Knowra Altiplano Altiplano The Altiplano is a high plateau in the central Andes, spanning parts of Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Its broad, elevated basins lie between the western and eastern Andean ranges.
Andes : The Andes are a mountain range running along western South America. The Altiplano occupies a broad highland region within the central Andes.
Andean orogeny : Andean orogeny is the prolonged mountain-building process that formed the Andes through tectonic convergence. Crustal shortening and uplift raised the region into a high plateau.
Aymara people : The Aymara are an Indigenous people of the central Andes, especially Bolivia, Peru, and northern Chile. Aymara communities have long shaped the plateau’s agriculture, settlements, and cultural life.
Lake Poopó : Lake Poopó is a shallow saline lake in Bolivia’s Altiplano. Its severe shrinkage illustrates the vulnerability of the plateau’s shallow lakes.
Andean dry diagonal : The Andean dry diagonal is a broad zone of aridity extending along the central Andes. It places the Altiplano within a larger belt of dry landscapes.
Tibetan Plateau : The Tibetan Plateau is a vast, high plateau in Central and East Asia. It offers a comparison for how elevation and surrounding ranges shape a major mountain plateau.
Rain shadow : A rain shadow is a dry region on the sheltered side of a mountain barrier. The Andes restrict moisture reaching parts of the Altiplano from the east.
Quechua people : The Quechua are Indigenous peoples of the Andes who speak Quechuan languages. Quechua communities inhabit the plateau and its surrounding highlands.
Sajama National Park : Sajama National Park is a protected area in western Bolivia centered on Nevado Sajama. Its volcano, wetlands, and highland grasslands represent the plateau’s protected landscapes.
Water scarcity : Water scarcity occurs when available water cannot meet human and ecological needs. Glacier retreat, variable rainfall, and growing demand strain plateau water supplies.
Show all 26