Andes Mountain Range

Location: Eastern region of South America

Size: The Andes Mountains occupy the land space of about 3,370,794 km² along the coast of the Pacific Ocean as well as 7,240 km along the Caribbean. This great area makes the Andes the longest mountain range on the planet. The Andes fall between 11° latitude N and 55° latitude S, forming parts of the landscapes in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela. The average high of the range is about 4,000 meters and the highest peak is Aconcagua, standing at 6,960.8 meters.

The meaning of “Andes” comes from the cultural heritage of the Qullana people. “Andes” is an Aymara name, inherited by the Spanish language, meaning “Mountain that lights up.” This name is derived from the Aymara terms “Qhantir Qulla Qulla” used by the Qullana people, used to express the phenomenon that occurs in the high mountains when the sun comes out—as they are the first peaks to receive light at sunrise, and the last to darken at sunset. Another example of this occurs on the “Mountain of Fire” in the Pyrenees mountains, between Spain and France.

At the time of the Spanish invasion, native ancestors simply stated the phrase “Qhantir, Qullu Qullu Sutiniwa;” however, as the Spaniards could not pronounce the word “Qhantir,” they had shortened the word to “Anti”, then later started using the term “Antis” as a plural term to describe a series of mountains. Later, the Spanish phonetics of the word changed to “Ande” and “Andes” in plural—a term molded from “Qhanti” which nowadays has no meaning in the Spanish language.

The Andes is a relatively young mountain range which started to form about 130 million years ago and is constantly growing. This immense spinal cord of South America is also the longest mountain range on the planet. Over 7,000 km pass through seven countries, from Venezuela to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, until they finally dwindle off in southern Patagonia. The highest peak of the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, standing at 6,960 meters high. Eighty percent of the tropical glaciers of the world can be found in Peru, with 723 snow caps and 200 peaks between 5,000 and 6,000 meters. The mountain “Salty Eyes” is the highest peak in Chile, standing at 6,893 meters. Within the length of the Chilean range, exist no less than 2085 volcanos, fifty-five of which are currently active. The range of the Andes forms a part of the Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean, which includes Peru and Chile, two of the countries with the highest levels of seismic activity in the world. The tectonic plates of the Pacific, or Nazca, are in subduction with the South American plates, which provoke major earthquakes every five or six years.

In its 7,500 km of length, the Andean range presents a great variety of climates and landscapes, which change greatly according to the latitude, altitude and proximity to the ocean. In Peru, snow caps begin between 4,800 and 5,200 meters, whereas in Tierra del Fuego, they appear nearly at sea level. The northern Andes have a tropical climate which is warm and humid, creating a greener landscape with large forests, while the central Andes is an arid climate, home to several salt deserts, as well as the Atacama Desert—the driest desert in the world.