Andes

The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world, rising along the western edge of South America for about 7,000 kilometers and traversing seven countries. From north to south, they pass through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The range's height and length create diverse climates and ecosystems, from tropical montane forests to high-altitude plains and desert margins.

Geologically, the Andes were formed by the ongoing subduction of the oceanic Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, generating uplift and volcanism since the Mesozoic era. The belt is divided into Northern, Central, and Southern Andes, with dozens of active and extinct volcanoes and varied tectonic styles.

Notable peaks include Aconcagua (6,961 meters), the highest mountain outside Asia, in Argentina; Huascarán (6,768 m) in Peru; and Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) on the Argentina-Chile border. The central Andes host the Altiplano, a high plateau that supports large towns and mining activity.

On the western slopes, weather is often dry in the northern deserts and wetter in southern Chile; on the eastern slopes, cloud forests and puna ecosystems exist. The range is the source of many rivers that feed Pacific basins and, in the eastern slopes, headwaters to the Amazon system. Glaciers remain important water reserves but have retreated with climate change.

Since pre-Columbian times, the Andes have supported civilizations such as the Inca and a cluster of Andean cultures. Today, mining, agriculture, and tourism are key economic activities; crops adapted to high elevations include potatoes and quinoa. The Andes also contain numerous protected areas and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.