others; in the Southern Andes - Tupungato (6800 m), Liaima (3060 m), Osorno (2660 m), Corcovado (2300 m), Berni (1750 m), etc.

Geological structure and minerals. The Andes as the newest mountain structure was formed at the Alpine stage (in the Cenozoic) in connection with the evolution of the active margin of South America. In its position, the Andes inherit the Andean fold system that developed throughout the Phanerozoic, the largest of the systems in the eastern part of the Pacific mobile belt. The modern Andes are a typical marginal continental volcanic-plutonic belt. At earlier stages of development (the end of the Triassic - Cretaceous), island-arc systems of the West Pacific type existed here. According to the geological structure of the Andes, they have transverse and longitudinal zonality. From north to south, three segments are distinguished: Northern (Colombian-Ecuadorian), Central (with Peruvian-Bolivian and Northern Chilean-Argentinean subsegments) and Southern (Southern Chilean-Argentinean). The easternmost element of the Andes is the band of the Subandy Foredeeps, which gradually narrows to the south and consists of separate links separated by transverse uplifts. The troughs are filled with weakly deformed Eocene-Quaternary molasses. The Andean orogen thrust to the east consists of several large uplifts with a cover-fold structure (expressed in the relief by the Cordillera mountain ranges) and narrower intermountain troughs or plateaus (Altiplano) separating them, filled with thick Neogene-Quaternary molasses. The eastern (outer), partly central zones of the orogen are composed of fragments of the Early Precambrian metamorphic basement of the platform, its Paleozoic cover, Late Precambrian (Brazilides) and Hercynian metamorphic folded complexes. The structure of the western (inner) zones involves Mesozoic (partly Paleozoic) sedimentary, volcanic-sedimentary, volcanogenic complexes formed in volcanic island arcs, back-arc basins on the ancient active margin of South America, as well as ophiolites of various origins. These formations were attached (accreted) to the margin of South America in the Late Cretaceous. At the same time, there was an intrusion of giant multiphase granite batholiths (Coastal Cordillera of Peru, Main Cordillera of Chile, Patagonian). In the Cenozoic, chains of large terrestrial stratovolcanoes formed along the active continental margin. Three volcanic groups are currently active: northern (Southern Colombia and Ecuador), central (Southern Peru - Northern Chile) and southern (Southern Chile). The Andes retain high tectonic mobility, are characterized by intense seismicity associated with the subduction (subduction) of the Nazca plate under the South American plate.

The bowels of the Andes are extremely rich in minerals. The deposits of the Copper Belt of South America are associated with granite batholiths. Deposits of ores of silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, gold, platinum and other rare and non-ferrous metals (deposits in Peru and Bolivia) are confined to Cenozoic volcanic and subvolcanic formations. Deposits of oil and natural combustible gas are associated with the band of foredeeps filled by Cenozoic molasses, especially in the north (Venezuela, Ecuador, Northern Peru) and the extreme south of the Andes (Southern Chile, Argentina). Large deposits of saltpeter, iron ores in Chile, emeralds in Colombia.

Climate. The Andes cross 6 climatic zones (equatorial, northern and southern subequatorial, southern tropical and subtropical, temperate), characterized by sharp contrasts in the moisture content of the western (windward) and eastern (leeward) slopes. In the Caribbean Andes, 500-1000 mm of precipitation falls per year (mainly in summer), in the equatorial Andes (Ecuador and Colombia) on the western slopes - up to 10,000 mm, on the eastern - up to 5000 mm. The western slopes of the Peruvian and Central Andes and the interior of the Central Andes are characterized by a tropical desert climate, the eastern slopes receive up to 3000 mm of precipitation per year. To the south of 20 ° south latitude on the western slopes, the amount of precipitation increases, on the eastern slopes it decreases. The western slopes south of 35° south latitude receive 5,000–10,000 mm of precipitation per year, while the eastern slopes receive 100–200 mm. Only in the very south, with a decrease in altitude, there is some equalization in the moistening of the slopes. The snow line is located in Colombia at an altitude of 4700-4900 m, in Ecuador - 4250 m, in the Central Andes 5600-6100 (in Pune 6500 m is the highest on Earth). It decreases to 3100 m to 35 ° south latitude, 1000-1200 m - in the Patagonian Andes, 500-600 m - in Tierra del Fuego. South of 46° 30' south latitude, glaciers descend to sea level. Large glaciation centers are located in the Cordillera de Santa Marta and in the Cordillera de Merida (the total ice volume is about 0.5 km 3), in the Ecuadorian Andes (1.1 km 3), the Peruvian Andes (24.7 km 3 ), in the Western Cordillera of the Central Andes (12.1 km 3), in the Central Cordillera (62.7 km 3), in the Chilean-Argentine Andes (38.9 km 3), the Patagonian Andes (12.6 thousand km 3, in including the Uppsala Glacier). The Patagonian ice sheet is formed by two vast fields with a total length of 700 km, a width of 30-70 km, and a total area of ​​13 thousand km2.

Rivers and lakes. The Andes are interoceanic watershed, they originate the components and tributaries of the Amazon, as well as tributaries of the Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana and Patagonia rivers. In the Northern and Peruvian Andes, in narrow depressions located between the ridges, large rivers flow: Cauca, Magdalena, Marañon (the source of the Amazon), Huallaga, Mantaro, and others. Most of their tributaries and the rivers of the Central and Southern Andes are relatively short. The rivers of the Western and Coastal Cordillera between 20 ° and 28 ° south latitude have almost no permanent watercourses, the river network is sparse. The Central Andes have extensive areas of internal runoff. The rivers flow into lakes Titicaca, Poopo, and salt marshes (Coipasa, Uyuni, and others). In the southern, especially Patagonian, Andes, there are many large lakes of glacial origin (Buenos Aires, San Martin, Viedma, Lago Argentino, etc.) and hundreds of small ones (finally moraine and cirque).

Soils, flora and fauna. The position in several climatic zones, contrasts in the moisture content of the western and eastern slopes, and the significant heights of the Andes determine the great diversity of soil and vegetation cover and a pronounced altitudinal zonality. In the Caribbean Andes - deciduous (during the winter drought) forests and shrubs on mountain red soils. On the eastern slopes of the Colombian-Venezuelan, Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Central Andes there are mountain rainforests (mountain hylaea) on lateritic soils, including the Yungas natural region. On the western slopes of the Peruvian and Central Andes - the Tamarugal and Atacama deserts, in the interior highlands - Puna. In the subtropical Andes of Chile - evergreen dry forests and shrubs on brown soils, south of 38 ° south latitude - humid evergreen and mixed forests on brown forest, in the south - podzolized soils. High plateaus are characterized by special high-mountain types of vegetation: in the north - equatorial meadows (paramos), in the Peruvian Andes and in the northeast of Pune - dry cereal steppes (halka). The Andes are home to potatoes, cinchona, coca and other valuable plants.

The fauna of the Andes is similar to the fauna of the adjacent plains; endemic species include the relic spectacled bear, llamas (vicuna and guanaco), Magellanic dog (culpeo), Azar fox, pudú and uemul deer, chinchilla, Chilean opossum. Birds are numerous (especially in the Coastal Cordillera): condor, mountain partridge, geese, ducks, parrots, flamingos, hummingbirds, etc. It is possible that the horse, sheep, and goat brought to South America contributed to the desertification of the Andean landscapes.

There are 88 national parks in the Andes with a total area of ​​19.2 million hectares, including: Sierra Nevada (Venezuela), Paramilho, Cordillera de los Picachos, Sierra de la Macarena (Colombia), Sangay (Ecuador), Huascaran, Manu (Peru), Isiboro Secura (Bolivia), Alberto Agostini, Bernardo O'Higshns, Laguna - San Rafael (Chile), Nahuel Huapi (Argentina), as well as numerous reserves and other protected areas.

Lit .: Lukashova E. N. South America. Physical geography. M., 1958; American Cordillera. M., 1967.

M. P. Zhidkov; A. A. Zarshchikov (geological structure and minerals).

one of the highest mountain systems of the Earth, which is located in the northwest of South America, with a very large number of active volcanoes that make up the Andean volcanic belt, with frequent earthquakes, large glaciers, rich in natural resources in the form of gas, oil, non-ferrous metals

Definition of the Andes, Andean geography, northern Andes, central Andes, southern Andes, peaks of the Andes, Andean population, Andean parks, Andean climate, Andean vegetation and soils, Andean wildlife, Andean ecology, Andean industry, Andean mining, Andean agriculture , interesting in the Andes

Expand content

Collapse content

Andes is, definition

Andes is the longest mountain, as well as one of the highest mountain systems in the world, from the system of which the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin flow to the east, and the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin flow to the west, these are mountains where formations have not yet ended and continue, so it is possible here meet many active volcanoes, and also frequent here, the Andes mountain system runs through the territory of 7 countries of America (South), it should be noted that the Andes sound like "Copper Mountains".

Andes is mountains that serve as the most important climatic barrier, isolating the territory to the west of the Cordillera Main from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, to the east - from the influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Andes is mountains that lie in 5 climatic zones (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate) and are distinguished (especially in the central part) by sharp contrasts in the moisture content of the eastern (leeward) and western (windward) slopes.

Andes is 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).

Andes is the longest mountain range in the world, it is still growing.

Andes what it is the longest and one of the highest mountain systems of the Earth.

Andes, what is it - is it burn, where the plates of the earth's crust collide, volcanoes act, mountains rise.

Andes where it is along South America in a giant chain, there are many rocky peaks and fire-breathing mountains.

Geography of the Andes

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 triacetrogs formed into triacetrogs, subsequently filled with layers of sedimentary and volcanic rocks of considerable thickness. Large massifs of the Main Cordillera and the coast, the Coastal Cordillera 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 runs along the Pacific coast of South America: the Nazca and Antarctic plates go under the South American one, which contributes to 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 with the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Andes are rich in ores mainly (vanadium, tungsten, bismuth, molybdenum, 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. In the advanced and foothill troughs there is oil and gas (in the foothills of the Andes within Argentina), in the weathering crusts - bauxites.

The volcano was conquered in 1937 by Polish climbers Justin Wojznis and Jan Szczepanski. On the way to the summit, which only experienced climbers can reach, the researchers found traces of Inca sacrificial altars.

Apparently, the Ojos del Salado volcano was revered by the Indians as a sacred mountain. On April 21, 2007, the Chilean athlete Gonzalo Bravo managed to climb the slope of Ojos del Salado to a height of 6,688 meters on a modified Suzuki Samurai (Suzuki SJ), thus setting a world climb record for.

Climbing the world's highest volcano Ojos del Salado

The summit of Monte Pissis (height 6793 m)

Monte Pissis is an extinct volcano in the province of La Rioja, Argentina, located about 550 km north of Aconcagua. Due to its location in the Atacama Desert, snow is only available at its peak during the winter. It was named after Pedro José Amadeo Piz in 1885, a French geologist who worked for the Chilean government. The first ascent to the top of the mountain was made by Polish climbers Stefan Osiecki and Jan Szczepanski on February 7, 1937.

Monte Pissis

Mount Huascaran (height 6768 m)

Huascarán is a mountain in the Andes with a height of 6768 m, the highest point in the Republic of Peru and the fourth highest mountain in South America. Huascaran is located in the national park of the same name and is part of the Cordillera Blanca massif.

In addition to the main peak of Huascaran Sur, the mountain has two more - Chopicalki and Huascaran Norte. The first ascent was made in 1932 by a group of German and Austrian climbers. Annie Smith-Peck was the first American to climb Huascaran Norte in 1908. Mount Huascaran is known for catastrophic events.

On December 13, 1941, the outburst of Lake Palcochocha caused a mudflow that destroyed the city of Huaraz, killing 5,000 people. On January 10, 1962, a glacier that fell off Mount Huascaran gave rise to a mudflow with a volume of 13 million cubic meters, as a result of which 4,000 people died.

On May 31, 1970, due to an earthquake on the northern slope, a large ice collapse occurred, which caused a mudflow that buried the Czechoslovak climbing group, the city of Yungay and the surrounding valley, 20,000 people died. It turned out that on Mount Huascaran, the value of the acceleration of free fall is the lowest on Earth - 9.7639 m / s².

Peak of Cerro Bonete (height 6759 m)

Cerro Bonete is a mountain in the north of the province of La Rioja, Argentina, near the border with the province of Catamarca. The height of its peak is 6759 m above sea level (SRTM data (English) Russian), which makes it the fifth highest mountain in America (after Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado, Monte Pissis and Huascarana).

Cerro Bonete

Summit of Mercedario (height 6720 m)

Mercedario is the highest peak of the Cordillera de la Ramada. and the eighth highest mountain of the Andes. In Chile, it is known as La Liga (Spanish: La Ligua). Located 100 km north of Aconcagua, in the Argentine province. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1934 by Adam Karpinsky and Viktor Ostrovsky, members of the Polish expedition.

Nevado Tres Cruces Volcanic Massif (heights 6749 m and 6629 m)

Nevado Tres Cruces is a volcanic massif in South America, belongs to the Andes mountain range, located on the border of Argentina and Chile. Its length is from eight to twelve kilometers from north to south and consists of four main peaks. The two highest peaks are Tras Cruces Sur with a height of 6749 m and Tras Cruces Central, 6629 m. The Nevado Tres Cruces National Park in Chile is named after the mountain.

Volcano Lullaillaco (height 6739 m)

Lullaillaco is an active volcano in the Western Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes, on the border of Chile and Argentina. It is located in an area of ​​very high volcanoes on the high plateau of Puna de Atacama in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world. It has an absolute height of 6739 m, relative - almost 2.5 km. At the top - eternal glaciation. The last explosive eruption dates back to 1877, and the volcano is currently in the solfataric stage. Llullaillaco is the highest active volcano on the planet, the second highest volcano in the world and the seventh highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. The snow line on the western slope exceeds 6.5 thousand meters (the highest position of the snow line on earth).

Mount Incahuasi (height 6621 m)

Incahuasi is a volcano in the province of Catamarca, in the northwest of Argentina. It is located in the east of the Atacama Desert. This volcano has two large peaks. The volcano has a 3.5 km wide caldera. Four pyroclastic cones are located 7 km to the northeast.

Population of the Andes

The modern population of the inner plateaus of the Andes consists mainly of the Quechua Indians, whose ancestors formed the basis of the Inca state. The Quechua practice irrigated agriculture, tame and breed llamas.

On the shores of Lake Titicaca, the Aymara people live, engaged in fishing and making various products from reeds growing along the low shores of the lake.

Parks in the Andes

They found traces of cultivation of peanuts, pumpkins, and other crops in the Andes. These plants do not grow wild near their location, which means they have been domesticated elsewhere. The development of agriculture testifies to the sedentary life of ancient people, their transition from primitive communal ways of obtaining food, less dependence on nature, and also the creation of the foundations for the development of inequality and the state.

Peruvian Republic

Accidents in the Andes

Accident - destruction of structures and (or) technical devices used at a hazardous production facility, uncontrolled explosion and (or) release of hazardous substances.

Passenger bus accident in the Andes

The bus went off the road and fell into the abyss, only eight people were saved. On Thursday morning, for unknown reasons, a passenger bus left the highway in the Peruvian Andes and fell into a gorge. Only eight people were rescued with serious injuries. The rest of the rescuers found already dead.

42 people killed in a terrible accident in the south of the Republic of Peru

“The bus is completely broken at the bottom of the plain, and the worst thing is that we are isolated here, there is no connection, like many cities in Peru,” RIA Novosti quotes the words of Mayor Velil, who, along with local residents, helped the victims.

Bus fell off a cliff in Peru

"Miracle in the Andes", involved in cannibalism

October 13, 1972 in the Andes crashed a plane with a junior rugby team from Montevideo. On the eleventh day, they heard that the rescuers of the three countries had stopped their search. To survive, the survivors were forced to eat their dead comrades.

What happened to the Uruguayan rugby team was later called the "miracle in the Andes." In fact, the plane with five crew members and forty passengers on board took off on October 12th. It was a charter flight that Uruguayan junior rugby players and their relatives and coaches flew from Carrasco to Santiago.

Due to bad weather conditions, the plane was forced to land at the airport in the Argentine city of Mendoza. On October 13, bad weather did not allow flying directly to Santiago, so he was taken to another Chilean city - Curico. Having passed it, the pilots received the command from the air traffic controller to descend on Santiago, but because of the cyclone, they had to do it blindly, which was the fatal mistake of the crew.

Coming out of the cyclone, the plane was right in front of the mountainside. Despite all the efforts of the pilots, it was not possible to avoid the collision. The car, striking a mountain, lost its tail and wings, and then the fuselage rushed at breakneck speed down the slope and crashed into a huge snowdrift. During the crash, out of 45 flying people, 12 people died, five more were missing.

The next day they will be found dead. A day later, another victim of a plane crash dies. Two weeks later, a snow avalanche will cover the survivors, and there will be no more eight passengers. Three will die from wounds and frostbite in the following days. Of the 45 passengers, only 16 will survive.

Chile and Argentina searched for the plane for eight days. But since the fuselage was white, it merged with the snow, making it difficult to search. On the ninth day, the search was stopped. When the first shock passed, the surviving passengers began to inspect things scattered during the disaster. So we managed to find several bottles of wine, crackers and chocolate bars. Water was obtained by melting snow in the sun. To do this, they threw it on the metal parts of a collapsed aircraft. Nobody had warm clothes. Therefore, they slept, leaning against each other.

When the meal was over, the question arose of what to do next. Given the fact that there was nowhere to wait for salvation, the living decided to eat the dead. It didn't come easy for everyone. After all, many of the dead were someone's relatives or close friends. And yet hunger forced rugby players to become cannibals.

Moreover, one of those who survived after a while will say that if it were not for the avalanche, then everyone would have died. The snow not only sheltered the shattered fuselage from the winds, but, horribly, gave eight more bodies to the survivors. Even then it was obvious that they would have to save themselves, that is, the crossing through the Andes was inevitable. The surviving pilot claimed that the green valleys were not so far from the crash site. But winter was in full swing, so even determined rugby players were afraid to set off.

stay alive

Finally, when waiting longer was tantamount to death, the passengers of the crashed charter made up their minds. We were going to go four, but one of the athletes died from blood poisoning. Three people set off - Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa and Antonio Vizintin. Almost immediately, they stumbled upon the tail section of the plane, where they found some food, clothing, and cigarettes. Also, batteries.

On the first night, the weather deteriorated sharply, and the trio almost froze. I had to go back to the fuselage, and all together sew a sleeping bag from pieces of cloth obtained in the tail. Batteries were useless. At first they wanted to use them to transmit a distress signal, but nothing happened. Batteries gave out direct current, but an alternating current was needed.

Trapped in the Andes

And again, three brave ones set off in search of saving valleys. But on the third day, they realized that it would take a long time to go, so Parrado and Canessa sent Vizintin back to the camp, and they themselves, taking supplies of human meat from him, went further. Only on the ninth day of the journey did they meet a Chilean farmer, to whom they explained the situation. He fed them and called rescuers.

Parrado himself, as stronger, became a conductor. The next day helicopters to the crash site. The rescuers could not believe their eyes. 72 days after the disappearance of Flight 571, they saw living passengers. Unfortunately, not all of them. The rescued received medical assistance. They were treated for altitude sickness and dehydration, scurvy and malnutrition.

Married, has two children. Enjoys racing.

No one survived the plane crash in the Andes

Rescuers carefully examined the crash site of the Venezuelan ATR42 aircraft and the command issued a final report on the search operation. The conclusions drawn are very disappointing.

All 46 people on board the plane were killed. "The circumstances of the disaster do not allow us to hope that any of the passengers or crew members could have survived," said General Ramon Vinas, head of Venezuela's civil aviation. Earlier it was reported that the plane crashed into a mountain and fell apart upon impact into small pieces.

The general added that a search operation continues at the crash site. Rescuers are delivered to the emergency site by helicopter, and then they have to go down the mountain terraces to the place where the airliner crashed into the mountain. Fragments of the aircraft are scattered over a large area, which also makes the operation difficult, according to FOX News.

Recall that the ATR42 twin-engine aircraft, owned by the Venezuelan airline, was flying from Merida to Caracas. Shortly after takeoff, the plane disappeared from radar screens. Later it turned out that he crashed into a mountain.

Football team plane found missing in Andes in 1961

Santiago, February 12th. In the Andes, at an altitude of more than three thousand meters, climbers discovered the wreckage of a plane that crashed in 1961, MIR 24 reports. There were eight Green Cross football teams on board, all of them died.

The crash site of the plane about three hundred kilometers south of the capital of Chile - Santiago

Three killed in helicopter crash in Andes

Three people died in a helicopter crash in the Chilean Andes, among them the former Chilean ambassador to India. The accident occurred on Saturday morning, 570 kilometers south of the Chilean capital Santiago. According to RIA Novosti with reference to Agence France-Presse, there were four people on board, one of them managed to escape by jumping from the helicopter before it crashed. He was taken to the hospital after the rescue team arrived at the crash site. The bodies of the victims were removed from the scene of the accident a few hours later.

If there are uninteresting mountains in the world, then these are definitely not the Andean Cordillera. Standard tourist routes can be on foot and horseback, one-day and long, but they all make you feel the differences between the two cultures colliding in the mountains. Small colonial cities, built by Europeans arriving on the mainland, and old forts oppose themselves to stone palaces and temples, remembering the times when there was no Amerigo and Christopher here at all.

Since the mountain range passes through seven countries, the diversity of cultures is really impressive. The distant descendants of the indigenous population of the mainland mixed in the most bizarre way with the conquering Europeans and brought slaves, and therefore the traditional beliefs of the locals are very different from the Catholicism that exists in everything else civilized world. For tourists, perhaps the most interesting will be such cities in the region as La Paz and Cusco.

Moreover, all those who come will be satisfied - the local flavor is unique, so lovers of souvenirs and national cuisine will be especially pleased to wander around very cheap, in the European view, local establishments. The only danger threatening visitors is to experience some discomfort at first due to the fact that La Paz is located at an altitude of more than 3.5 thousand km above sea level.

All lovers of outdoor activities should pay attention to the hiking trails that run through all the places that are more or less of interest to modern spoiled tourists. One of the most remarkable areas of the mountain range, where the Andes mountains pass, is the territory of the modern Republic of Peru.

The next must-see place is Lake Titicaca, which is the highest mountainous and navigable reservoir. In order to see it, you don’t need to go far, the address is the border of Bolivia and the Peruvian Republic, the Central Highlands.

Probably, many are familiar with the Grand Canyon, which the native and non-native Americans are so proud of, but the Colca Canyon (Peru) surpasses it by an order of magnitude, having a depth of more than 4 thousand km.

Equatorial evergreen forests with an abundance of exotic plants - bamboo, myrtle and tree fern - give the impression of absolute primitiveness, and on the first walk n It does not leave the feeling of traveling to the prehistoric era, when huge lizards still roamed the earth.

Crossing the mark of 3 thousand km above sea level, the traveler sees a landscape that has changed dramatically, in which the main place is now occupied by lichens, cacti and dwarf shrubs.

When planning a trip to South America, it should be borne in mind that it is impossible to see all the places where the Andes are located, because even on the map the mountains are too large, and the variety of architectural and historical monuments, natural areas and landscapes, tourist routes and cultural events makes them completely immense.

Horse crossing over the Andes

Sources and links

Sources of texts, pictures and videos

en.wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia Wikipedia

uchebnik-online.com - site collection of encyclopedias on various topics

yanko.lib.ru - portal of encyclopedic knowledge on economics

ubr.ua - UBR world news site

geographyofrussia.com - geography of all countries of the world

geograf.com.ua - electronic geographical magazine "Georgaf"

uchebniki-besplatno.com - educational portal with electronic textbooks

allrefs.net - student resource of essays and term papers

chemodan.com.ua - a resource with articles about emigration

rest.kuda.ua - site about rest in different countries of the world

vsefacty.com - electronic collection of interesting facts

interbridgestudy.ru - portal about education abroad

takearest.ru - site about tourism, recreation and travel

krugosvet.ru - universal popular science online encyclopedia

gect.ru - resource with articles about geography and astronomy

bibliofond.ru - student's electronic library, collection of abstracts, term papers, graduation theses

geographyofrussia.com - portal about the geography of different countries of the world

countrymeters.info - data on the population of different countries

znaniya-sila.narod.ru - an educational resource with articles on various topics

gecont.ru - a site about the geography and economy of the countries of the world

ru-world.net - a resource with articles about different countries

luckycamper.net - travel portal about different countries

knowledge.allbest.ru - a collection of scientific student papers

syl.ru - information electronic magazine for women

quickiwiki.com - electronic professional information encyclopedia

uadream.com - guide to different countries of the world

lichnosti.net - famous personalities from around the world

diplomus.in.ua - electronic database of student papers

biznes-prost.ru - information support for novice businessmen

monavista.ru - an observer of significant events in the world

jyrnalistedu.ru - a site about journalism and various printed publications

bravica.su - world news in Russian

mediascope.ru - electronic scientific journal of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. Lomonosov

images.Yandex.ru - search for images through the Yandex service

Google.com/finance - stock charts of large companies

Article Creator

Odnoklassniki.Ru/profile/574392748968 - profile of the author of this article in Odnoklassniki

Plus.Google.Com/u/0/104552169842326891947/posts- profile of the author of the material in Google+