The Andes Mountains

Feb. 5, 2023

The United Nations refugee agency recently reported that seven Haitian migrants have died in the Andean highlands of Peru as anti-government protests have prevented them from crossing into Bolivia.

About Andes Mountains:

  • The Andes is the longest above-water mountain range in the world.
  • The Andes Mountains extend over seven countries:Argentina (Mount Aconcagua), Bolivia (Huayna Potosi), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, known as Andean States.
  • It is about 5,500 miles (8,900 km) long and second only to the Himalayas in average elevation.
  • It consists of a succession of parallel and transverse mountain ranges, or cordilleras, and of intervening plateaus and depressions.
  • The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841 feet (6,962 m) above sea level.
  • The Andes are also home to the world’s highest volcano when measured above sea level, the Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border.
  • The Andes Mountains are over 50 million years old, they were created when the South American and Pacific tectonic plates collided. 

Key facts about Peru:

  • Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.
  • It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. 
  • Capital: Lima
  • The world's largest rain forest, the Amazon, covers nearly half of Peru.
  • Peru shares borders with Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador.