The Andes (Quechua meaning "East") are the longest continental Mountain Range of Highlands in the World (7000km/4300mi long, 200 to 700km/120to430mi wide) and the World's highest Mountain Range (average height 4000m/13000ft) outside Asia, situated along the Western Coast of South America, and extending from North to South through present-day seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile , and Argentina. The World's highest Volcanoes are in the Andes, including "Ojos del Salado"(The Eyes of the Salty Spirit) on the Argentina-Chile border which rises to 6893m/22615ft.
The Andes's highest Mountain is the Aconcagua (Argentina), which rises to an elevation of about 6961m/22838ft above sea level. The peak Chimborazo (Ecuador) is farther from the Earth's center than any other location on the Earth's surface, because of the equatorial bulge that is the difference between the equatorial and polar diameters of the planet, due to the centrifugal force of its rotation. The highest point of Earth, measured from the center outwards is the Chimborazo, rather than the Mount Everest, but the Everest is the highest when measured from above sea level.
The Andes Mountain Range splits into several Ranges, which are separated by intermediate depressions. These, in turn, based on climate, group into 3 major divisions: -Tropical Andes, -Dry Andes, -Wet Andes.
The Andes Mountains naturally divide itself into 3 sections:
-The Southern Andes in Argentina and Chile where the potentially active Volcano Llulla-Illaco is located. A region of very high Volcanic peaks on a High Plateau within the Atacama Desert.
-The Central Andes in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
-The Northern Andes in Venezuela and Colombia, North of the Knot of Pasto. It consists of 3 parallel Ranges, the Western, Central, and Eastern Ranges.
The Andes holds several Plateaux -some of which host major cities, such as Quito, Bogota, Arequipa, Medellin, Sucre, Merida, and La Paz.
The Altiplano Plateau is the World's second highest after the Tibetan Plateau, and the most inhabited Plateau in the whole World.
The Andean Region cuts across several natural Regions due to its extension from Caribbean Venezuela to cold, windy and wet Cape Horn passing the hyper-arid Atacama Desert.
Rainforests and Tropical Dry Forest used to encircle much of the Northern Andes. Now they are greatly diminished, especially in the Choco and Inter-Andean Valleys of Colombia.
The Andes is classified now as a Bio-diversity Hotspot due to the fact that the biogeographic Region is under threat from the humans. The constant exploitation of the Andean Natural Resources by European and American Corporations are disrupting the natural and harmonic cycle that the Andes had in the past when its People were very aware of the Laws of Nature. All shared the same belief that the forces of Nature were small mirrors of the Universal Forces acting in the Universe. A very small change in the cycle was believed to produce a great and universal chain reaction.
About 30,000 species of vascular (Greek term for "Trachea") plants live in the Andes, with half being unique due to their defined geographical location. The vascular species are distinguished by two primary characteristics:
1) They have vascular tissues which distribute resources through the plant, allowing it to evolve to a larger size. Non-vascular plants, which lack these specialized conducting tissues, are restricted to relatively small sizes.
2) The principal generation phase in this type is the sporephyte. It is the diploid multicellular stage that is produced when the (haploid) nucleus of the egg cell is fertilized by a haploid sperm and each sporephite cell therefore has a double set of chromosomes, one set from each parent. In non-vascular plants, the principal generation is the game-tophyte, which is haploid with one set of chromosomes per cell.
One mechanism that works in them is the greater efficiency in spore dispersal with more complex diploid structures. Elaboration of the spore stalk enable the production of more spores, and enable the ability to release them higher and broadcast them farther. Such developments include the ability to grow independent roots, woody structure for support and more branching.
As a direct opposite of the humid Andean slopes, where this Natural structure occurs, are the relatively dry Andean slopes in most Western Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
Along with several Inter-Andean Valleys, they are dominated by deciduous ("tending to fall off") woodland, shrub and xeric (requiring a small amount of moisture) vegetation, reaching the extreme in the slopes near the lifeless Atacama Desert.
The Andes are also rich in fauna with almost 3500 species of which 2/3 are unique and belong only to the region. It is the most important region for amphibians with most species living with terrestrial, others adapted to digging and have a life underground, others arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems.
The diversity of mammals is high, with almost 600 species, 13% of them unique to its habitat.
The birds in the Andes are more than 1700 species, one third unique to their habitats. The reptiles form more than 600 species, 45% of them unique to their habitats. The fish form more than 400 species, 1/3 unique to their habitats.
The vicuna and guanaco can be found living in the Altiplano, while the closely related domesticated llama and alpaca are widely kept by the People of the Andes as pack animals and for their meat and wool.
The crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk) rodents (chinchillas), slightly larger and more robust than the ground squirrels, live in colonies at high elevations up to 4270m/14000ft. Historically, they lived in parts of Peru, Argentina and Chile, but today colonies are known only in Chile. Along with their relatives, the viscachas, that look similar to rabbits (longer tails), and form the family of the Chinchillidae.
The chinchilla family name comes after the Chinchilla People of the Andes, who once wore its dense, velvet-like fur. By the end of the 19th century, chinchillas had become quite rare due to hunting for their ultra-soft fur. Most of the chinchillas currently used by the fur industry for clothing and other accessories are farm-raised. Chinchillas are now listed as a critical endangered species due to a severe population decline of almost 90% caused by human hand hunting.
The Northern viscacha lives in the Peruvian Andes. This species lives in large colonies separated into individual family units, like an apartment complex. The rodent eats a wide range of plant matter, setting for almost anything it can find growing in the harsh, rocky environment at 4500 altitude above the sea level.
The Andean Condor, the largest bird of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, is found throughout much of the Andes in very low densities. The bird has a maximum wind-span of 3.2m/10.6ft. It does not hunt for surviving, instead, the bird is a scavenger, feeding on carrion, such as those of deer or cattle. The bird nests at elevations of up to 5000m/16000ft, on inaccessible rock ledges. It is one of the World's longest living birds, with a life span of over 70 years. The Condor is the National Symbol of the Andes and plays an important role in the Folklore and Mythology of its People.
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