The Andes Mountains

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The Andes stretch nearly 7,000 kilometres along South America’s western edge. That makes them the longest continental mountain range on Earth, running through seven different countries.

An aerial view of the Andes. Photo by Robert Morrow, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A topographic map of South America. The Andes run the full length of the western coast, shown in orange and white. Map by Carlos A Arango, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

MCQ Questions

WORLDGEO0027

~7,000 km

The Andes, longest continental range on Earth

From Venezuela’s Caribbean coast to Tierra del Fuego, across seven countries.

Countries

Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina

Highest Peak

6,961 m

Aconcagua, Argentina — highest in the Americas

Formation

~200 million yrs

Ongoing Nazca Plate subduction beneath South America

Ring of Fire

Active

Volcanic and seismic activity across the range

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mcqquestion.comWorldGeo0027

📑 Contents

1Must Know
2Good to Know
3Test Yourself
4Great to Know

🏔️ Extent and Location

The World’s Longest Range

Length The Andes run about 7,000 kilometres, from Venezuela’s Caribbean coast in the north to Tierra del Fuego, near Cape Horn, in the south.
Ranking They are the longest continental mountain range in the world.
Countries The range passes through seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
Highest Peak Aconcagua, in Argentina’s Mendoza Province, is the Andes’ highest peak, at 6,961 metres. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest outside Asia.
Width The range is far narrower than it is long. Its width varies from about 200 to 700 kilometres, with an average elevation of roughly 4,000 metres.
High-Altitude Capitals Several national capitals sit within the Andes. La Paz, Bolivia, is the world’s highest capital city. Quito, Ecuador (2,850 m) and Bogotá, Colombia (2,625 m) sit high in the range too.

🌋 Formation and Landscape

1. How the Andes Formed

Subduction The Andes formed through subduction. The oceanic Nazca Plate is being forced under the continental South American Plate. This process has been ongoing for roughly 200 million years.
Uplift That collision crumpled and uplifted the crust, building the range. It also drives ongoing volcanic activity, and frequent seismic activity too.
Ring of Fire The Andes sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Active volcanoes here include Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, both in Ecuador.

2. Distinctive Landscapes

Altiplano The Altiplano is a high plateau within the central Andes. It is shared mainly by Bolivia and Peru.
Atacama The Atacama Desert lies on the Andes’ western flank, in Chile. It is one of the driest places on Earth. The Andes create a rain-shadow effect that blocks most moisture from reaching it.
Lithium Triangle Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina together hold much of the world’s known lithium reserves. This zone is often called the “Lithium Triangle.” It sits within and around the Andes’ salt flats.

Test Yourself

📍 Beyond the Basics

Rivers, Ruins, and Related Reading

Rivers Several of South America’s major rivers originate in the Andes, including headwater tributaries of the Amazon.
Landmarks The Andes are also home to Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel in Peru. They also hold the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca. It is shared between Peru and Bolivia.
Wildlife The Andean condor, one of the world’s largest flying birds, ranges the full length of the Andes, from Venezuela and Colombia in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south.
See Also Volcanic activity in Ecuador’s stretch of the Andes is covered in depth in WorldGeo0025 — The Andean Volcanic Belt: Ecuador’s Volcanoes and the Ring of Fire.