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Where Are The Andes? The Andes are located in Peru in South America. The latitude is 10° N. To 57° S. The longitude is 70° W. To 80° E.

Facts The Andes are the world's longest exposed mountain range. The Andes are the highest mountain range outside Asia. The Andes run the entire length of South America, from the humid tropics of the Caribbean to the ice fields of Patagonia. The highest peak, Aconcagua, rises to 6,962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level. The mountains extend over seven countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,Ecuador,Peru and Venezuela.

Facts continued More than 30 volcanoes occur in the Andes Mountain range. At 19,347 feet, Cotapaxi Volcano is the highest active volcano in the world. Some of the other volcanic peaks include Cayambe (18,991 feet), Imbabura (15,117 feet), Pichincha (15,724 feet), Chimborazo (20,697 feet) and Sangay (17,154), also one of the most active in the Andes. The Andes Mountains are hurt by humans because they cut down trees which shelter many unique Andean animals. People also mine for gold, silver, and copper which then erodes the soil and hurts the plants of the Andes.

How Did The Andes Get There? plates Fold mountains are formed when two plates collided head on, and their edges crumbled, much the same way as a piece of paper folds when pushed together.

Wildlife In The Andes This frog was found in the Peruvian part of the Andes. The Andes Mountains supply many birds with homes like the Flamingo, Andean Flicker, and the Hillstar Hummingbird. Types of land animals include the Mountain Lion, the Red Perll, and Llamas. The Spectacled Bear also lives there. The Giant Toad and Andean Iguana are some examples of reptiles. This iguana is one of the few lizards found in that cold climate. The largest flying birds in the world, the Andean condors are found in the Andes. Many of the plants which grow in the Andes Mountains are small in size to use little energy. Their leaves can be stiff and strong to protect them from frost and cold weather if they are high in the mountains.

Climate The climate in the Andes varies greatly depending on location, altitude, and distance to the sea. The southern part is rainy and cool, the central Andes are dry. The northern Andes are rainy and warm, with an average temperature of 18 °C in Colombia. The climate can change very quickly. Rainforests are just miles away from the snow covered peaks.