Wikijunior:South America/The Andes

Map showing the location of the Andes.

Part of Wikijunior South America project

What is the history?

The Andes were formed through a process called plate tectonics. The formation of the Andes began in the Jurassic Period. It was during the Cretaceous Period that the Andes began to take their present form, by the uplifting, faulting and folding of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks

What is the Geography?

The Andes form the longest mountain range in the world. The Andes mountain range is the highest mountain range outside Asia. It is more than 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) long. The Andes go through seven South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The Andes range has many active volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

The southern section is rainy and cool, the central Andes are dry. The northern Andes are typically rainy and warm. The climate is known to change drastically. Rainforests exist just miles away from the snow covered peak, Cotopaxi. The mountains have a large effect on the temperatures of nearby areas.