Wednesday 9 July 2014
The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about 7,000 km long, about 200 km to 700 km wide (widest between 18° south and 20° south latitude), and of an average height of about 4,000 m. The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated by intermediate depressions. The Andes is the location of several high plateaux, some of which host major cities such as Quito, Bogota, Arequipa, Medellin, Sucre, Merida, and La Paz. The Altiplano plateau is the world's second-highest following the Tibetan plateau. These ranges are in turn grouped into three major divisions based on climate: the Tropical Andes, the Dry Andes, and the Wet Andes. The Andes is the world's highest mountain range outside of Asia. Source
