Consider the following countries: 

  1. Bolivia  
  2. Brazil  
  3. Colombia   
  4. Ecuador  
  5. Paraguay  
  6. Venezuela  

Andes mountains pass through how many of the above countries?   

  • Only two   
  • Only three   
  • Only four   
  • Only five 

Answer: (c) Only four 

  • The Andes Mountains are one of the longest continental mountain ranges in the world, stretching about 7,000 km along the western coast of South America, from Venezuela in the north to Chile and Argentina in the south.
  • The Andean Mountains, or Andes, passes through
    1. Venezuela.
    2. Ecuador.
    3. Peru
    4. Bolivia.
    5. Colombia.
    6. Chile
    7. Argentina.
  • Brazil does not lie within the Andes Mountain range. Brazil is east of the Andes and geographically separated from it.
  • The Andes do not pass through Paraguay. Paraguay lies east of the Andes, on the Paraguayan Plateau.
  • Andes were formed by the collision of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates.
  • Highest Peak: Mount Aconcagua (6,961 m) in Argentina; it is the highest peak outside of Asia.
  • Chimborazo’s Bulge: Due to the Earth’s equatorial bulge, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the point on Earth farthest from its centre.
  • The Altiplano: The world’s second-highest plateau (after Tibet), located mainly in Bolivia and Peru.
  • Rain Shadow Effect: The mountains block Pacific winds, creating the hyper-arid Atacama Desert to the west while fueling the lush Amazon Rainforest on the eastern slopes.
  • Climatic Divisions: Categorized into three zones: Tropical Andes (North), Dry Andes (Central), and Wet Andes (South).
Andes Mountain