The south face of Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, at 22,841 feet (6,962

meters) above sea level.

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The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world and boasts some
of the highest peaks. The range is also known for its volcanoes, ruins of
long-ago civilizations and the source of a malaria treatment.
The origin of the name Andes has not been definitively determined; most
agree that it comes from the Quechua word anti, which translates to
"high crest." A minority argue that it comes from Anti Suyu, which is
one of the four regions of the Incas who once inhabited the range.

The Andes Mountains stretch about 4,500 miles along the western
coast of South America.
CREDIT: CIA World Factbook
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Located along the entire western coast of South America, the Andes
mountain range is about 4,500 miles (7,242 kilometers) long. The
mountain range spans seven countries Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina and can be found between 10
degrees north and 57 degrees south latitudes and 70 degrees to 80
degrees west longitude. It is up to 500 miles (804 km) wide.
The only mountains that are taller than the Andes are the Himalaya
Mountains and their adjacent ranges, including the Hindu Kush. The
average elevation in the Andes is about 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). 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 dotted with a number of depressions that separate the
length of the range into several segments. [Image Gallery: Journey into
the Tropical Andes]
Climate of the Andes
Because the Andes act as a large wall between the Pacific Ocean and the
continent, they have a tremendous impact on climate in the region. The

northern part of the Andes is typically rainy and warm, and the weather
is also wet in the eastern part of central Andes, and the area to the
southwest. To the west, the dry climate is dominated by the Atacama
Desert in northern Chile. The mountains form a rain cover over the
eastern plains of Argentina, which have extremely dry weather.
The Andes Mountains of South America are home to 99 percent of
tropical glaciers permanent rivers of ice at high enough elevations not
to be affected by the types of balmy temperatures usually associated
with the tropics.
The Andes are also home to the worlds highest volcano when measured
above sea level, Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border, which
reaches 22,615 feet (6,893 m), and more than 50 volcanoes that reach
19,685 feet (6,000 m). [Related: Satellite Image of Chile-Bolivian
Border]

Machu Picchu was an Incan retreat for its emperor.

CREDIT: UNESCO
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Who and What Lives There
A number of cities have sprung up along the Andes, including Huaraz
and Cuzco in Peru; Quito and Baos in Ecuador; La Paz, one of the two
capitals of Bolivia; Bogata and Medellin in Columbia; and Pucon and
Puerto Natales in Chile.

A male Andean condor flies above the highlands of Ecuador.

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There is not a lot of evidence of early human life in the Andes, with the
oldest human remains being an average of 10,000 to 12,000 years old;
although scientists believe there was human habitation prior to that time.
The lack of oxygen at high altitudes and rough terrain made it hard for
people survive. The mountain shepherds have survived at higher
altitudes of 17,000 feet on a permanent basis because their bodies have
been able to adapt, including changes to the makeup of their cells.
The Incas managed to establish themselves in the Peruvian Andes in the
15th century, only to be wiped out by civil wars and disease from
European invaders to which they had not developed immunities. Their
existence was largely undiscovered, save for some local residents, until
July 24, 1911, when the locals led Yale University professor Hiram
Bingham to Machu Picchu, at an elevation of 7,710 feet (2,350 m) in the
Peru portion of the mountain range.
Because it was relatively undisturbed, Machu Picchu provided a glimpse
into the life of the Incas and scientists believe it served as the palace
compound of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, who reigned from about 1438 to
1471. It now serves as a major tourist destination.

Vicuas, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes, are
related to camels.
CREDIT: Ammit Jack | Shutterstock
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While Bingham thought he had stumbled upon the Vilcabamba, or lost
city of the Incas, when he came upon Machu Picchu, he would later find
the so-called lost city when he discovered another ruin, Espritu Pampa.
To survive in the Andes, animals have to be rugged, agile and be able to
keep warm. One of the most well-known animal inhabitants of the
Andes is the chinchilla. Their fur gets thicker in the colder, higher
altitudes and their ability to jump and climb serves as a protection from
predators. Other animals include llamas and alpacas; the Andean condor,
the largest vulture in South America; and the vicua, a member of the
camel family.
The Andes has a rich plant population and is home to about 30,000
various species of plants. The Andes are dotted with Cinchona
pubescens trees, which produce quinine, coveted as a treatment for
malaria. In the high altitudes of the Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
and Chile segments of the range, there are also forests of Polylepis, a
group of tree species that have distinctive gnarled shapes. They are
members of the rose family.