Andes Facts

Andes Mountains is the name of an uninterrupted chain of highland that is situated along western coast of South America. Making up the longest exposed mountain range of the world, it comprises of two great ranges - Cordillera Oriental and Cordillera Occidental, which stand divided by a deep intermediate depression. The intermediate depression is home to other chains of minor importance, primary amongst them being Chile's Cordillera de la Costa, which starts from the southern extremity of American continent and goes up to form the western boundary of the great central valley of Chile. To explore more fun and interesting facts about Andes Mountains, go through the lines below.

Interesting and Fun Facts About Andes Mountains

Andes Mountains stretch over a length of 7,000 km (4,400 miles), width of 200-700 km (120-420 miles).
The mountain range is at its widest between 18° to 20°S latitude.
The average height of Andes Mountains is approximately 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
The mountain range extends over seven countries - Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
Andes Mountains make up the highest mountain range outside Asia.
The highest peak of the mountain range is Aconcagua, which rises to a height of 6,962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level.
Ecuadorean Andes are home to Mount Chimborazo, which forms the point on the Earth's surface that is most distant from its center.
Andes Mountains can be divided into three sections - the Southern Andes, the Central Andes and the Northern Andes.
While Southern Andes is in Argentina and Chile, the Central one includes Chilean and Peruvian cordilleras and parts of Bolivia. The Northern one boasts of having Venezuela, Colombia and northern Ecuador.
In Colombia, north to the border with Ecuador, the Andes split in three parallel ranges - western, central and eastern.
The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, situated in the Caribbean Sea - off the coast of Venezuela, are nothing but the submerged peaks of the extreme northern edge of Andes Mountains.
The mountain range is believed to have resulted from plate tectonics processes, caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.
The climate in Andes Mountains is quite varied and depends on location, altitude and proximity to the sea. For instance, the southern section is rainy and cool, the central Andes are dry and the northern range is typically rainy and warm.
The mountain range is home to a rich variety of fauna and flora, with about 30,000 species of vascular plants, 1000 species of amphibians, 600 species of mammals, 1700 species of birds, 600 species of reptiles and 400 species of fish.
Andes Mountains is the abode of numerous major cities, like Bogotá - the capital of Colombia, Quito - the capital of Ecuador, La Paz - the capital of Bolivia and Cusco - the famous Peruvian city.
Mining activities are carried out in the mountain range, with iron, gold, silver, tin and copper being the main production materials.
Andes Mountains include some of the highest peaks in the world. In fact, more than 50 peaks in Andes are 6,100 m (20,000 ft) above sea level.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Society'