16 interesting facts about the Andes

The Andes Mountains, also called the Andean Cordillera, can impress even a sophisticated traveler who has seen many of the most beautiful corners of nature. Stretching along almost all of South America, this mountain range actually separated a narrow strip of land from the rest of the mainland, becoming a natural barrier, and very difficult to overcome. The Andes and their foothills were home to numerous peoples in ancient times, and now life is in full swing at their foot.

Interesting facts about the Andes

1. The length of the mountain massif is 7700 km.
2. The Andes has the highest peak outside of Asia, Aconcagua (interesting facts about Mount Aconcagua).
3. The same peak is the highest in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, and, accordingly, in South America too.
4. The Andean Cordillera passes through the territories of 7 countries.
5. The Andes pass through 5 climatic zones, from equatorial to temperate.
6. This mountain range began to form about 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.
7. In the Andes is the highest volcano on Earth, Ojos del Salado, reaching a height of 6893 meters, which is only 87 meters lower than Aconcagua (interesting facts about volcanoes).
8. Another attraction of the Andean Cordillera is the highest lake in the world, located at an altitude of 6390 meters. It is covered with ice all year round.
9. In the Andes, ancient Inca altars have been discovered, which probably performed sacrifices on them.
10. The highest mountain capital in the world, the Bolivian city of La Paz, is located precisely in the Andes, at an altitude of 3.7 kilometers above sea level.
11. Snow and ice in the Andean Cordillera never melt above 4.5 kilometers.
12. Condors live here, one of the largest birds in the world, with a wingspan of up to 3 meters.
13. Potatoes, tomatoes and tobacco first appeared on Earth in the Andes, from where they subsequently spread throughout the world.
14. Among all the mountain ranges of the world, the Andes are the first in length. More than 9000 kilometers is, you see, impressive (interesting facts about the mountains).
15. Due to environmental pollution, many plant and animal species in the Andes are on the verge of extinction.
16. More than a quarter of all coffee in the world is grown on the slopes of the Andean Cordillera, as well as in their foothills.