Andes

The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is 8,900 km long, 200 to 700 km wide, and has 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 their length, the Andes are split into several ranges, separated by intermediate depressions. The Andes are the location of several high plateaus—some of which host major cities such as Quito, Bogotá, Cali, Arequipa, Medellín, Bucaramanga, Sucre, Mérida, El Alto and La Paz. The Altiplano plateau is the world's second-highest after 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 Mountains are the highest mountain range outside Asia.

Read more in the app

People 'finger painted' the skulls of their ancestors red in the Andes a millennium ago

The ALMA space telescope in the Chilean Andes suffered a cyberattack over the weekend that has downed its website and suspended its work, the observatory announced

Earth's crust is dripping 'like honey' into its interior under the Andes

Earth's crust is dripping 'like honey' into its interior under the Andes

Earth's crust is dripping 'like honey' into its interior under the Andes

Earth's Crust Is 'Dripping' Under The Andes, Scientists Say

Tiny mite triggers domino effect in the high Andes

Factors that shaped the massive Cauca River Canyon in the tropical Andes

Climate drove 7,000 years of dietary changes in the Central Andes

Thin glaciers suggest Andes faces 'peak water' sooner than thought

The glue lice use to attach eggs to hair is exceptional at trapping & preserving anything it encases—including high-quality ancient human DNA from the lice’s hosts. Using hair encased in lice glue scientists were able to isolate human DNA from 1,500 to 2,000-year-old mummies in the Andes Mountains

Map of transparent butterflies highlights biodiversity hotspot in the Andes Mountains

New Horrifying Secrets of Peru's Ancient Civilizations Unearthed in The Andes

New lizard species discovered in Peruvian Andes

Rare new orchid species just discovered in the Andes

Scientists name frog found in Ecuadorian Andes after Led Zeppelin

If you summitted the Andes 20 million years ago, you might have looked out on a glinting inland sea, big enough to sail from Paraguay to Venezuela. Here's the story of that waterway and the rainforest biodiversity that may be its legacy.