The Andes Mountains

Stretching for 7000 km (4300 miles) through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, the Andes is the world’s longest continental mountain range.

The Andes’ highest peak, Mount Aconcagua, rises to an elevation of about 6,962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level, making it the tallest mountain in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The peak of Chimborazo in the Ecuador Andes is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre, due to the equatorial bulge resulting from Earth’s rotation.

The world’s highest volcanoes are to be found in the Andes, including Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border which rises to 6,893 m (22,615 ft).

These majestic mountains have witnessed the rise and fall of one of the greatest pre-industrial civilizations, the Inca, whose empire stretched across the central Andes. Even after European conquest of the region, parts of the Andes remained disputed territory with Chile claiming ownership of land east of the range leading up to the War of the Pacific between Chile and the allied Bolivia and Peru.

Today as in centuries past the mineral wealth of the Andes is a coveted resource. Mining in Chile and Peru is big business, with these countries being the 1st and 3rd producers of copper worldwide.

Flora and Fauna of all kinds live in the various climate zone that exist at different altitudes on the mountains. Equally diverse are the people and cultures that call these mountains home, making the Andes a dynamic and exciting place to journey though.

Destinations: Argentina/ Peru/ Chile/ Bolivia/ Ecuador / Colombia/ Venezuela