Andes

The Andes are the world’s longest continental mountain range, extending along western South America from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. They shape the continent’s climate, ecosystems, and human history.

Andean orogeny: The mountain-building process that formed the Andes through tectonic convergence along western South America. It explains how subduction and crustal deformation raised the range.
Cordillera: A system of mountain ranges and associated highlands forming an extended mountain belt. The Andes are a continent-scale example of a cordillera.
Andean climate: The varied climate patterns produced by Andean elevation, latitude, and exposure to prevailing winds. Elevation creates sharp climate zones across the length of the range.
Aconcagua: A mountain in Argentina and the highest peak outside Asia, rising to 6,961 meters. Its height makes it the Andes’ most prominent summit.
Nazca Plate: An oceanic tectonic plate moving eastward beneath the South American Plate. Its subduction drives much of Andean uplift and volcanism.
Tierra del Fuego: An archipelago at South America’s southern tip, divided between Chile and Argentina. It marks the Andes’ far southern extent.
Andean agriculture: Farming systems adapted to the varied elevations and climates of the Andes. Terraces and crop diversity turn steep, high terrain into productive landscapes.
Mount Chimborazo: A dormant volcano in Ecuador whose summit is Earth’s farthest point from its center. Its equatorial location gives it a distinctive geographic superlative.
South American Plate: A major tectonic plate carrying South America and adjoining ocean floor. Its collision with the Nazca Plate produces the Andes.
Patagonian Andes: The southern Andean region, known for rugged peaks, glaciers, and fjords. This subregion shows how the range changes toward its southern end.

Linked from 95 pages