Andes
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Great mountain system or cordillera that forms the western fringe of South America, extending through some 67° of latitude and the republics of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. It is the longest mountain range in the world, 8,000 km/5,000 mi, and its peaks exceed 3,600 m/12,000 ft in height for half that length. It has an average breadth of 241 km/150 mi.
Formation
Geologically speaking, the Andes are new mountains, having attained their present height by vertical upheaval of the entire strip of the Earth's crust as recently as the latter part of the Tertiary era and the Quaternary. They have been greatly affected by weathering; rivers have cut deep gorges, and glaciers have produced characteristic valleys. The majority of the individual mountains are volcanic; some are still active.Peaks
The whole system may be divided into two almost parallel ranges. The southernmost extremity is Cape Horn, but the range extends into the sea and forms islands. Among the highest peaks, most of which are volcanoes, are Cotopaxi (5,897 m/19,347 ft) and Chimborazo (6,310 m/20,702 ft) in Ecuador, Cerro de Pasco (4,602 m/15,098 ft) and El Misti (5,822 m/19,101 ft) in Peru, Illampu (6,450 m/21,161 ft) and Illimani (6,451 m/21,164 ft) in Bolivia, Cerro Aconcagua (6,960 m/ 22,834 ft) (the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere) in Argentina, and Ojos del Salado (6,908 m/22,664 ft) in Chile.Conditions
Andean mineral resources include gold, silver, tin, tungsten, bismuth, vanadium, copper, and lead. Difficult communications make mining expensive, and for a long time pack animals were the chief form of transport, but air transport has since greatly reduced the difficulties. Three railways cross the Andes: from Valparaíso (Chile) to Buenos Aires (Argentina), from Antofagasta (Chile) to Salta (Argentina), and Antofagasta via Uyuni (Bolivia) to Asunción (Paraguay).The majority of the sparse population is dependent on agriculture, the nature and products of which vary with the natural environment. Latitudinal and altitudinal influences, topography and ocean currents play an important role in controlling local climate. For example, the cold Peru Current creates cloudy, but dry conditions forming the characteristic arid/desert areas off the west coast. Oscillations in the Pacific Ocean circulation, however, bring heavy rains and floods to these areas – the El Niño effect occurs about every 5–8 years. Given the variability of the climate, agricultural conditions have been adapted to suit local conditions and irrigation is common. Potatoes are cultivated often up to altitudes of 4,000 m/13,120 ft on impressive terraces. In the higher regions llamas and alpacas are herded. On the coast fish and cotton are the dominant agricultural products. Wine production is becoming increasingly important for many countries and regions, most especially Chile.
Newcomers to the Andean plateau, which includes Lake Titicaca, suffer from puna, mountain sickness, but indigenous peoples have hearts and lungs adapted to altitude. The main headstreams of the River Amazon rise in the Peruvian Andes.
Roads and national parks
Trans-Andine roads negotiate passes at very high levels: the Uspallata Pass, between Mendoza, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile, reaches an elevation of 3,900 m/12,795 ft. The Pan-American Highway ends at Yaviza, southeastern Panama – the Darién Gap section is not yet complete. The section remaining passes through dense tropical rainforest, which since 1980 has been declared a World Heritage site and international biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The Darién National Park (the Parque Nacional del Darién) established by Panama covers 90% of the frontier region with Colombia. Colombia has established an equivalent park/reserve called ‘Parque Nacional Los Katiós’. Together they form the largest national park in Central America.How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
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