Southern Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. The longest mountains in the world

The length of the Andes - 9000 km

Andes or Andean Cordillera, in the language of the Incas - copper mountains. They form the longest mountain range in the world. Their length is 9000 km - from the Caribbean Sea to Tierra del Fuego. The highest mountain of this mountain range is Akonkagau (6962 m). There are places where the Andes are 500 km wide, and the maximum width of the longest mountains in the world is 750 km (Central Andes, Andean Highlands). Most of the Andes is occupied by the Puna plateau. There is a very high snow line here, which reaches 6500 m, and the average height of the mountains is 4000 m.

The Andes are relatively young mountains, the process of mountain building ended many millions of years ago. The origin began in the Precambrian and Paleozoic periods. Then, on the site of the boundless ocean, land areas were just beginning to emerge. Throughout the time, the area where the current Andes are located was either sea or land.

Andean education

The formation of the mountain range ended with the uplift of rocks, as a result of which huge folds of stone moved to a very high height. This process continues to this day. The Andes have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

The longest mountains in the world are also the largest inter-oceanic divide. The Andes originate the Amazon and its tributaries, as well as tributaries of other major rivers of South America - Paraguay, Orinoco, Parana. The Andes serve as a climatic barrier for the mainland, that is, they isolate the land from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean from the west, and from the Pacific Ocean from the east.

Climate and relief of the Andes

The Andes lie in 6 climatic zones: northern and southern subequatorial, southern tropical, equatorial, subtropical temperate. On the western slopes of the mountains, up to 10 thousand millimeters of precipitation falls annually. As a result of the length, the landscape parts differ significantly from each other.

According to the relief, the Andes are divided into three regions: central, northern, southern. The Caribbean Andes and the Ecuadorian Andes, the Northwestern Andes belong to the Northern Andes. The main Cordilleras are separated by depressions of the valleys of the Magdalena and Cauca rivers. There are many volcanoes in this valley. These are Huila - 5750 m, Ruiz - 5400 m, and the current Cumbal - 4890 m.

Volcanoes of the Andes

The Ecuadorian Andes include a high volcanic chain with the highest volcanoes Chimborazo - 6267 m and Cotopaxi - 58967 m. They stretch through seven states of South America: Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile. The Central Andes include the Peruvian Andes. The highest point is Mount Huascaran - 6768.

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

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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

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.

Dormant volcano El Misti

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

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Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru , Bolivia, Chile , Argentina Length 8000 km Width 500 km highest peak aconcagua Andes at Wikimedia Commons

Andes, Andean Cordillera(Spanish) Andes; Cordillera de los Andes ) - 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 is a major interoceanic divide; to the east of the Andes, the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin flow (the Amazon itself and many of its large tributaries originate in the Andes, as well as tributaries of the Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana, the Magdalena River and the Patagonia River), to the west - 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.

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

Name history

According to the Italian historian Giovanni Anello Oliva (g.) originally European conquerors " Andes or Cordillera” (“Andes, o cordilleras”) was the name of the eastern ridge, while the western was called “ sierra"("sierra").

Geological structure and relief

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, which contributes to the development of mountain building processes. The southernmost 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 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. In the advanced and foothill troughs there is oil and gas (in the foothills of the Andes within Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina), in weathering crusts - bauxites. The Andes also have 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, Altiplano - in Bolivia and Peru) or depressions. The width of the mountain system is mainly 200-300 km.

Orography

Northern Andes

The main system of the Andes (Andean Cordillera) consists of parallel ridges stretching in the meridional direction, separated by internal plateaus or depressions. Only the Caribbean Andes, located within Venezuela and belonging to the Northern Andes, stretched sublatitudinally along the coast of the Caribbean Sea. The northern Andes also include the Ecuadorian Andes (in Ecuador) and the Northwestern Andes (in western Venezuela and Colombia). The highest ridges of the Northern Andes have small modern glaciers, and eternal snows on volcanic cones. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao in the Caribbean represent the peaks of the continuation of the Northern Andes descending into the sea.

In the Northwestern Andes, fan-shaped diverging north of 12 ° N. sh., there are three main Cordillera - Eastern, Central and Western. All of them are high, steeply sloping and have a folded-block structure. They are characterized by faults, uplifts and subsidences of modern times. The main Cordilleras are separated by large depressions - the valleys of the rivers Magdalena and Cauca - Patia.

The Eastern Cordillera has its highest altitude in its northeastern part (Mount Ritakuwa, 5493 m); in the center of the Eastern Cordillera - an ancient lake plateau (the prevailing heights are 2.5 - 2.7 thousand m); the Eastern Cordillera is generally characterized by large leveling surfaces. In the highlands there are glaciers. In the north, the Eastern Cordillera is continued by the Cordillera de Merida (the highest point is Mount Bolivar, 5007 m) and the Sierra de Perija (reaches a height of 3,540 m); between these ranges, in a vast low-lying depression, lies Lake Maracaibo. In the far north - the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta horst massif with altitudes up to 5800 m (Mount Cristobal Colon)

The valley of the Magdalena River separates the Eastern Cordillera from the Central, relatively narrow and high; in the Central Cordillera (especially in its southern part) there are many volcanoes (Huila, 5750 m; Ruiz, 5400 m; and others), some of which are active (Kumbal, 4890 m). To the north, the Central Cordillera drops somewhat and forms the Antioquia massif, strongly dissected by river valleys. The Western Cordillera, separated from the Central Valley of the Cauca River, has lower altitudes (up to 4200 m); in the south of the Western Cordillera - volcanism. Further to the west is the low (up to 1810 m) Serraniu de Baudo ridge, which passes in the north into the mountains of Panama. North and west of the Northwest Andes are the Caribbean and Pacific alluvial lowlands.

As part of the Equatorial (Ecuadorian) Andes, reaching up to 4 ° S, there are two Cordillera (Western and Eastern), separated by depressions 2500-2700 m high. Along the faults that limit these depressions (depressions) - one of the highest volcanic chains (the highest volcanoes are Chimborazo, 6267 m, Cotopaxi, 5897 m). These volcanoes, as well as those of Colombia, form the first volcanic region of the Andes.

Central Andes

To the south is the widest part of the Andes - the Central Andean Highlands (up to 750 km wide), where arid geomorphological processes predominate; a significant part of the highlands is occupied by the Puna plateau with heights of 3.7 - 4.1 thousand m. Pune is characterized by drainless basins (“bolsons”) occupied by lakes (Titicaca, Poopo, etc.) and salt marshes (Atacama, Coipasa, Uyuni, etc. .). To the east of Pune - Cordillera Real (Ankouma peak, 6550 m) with powerful modern glaciation; between the Altiplano plateau and the Cordillera Real, at an altitude of 3700 m, is the city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, the highest mountain in the world. East of the Cordillera Real - Subandian folded ranges of the Eastern Cordillera, reaching up to 23 ° S. The southern continuation of the Cordillera Real is the Central Cordillera, as well as several blocky massifs (the highest point is Mount El Libertador, 6720 m). From the west, Pune is framed by the Western Cordillera with intrusive peaks and numerous volcanic peaks (Sahama, 6780 m; Lullaillaco, 6723 m; San Pedro, 6159 m; Misti, 5821 m; etc.), which are part of the second volcanic region of the Andes. South of 19° S the western slopes of the Western Cordillera face the tectonic depression of the Longitudinal Valley, occupied in the south by the Atacama Desert. Behind the Longitudinal Valley there is a low (up to 1500 m) intrusive Coastal Cordillera, which is characterized by arid sculptural relief forms.

In Pune and in the western part of the Central Andes, there is a very high snow line (in some places above 6,500 m), therefore, snow is noted only on the highest volcanic cones, and glaciers are found only in the Ojos del Salado massif (up to 6,880 m high).

Southern Andes

Andes near the border of Argentina and Chile.

In the Southern Andes, extending south of 28 ° S, there are two parts - the northern (Chile-Argentine or Subtropical Andes) and the southern (Patagonian Andes). In the Chilean-Argentinean Andes, tapering to the south and reaching 39 ° 41′ S, a three-membered structure is pronounced - the Coastal Cordillera, the Longitudinal Valley and the Main Cordillera; within the latter, in the Cordillera Frontal, there is the highest peak of the Andes, Mount Aconcagua (6960 m), as well as the large peaks of Tupungato (6800 m), Mercedario (6770 m). The snow line here is very high (at 32°40′ S - 6000 m). East of the Cordillera Frontal are the ancient Precordillera.

South of 33°S (and up to 52 ° S) there is the third volcanic region of the Andes, where there are many active (mainly in the Main Cordillera and to the west of it) and extinct volcanoes (Tupungato, Maipa, Lyimo, etc.)

When moving south, the snow line gradually decreases and under 51 ° S.l. reaches a mark of 1460 m. High ridges acquire the features of an alpine type, the area of \u200b\u200bmodern glaciation increases, and numerous glacial lakes appear. South of 40°S the Patagonian Andes begin with lower ridges than in the Chilean-Argentine Andes (the highest point is Mount San Valentin - 4058 m) and active volcanism in the north. About 52° S the heavily dissected Coastal Cordillera plunges into the ocean, and its peaks form a chain of rocky islands and archipelagos; The longitudinal valley turns into a system of straits reaching the western part of the Strait of Magellan. In the area of the Strait of Magellan, the Andes (here called the Andes of Tierra del Fuego) deviate sharply to the east. In the Patagonian Andes, the height of the snow line barely exceeds 1500 m (in the extreme south it is 300-700 m, and from 46 ° 30′ S. glaciers descend to ocean level), glacial landforms predominate (below 48 ° S - powerful Patagonian ice sheet) with an area of over 20 thousand km², from where many kilometers of glacial tongues descend to the west and east); some of the valley glaciers on the eastern slopes end in large lakes. Along the coast, heavily indented by fjords, young volcanic cones rise (Corcovado and others). The Andes of Tierra del Fuego are relatively low (up to 2469 m).

Climate

Northern Andes

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.

In the equatorial belt, seasonal fluctuations are practically absent; for example, in the capital of Ecuador, Quito, the change in average monthly temperatures per year is only 0.4 °C. Precipitation is plentiful (up to 10000 mm per year, although usually 2500-7000 mm per year) and more evenly distributed over the slopes than in the subequatorial zone. The altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed. In the lower part of the mountains - a hot and humid climate, precipitation falls almost daily; in the depressions there are numerous swamps. With altitude, the amount of precipitation decreases, but at the same time, the thickness of the snow cover increases. Up to altitudes of 2500-3000 m, temperatures rarely drop below 15 ° C, seasonal temperature fluctuations are insignificant. Here, daily temperature fluctuations are already large (up to 20 ° C), the weather can change dramatically during the day. At altitudes of 3500-3800 m, daily temperatures already fluctuate around 10 °C. Above - a harsh climate with frequent snowstorms and snowfalls; daytime temperatures are positive, but there are severe frosts at night. The climate is dry, as there is little precipitation due to high evaporation. Above 4500 m - eternal snow.

Central Andes

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 - a desert tropical climate (the formation of which is greatly facilitated by the cold Peruvian current), there are very few rivers. If in the northern part of the Central Andes 200-250 mm of precipitation falls annually, then to the south their amount decreases and in some places does not exceed 50 mm per year. In this part of the Andes is Atacama - the driest desert in the world. Deserts rise in places up to 3000 m above sea level. A few oases are located mainly in the valleys of small rivers fed by the waters of mountain glaciers. The average January temperature in coastal areas ranges from 24 °C in the north to 19 °C in the south, the average July temperature ranges from 19 °C in the north to 13 °C in the south. Above 3000 m, in a dry puna, there is also little precipitation (rarely more than 250 mm per year); arrivals of cold winds are noted, when the temperature can drop to -20 ° C. The average July temperature does not exceed 15 °C.

At low altitudes, with an extremely small amount of rain, significant (up to 80%) air humidity, so fogs and dews are frequent. The Altiplano and Puna plateaus have a very harsh climate, with average annual temperatures not exceeding 10 °C. The large Lake Titicaca has a moderating effect on the climate of the surrounding areas - in the lakeside areas, temperature fluctuations are not as significant as in other parts of the plateau. To the east of the Main Cordillera there is a large (3000 - 6000 mm per year) amount of precipitation (brought mainly in the summer by east winds), a dense river network. Through the valleys, air masses from the Atlantic Ocean cross the Eastern Cordillera, moistening its western slope as well. Above 6000 m in the north and 5000 m in the south - negative average annual temperatures; due to the dry climate, there are few glaciers.

Southern Andes

In the Chilean-Argentine Andes, the climate is subtropical, and the humidification of the western slopes - due to winter cyclones - is greater than in the subequatorial zone; when moving south, the annual precipitation on the western slopes increases rapidly. Summer is dry, winter is wet. As you move away from the ocean, the continentality of the climate increases, and seasonal temperature fluctuations increase. In the city of Santiago, located in the Longitudinal Valley, the average temperature of the warmest month is 20 ° C, the coldest - 7-8 ° C; there is little precipitation in Santiago, 350 mm per year (to the south, in Valdivia, there is more precipitation - 750 mm per year). On the western slopes of the Main Cordillera, precipitation is more than in the Longitudinal Valley (but less than on the Pacific coast).

When moving south, the subtropical climate of the western slopes smoothly passes into the oceanic climate of temperate latitudes: the annual precipitation increases, and the differences in seasonal moisture decrease. Strong westerly winds bring a large amount of precipitation to the coast (up to 6000 mm per year, although usually 2000-3000 mm). More than 200 days a year it rains heavily, thick fogs often fall on the coast, while the sea is constantly stormy; the climate is unfavorable for living. The eastern slopes (between 28° and 38°S) are drier than the western (and only in the temperate zone, south of 37°S, due to the influence of westerly winds, their moisture increases, although they remain less humid compared to Western). The average temperature of the warmest month on the western slopes is only 10-15 ° C (the coldest - 3-7 ° C)

In the extreme southern part of the Andes, on Tierra del Fuego, there is a very humid climate, which is formed by strong humid western and southwestern winds; precipitation (up to 3000 mm) falls mainly in the form of drizzling rain (which occurs most of the days of the year). Only in the easternmost part of the archipelago is much less precipitation. Temperatures are low throughout the year (with very little seasonal fluctuation).

Vegetation and soils

On the slopes of the Patagonian Andes south of 38°S. - subarctic multi-tiered forests of tall trees and shrubs, mostly evergreen, on brown forest (podzolized to the south) soils; there are many mosses, lichens and lianas in the forests; south of 42°S - mixed forests (in the region of 42 ° S there is an array of araucaria forests). Beeches, magnolias, tree ferns, tall conifers, and bamboos grow. On the eastern slopes of the Patagonian Andes - mostly beech forests. In the extreme south of the Patagonian Andes - tundra vegetation.

In the extreme southern part of the Andes, on Tierra del Fuego, forests (from deciduous and evergreen trees - for example, southern beech and canelo) occupy only a narrow coastal strip in the west; above the forest border, the snow belt begins almost immediately. In the east and in places in the west, subantarctic mountain meadows and peat bogs are common.

The Andes is 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 interoceanic watershed; 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.
According to the Italian historian Giovanni Anello Oliva (1631), the eastern ridge was originally called the "Andes or Cordilleras" ("Andes, o cordilleras") by the European conquerors, while the western one was called the "sierra" ("sierra"). Currently, most scientists believe that the name comes from the Quechuan word anti (high ridge, ridge), although there are other opinions.

Geological structure and relief

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 internal plateaus and plateaus (Puna, Altiplano - in Bolivia and Peru) or depressions. The width of the mountain system is mainly 200-300 km.

Orography

Northern Andes

The main system of the Andes mountains (Andean Cordillera) consists of parallel ridges stretching in the meridional direction, separated by internal plateaus or depressions. Only the Caribbean Andes, located within Venezuela and belonging to the Northern Andes, stretch sublatitudinally along the coast of the Caribbean Sea. The northern Andes also include the Ecuadorian Andes (in Ecuador) and the Northwestern Andes (in western Venezuela and Colombia). The highest ridges of the Northern Andes have small modern glaciers, and eternal snows on volcanic cones. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao in the Caribbean are the peaks of the continuation of the Northern Andes descending into the sea.
In the Northwestern Andes, fan-shaped diverging north of 12 ° N. sh., there are three main Cordillera - Eastern, Central and Western. All of them are high, steeply sloping and have a folded-block structure. They are characterized by faults, uplifts and subsidences of modern times. The main Cordilleras are separated by large depressions - the valleys of the rivers Magdalena and Cauca - Patia.
The Eastern Cordillera has its highest altitude in its northeastern part (Mount Ritakuwa, 5493 m); in the center of the Eastern Cordillera - an ancient lake plateau (the prevailing heights are 2.5 - 2.7 thousand m); the Eastern Cordillera is generally characterized by large leveling surfaces. In the highlands there are glaciers. In the north, the Eastern Cordillera is continued by the Cordillera de Merida (the highest point is Mount Bolivar, 5007 m) and the Sierra de Perija (reaches a height of 3,540 m); between these ridges in a vast low-lying depression lies Lake Maracaibo. In the far north - the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta horst massif with altitudes up to 5800 m (Mount Cristobal Colon)
The valley of the Magdalena River separates the Eastern Cordillera from the Central, relatively narrow and high; in the Central Cordillera (especially in its southern part) there are many volcanoes (Huila, 5750 m; Ruiz, 5400 m; and others), some of them are active (Kumbal, 4890 m). To the north, the Central Cordillera drops somewhat and forms the Antioquia massif, strongly dissected by river valleys. The Western Cordillera, separated from the Central Valley of the Cauca River, has lower altitudes (up to 4200 m); in the south of the Western Cordillera - volcanism. Further to the west is the low (up to 1810 m) Serraniu de Baudo ridge, which passes in the north into the mountains of Panama. North and west of the Northwest Andes are the Caribbean and Pacific alluvial lowlands.
As part of the Equatorial (Ecuadorian) Andes, reaching up to 4 ° S, there are two Cordillera (Western and Eastern), separated by depressions 2500-2700 m high. Along the faults that limit these depressions (depressions) - one of the highest volcanic chains (the highest volcanoes are Chimborazo, 6267 m, Cotopaxi, 5897 m). These volcanoes, as well as those of Colombia, form the first volcanic region of the Andes.

Central Andes

In the Central Andes (up to 28 ° S), the Peruvian Andes (spreading south to 14 ° 30′ S) and the Central Andes proper are distinguished. In the Peruvian Andes, as a result of recent uplifts and intensive incision of rivers (the largest of which - Marañon, Ucayali and Huallaga - belong to the system of the upper Amazon), parallel ridges (Eastern, Central and Western Cordillera) and a system of deep longitudinal and transverse canyons were formed, which dissected the ancient leveling surface . The peaks of the Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes exceed 6000 m (the highest point is Mount Huascaran, 6768 m); in Cordillera Blanca - modern glaciation. Alpine landforms are also developed on the blocky ridges of the Cordillera Vilcanota, Cordillera de Vilcabamba, Cordillera de Carabaia. To the south is the widest part of the Andes - the Central Andean Highlands (up to 750 km wide), where arid geomorphological processes predominate; a significant part of the highlands is occupied by the Puna plateau with heights of 3.7 - 4.1 thousand m. Pune is characterized by drainless basins (“bolsons”) occupied by lakes (Titicaca, Poopo, etc.) and salt marshes (Atacama, Koipasa, Uyuni, etc. .). To the east of Pune - Cordillera Real (Ankouma peak, 6550 m) with powerful modern glaciation; between the Altiplano plateau and the Cordillera Real, at an altitude of 3700 m, is the city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, the highest mountain in the world. East of the Cordillera Real - Subandian folded ranges of the Eastern Cordillera, reaching up to 23 ° S. The southern continuation of the Cordillera Real is the Central Cordillera, as well as several blocky massifs (the highest point is Mount El Libertador, 6720 m). From the west, Pune is framed by the Western Cordillera with intrusive peaks and numerous volcanic peaks (Sahama, 6780 m; Lullaillaco, 6739 m; San Pedro, 6145 m; Misti, 5821 m; etc.), which are part of the second volcanic region of the Andes. South of 19° S the western slopes of the Western Cordillera go to the tectonic depression of the Longitudinal Valley, occupied in the south by the Atacama Desert. Behind the Longitudinal Valley there is a low (up to 1500 m) intrusive Coastal Cordillera, which is characterized by arid sculptural relief forms.
In Pune and in the western part of the Central Andes, there is a very high snow line (in some places above 6,500 m), therefore, snow is noted only on the highest volcanic cones, and glaciers are found only in the Ojos del Salado massif (up to 6,880 m high).

Southern Andes

In the Southern Andes, extending south of 28 ° S, there are two parts - the northern (Chile-Argentine, or Subtropical Andes) and the southern (Patagonian Andes). In the Chilean-Argentinean Andes, tapering to the south and reaching 39 ° 41′ S, a three-membered structure is pronounced - the Coastal Cordillera, the Longitudinal Valley and the Main Cordillera; within the latter, in the Cordillera Frontal, there is the highest peak of the Andes, Mount Aconcagua (6960 m), as well as the large peaks of Tupungato (6800 m), Mercedario (6770 m). The snow line here is very high (at 32°40′ S - 6000 m). East of the Cordillera Frontal are the ancient Precordillera.
South of 33°S (and up to 52 ° S) there is the third volcanic region of the Andes, where there are many active (mainly in the Main Cordillera and to the west of it) and extinct volcanoes (Tupungato, Maipa, Lyimo, etc.)
When moving south, the snow line gradually decreases and under 51 ° S.l. reaches a mark of 1460 m. High ridges acquire the features of an alpine type, the area of \u200b\u200bmodern glaciation increases, and numerous glacial lakes appear. South of 40°S the Patagonian Andes begin with lower ridges than in the Chilean-Argentine Andes (the highest point is Mount San Valentin - 4058 m) and active volcanism in the north. About 52° S the heavily dissected Coastal Cordillera plunges into the ocean, and its peaks form a chain of rocky islands and archipelagos; The longitudinal valley turns into a system of straits reaching the western part of the Strait of Magellan. In the area of the Strait of Magellan, the Andes (here called the Andes of Tierra del Fuego) deviate sharply to the east. In the Patagonian Andes, the height of the snow line barely exceeds 1500 m (in the extreme south it is 300-700 m, and from 46 ° 30′ S. glaciers descend to ocean level), glacial landforms predominate (below 48 ° S - powerful Patagonian ice sheet) with an area of over 20 thousand km², from where many kilometers of glacial tongues descend to the west and east); some of the valley glaciers on the eastern slopes end in large lakes. Young volcanic cones (Corcovado and others) rise along the shores, strongly indented by fjords. The Andes of Tierra del Fuego are relatively low (up to 2469 m).

Vegetation and soils

The soil and vegetation cover of the Andes is very diverse. This is due to the high altitudes of the mountains, a significant difference in the moisture content of the western and eastern slopes. Altitudinal zonality in the Andes is clearly expressed. There are three altitudinal belts - tierra caliente, tierra fria and tierra elada.
In the Andes of Venezuela, deciduous (during the winter drought) forests and shrubs grow on red mountainous soils. The lower parts of the windward slopes from the Northwestern Andes to the Central Andes are covered with mountainous equatorial and tropical forests on lateritic soils, as well as mixed forests of evergreen and deciduous species. The external appearance of the equatorial forests differs little from the external appearance of these forests in the flat part of the mainland; various palms, ficuses, bananas, a cocoa tree, etc. are characteristic. Higher (up to altitudes of 2500-3000 m), the nature of the vegetation changes; Bamboos, tree ferns, coca shrub (which is the source of cocaine), cinchona are typical. Between 3000 m and 3800 m - alpine hylaea with stunted trees and shrubs; epiphytes and creepers are widespread, bamboos, tree-like ferns, evergreen oaks, myrtle, heather are characteristic. Above - predominantly xerophytic vegetation, paramos, with numerous Compositae; moss swamps on flat areas and lifeless rocky spaces on steep slopes. Above 4500 m - a belt of eternal snow and ice.
To the south, in the subtropical Chilean Andes - evergreen shrubs on brown soils. In the Longitudinal Valley there are soils resembling chernozems in composition. The vegetation of the alpine plateaus: in the north - mountain equatorial meadows of paramos, in the Peruvian Andes and in the east of Pune - dry alpine-tropical steppes of halka, in the west of Pune and in the entire Pacific west between 5-28 ° south latitude - desert types of vegetation (in the Atacama Desert - succulent vegetation and cacti). Many surfaces are saline, which hinders the development of vegetation; in such areas, mainly wormwood and ephedra are found. Above 3000 m (up to about 4500 m) - semi-desert vegetation, called dry puna; grow dwarf shrubs (tholoi), grasses (feather grass, reed grass), lichens, cacti. To the east of the Main Cordillera, where there is more rainfall, there is steppe vegetation (puna) with numerous grasses (fescue, feather grass, reed grass) and cushion-shaped shrubs. On the humid slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, tropical forests (palm trees, cinchona) rise to 1500 m, stunted evergreen forests with a predominance of bamboo, ferns, and lianas reach 3000 m; at higher altitudes - alpine steppes. A typical inhabitant of the Andean highlands is polylepis, a plant of the Rosaceae family, common in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Chile; these trees are also found at an altitude of 4500 m.
In the middle part of Chile, the forests are largely reduced; once forests rose along the Main Cordillera to heights of 2500-3000 m (mountain meadows with alpine grasses and shrubs, as well as rare peat bogs, began higher), but now the mountain slopes are practically bare. Nowadays, forests are found only in the form of separate groves (pines, araucaria, eucalyptus, beeches and plane trees, in the undergrowth - gorse and geraniums). On the slopes of the Patagonian Andes south of 38°S. - subarctic multi-tiered forests of tall trees and shrubs, mostly evergreen, on brown forest (podzolized to the south) soils; there are many mosses, lichens and lianas in the forests; south of 42°S - mixed forests (in the region of 42 ° S there is an array of araucaria forests). Beeches, magnolias, tree ferns, tall conifers, and bamboos grow. On the eastern slopes of the Patagonian Andes - mostly beech forests. In the extreme south of the Patagonian Andes - tundra vegetation.
In the extreme southern part of the Andes, on Tierra del Fuego, forests (from deciduous and evergreen trees - for example, southern beech and canelo) occupy only a narrow coastal strip in the west; above the forest border, the snow belt begins almost immediately. In the east and in places in the west, subantarctic mountain meadows and peat bogs are common.
The Andes are the birthplace of cinchona, coca, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes and other valuable plants.

Animal world

The fauna of the northern part of the Andes is part of the Brazilian zoogeographic region and is similar to the fauna of the adjacent plains. The fauna of the Andes south of 5 ° south latitude belongs to the Chilean-Patagonian subregion. The fauna of the Andes as a whole is characterized by an abundance of endemic genera and species. The Andes is inhabited by llamas and alpacas (representatives of these two species are used by the local population for obtaining wool and meat, as well as pack animals), chain-tailed monkeys, a relic spectacled bear, pudu and gaemal deer (which are endemic to the Andes), vicuña, guanaco, Azar fox , sloths, chinchillas, marsupial opossums, anteaters, degu rodents. In the south - blue fox, Magellanic dog, endemic rodent tuco-tuco, etc. There are many birds, among them hummingbirds, which are also found at altitudes of more than 4000 m, but are especially numerous and diverse in the "foggy forests" (moist tropical forests of Colombia, Ecuador , Peru, Bolivia and the extreme northwest of Argentina, located in the fog condensation zone); endemic condor, rising to a height of up to 7 thousand meters; and others. Some species (such as, for example, chinchillas, which were intensively exterminated in the 19th and early 20th centuries for the sake of obtaining skins; wingless grebes and the Titicaca whistler, found only near Lake Titicaca; etc.) are endangered.
A feature of the Andes is a large species diversity of amphibians (over 900 species). Also in the Andes, there are about 600 species of mammals (13% are endemic), over 1,700 species of birds (of which 33.6% are endemic) and about 400 species of freshwater fish (34.5% are endemic)

Information

Countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
Length: 9000 km
Width: 500 km
highest peak: Aconcagua

Source. wikipedia.org

The Andes are one of the most beautiful mountain systems on the planet. And at the same time, it is the longest mountain range in the world, the length of the Andes mountains is 9 thousand kilometers. They stretched across several large states and climatic zones, their nature is very diverse and unique.

Andes - the longest mountain system on the planet

The Andes are the longest mountains on the planet. The Andes Mountains are 9,000 kilometers long. Despite this, their width is relatively small - only 500 kilometers. The average height of the Andes is about 4 kilometers. The Andes pass through 7 states - these are Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia. The nature and landscapes of these mountains are very diverse, because the Andes are thousands of kilometers long. The mountains are located in five climatic zones, starting from the equatorial zone in the north and ending with the temperate in the south. And the altitudinal zonality makes the nature of the mountains even more unique and diverse. The climate in different parts of the Andes is significantly different. The main feature of the Andes has a strong effect - this mountain system is a watershed between the two largest oceans - the Pacific and Atlantic. To the east of the mountains are the basins of the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west of the rivers of the Pacific Ocean.

Different areas of the Andes

Since the Andes is a very long mountain system, they are conditionally divided into three regions. The Andes Mountains make up the Northern, Central and Eastern Andes. In turn, these parts of the Andes are divided into the Caribbean Andes, Northwest Andes and so on.

The northern Andes are located closest to the equator, stretching from the Caribbean Sea to the border of Ecuador and Peru. The northern Andes end in a fault that separates them from the Central Andes. They are also divided into separate regions, mountain systems. The Caribbean Andes stretch along the Caribbean Sea in Venezuela, at the foot of them is the capital of Venezuela - Caracas. The Ecuadorian Andes are located, respectively, in the state of Ecuador. The northwestern Andes stretch across Colombia and Venezuela.

If off the coast of the Caribbean Sea, in Colombia and Venezuela, the ridges are fan-shaped and the length of the Andes from west to east in this area is 450 kilometers, then to the south the mountains narrow sharply to 100 kilometers. The Serrania de Baudo ridge stretches along the Pacific coast, it is isolated from the rest of the Andes by the Atrato depression. It is low, narrow and strongly dissected. To the east rise higher ranges belonging to the Western, Eastern Cordillera and Central, which are separated by the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. They belong to the Northwestern Andes.

The Central Cordillera is the highest mountains in Colombia, they contain high volcanic peaks - Talima (5215 m) and Huila (5750 m). There is also the volcano Ruiz (5,400 m), which destroyed the city of Amero with its eruption, the number of victims is 25 thousand people. In general, the Northern Andes are a seismically active zone, earthquakes occur regularly here. In 1949, the city of Palileo was completely destroyed by tremors with a power of 6.8 points. And in 1999, the cities of Armenia and Pereira in Colombia underwent significant destruction.

The Central Andes stretch for thousands of kilometers from the border of Peru and Ecuador to 27 degrees south latitude. This is the widest section of the mountain system, from west to east, the Andes Mountains are in km - 800 in Bolivia.

The Central Andes are divided into the Peruvian Andes and simply the Central. In Peru there are rivers that feed the full-flowing Amazon - Ucayali, Huallaghi, Marañon. Here, as in the Northern Andes, there are also the ridges of the Eastern, Western and Central Cordillera. They are separated by numerous deep canyons. The peaks here are over 6,000 meters high. The highest point is the peak of Huascaran with a height of 6,768 meters.

To the south is the widest stretch of mountains - the Central Andean Highlands, a significant part of which is occupied by the Puna Plateau. Heights in the territory of Pune reach 4 thousand meters. In this area there are large and famous lakes - Poopo, Titicaca. Titicaca is the only navigable lake in the world located at such a high altitude - 3,812 meters. And also there are salt marshes - Atacama, Uyuni, Koipasa. East of Pune is the Cordillera Real with the high peak of Ankouma (6550 m). Also in this part of the Andes is the highland city of La Paz, which is the capital of Bolivia. This is the only metropolitan city located at an altitude of 3,600 m, it is located in the crater of an extinct volcano. In addition, the world's longest cable car in the Andes is located here, its length is 10 km.

The continuation of the Cordillera Real in the south is the Central Cordillera with the highest point - El Libertador (6,720 m). To the west of Pune is the Western Cordillera with high peaks-volcanoes: Sajama (6,780), San Pedro, Lullaillaco, Misti. The slopes of the Western Cordillera descend to the Longitudinal Valley, the southern part of which is occupied by the most severe Atacama desert. It is located near the Andes mountains, the length is in km - 1,000.

The southern Andes are divided into two parts. In the north, these are the Chilean-Argentinean Andes or Subtropical, and in the south, the Patagonian.

In the Chilean-Argentinean, one can distinguish the Coastal Cordillera, the Main Cordillera and the Longitudinal Valley. Within the Main Cordillera, one can single out the Cordillera Frontal, where the peak of Aconcagua is located with a height of 6,960 meters. To the east are the Precordillera.

The Patagonian Andes are located in the south in the temperate climate zone. They are low compared to the Central and Northern Andes and Chile-Argentina, the highest peak here is San Valentin (4,058 meters). The coastal Cordillera in the south becomes numerous mountainous islands. The longitudinal valley to the south goes down until it becomes the bottom of the ocean. The main Cordillera also declines to the south.