Andes Mountains

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Southern and Central Andes and Patagonia

Central and Northern Andes and the Amazon River basin and drainage network

Northern Andes and the Orinoco River basin

Behold Andean condors soaring among mountaintops of the Andes, a chain that stretches the entire length of South America

Visit Aymara and Quechua people on the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru to see the ancient drop-spindle technique

Andes Mountains: transportation

Cauca River, Colombia

Patagonian Andes

For Students

Mount Aconcagua

Andes Mountains summary

Read Next

Denali (Mount Mckinley), Denali National Park, Alaska.

7 (or 8) Summits: The World’s Highest Mountains by Continent

South America map

What Is the Difference Between South America and Latin America?

Bear Hat Mountain above Hidden Lake on a crest of the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Montana

Exploring 7 of Earth’s Great Mountain Ranges

Discover

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)

New Seven Wonders of the World

Moonrise over Tucson, Arizona

Why Doesn’t Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time?

World map. Continents. Oceans. Mendel thumb ok

Just How Many Oceans Are There?

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

Franklin D. Roosevelt, who formulated the Four Freedoms.

7 Alphabet Soup Agencies that Stuck Around

Andes Mountains: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Canterbury: Double amputee scales highest summit outside Asia • Feb. 25, 2025, 9:43 PM ET (BBC)

Multiple fires are raging in Patagonia • Feb. 13, 2025, 2:05 AM ET (Earth.com)

Fires Rage in Patagonia • Feb. 12, 2025, 6:45 AM ET (NASA Earth Observatory (.gov))

Did You Know?

The summit of Mount Chimborazo in the Andes is the planet's tallest point when measured from the Earth's center.
The Andes are the longest mountain chain in the world.
Potatoes and tomatoes originated in the Andes.

Photos and Videos

Southern and Central Andes and Patagonia

Central and Northern Andes and the Amazon River basin and drainage network

Northern Andes and the Orinoco River basin

Andes Mountains: transportation

Cauca River, Colombia

Patagonian Andes

Mendoza, Argentina: Villavincencio Chapel

Mount Aconcagua

Behold Andean condors soaring among mountaintops of the Andes, a chain that stretches the entire length of South America

Visit Aymara and Quechua people on the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru to see the ancient drop-spindle technique

Learn how the Andes Mountains block warm moist air, causing heavy rainfall that feeds the Amazon River

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Santa Marta Mountains Cordillera Blanca Serra do Mar Mantiqueira Mountains Cordillera Real Espinhaço Mountains Wilhelmina Gebergte Mountains of Perijá Pacaraima Mountains Tumuc-Humac Mountains

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Quiz

Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Parkway. Autumn in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, United States. Appalachian Highlands, Ridge and Valley, The Appalachian Mountain system

All About Mountains Quiz