Cordilleras

This article covers the mountains of both Americas; other mountains see also Cordillera .

American Cordilleras
The Cordilleras on the western edge of the two Americas - the extent is enormous compared to the Himalayas
Highest peak	Aconcagua ( 6961  m )
location	America
Coordinates	Coordinates are missing! Help.
Type	Fold mountains with volcanism ( Pacific ring of fire )

The American Cordillera (Spanish cordillera " mountain range ") are a chain of cordillera that extends in the west of North and South America .

With a length of 15,000 kilometers (width up to 2,500 kilometers) they represent the longest fold mountains in the world; it ranges from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego . The Cordilleras are closely connected to the Pacific Ring of Fire , the eastern part of which they form: Many of the high peaks are volcanoes , entire chains are shaped by volcanism. The mountain system was formed by the subduction of the Farallon Plate (including what is now the Cocos and Nazca plates ) under the North American , Caribbean and South American plates .

Earthquake magnitude> 3.5 (1963–1998): the Cordilleras as part of the global earthquake belt. Source: NASA

structure

North America

See also : Pacific Coastal Mountains in North America

The Aleutians form the continuation of the Ring of Fire in northern Alaska, but are not counted as part of the Cordilleras as an island chain. Southeast Alaska (the Alaska Panhandle ) is largely occupied by the Cordilleras.

• In the USA and Canada
  • Alaska chain
  • Elias chain in Alaska and Canada
  • Cascade Range (or Pacific Cordillera ) on the west coast, primarily volcanic
  • Rocky Mountains in Canada and the USA, the inland systems
  • Sierra Nevada in California
• in Mexico
  • Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, primarily volcanic
  • Sierra Madre Oriental to the east
  • Sierra Volcánica Transversal as a southern cross connection; eastern part: Sierra Nevada
  • Sierra Madre del Sur as a coastal mountain range in the south

Central America

• in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador:
  • Sierra Madre de Chiapas
• in Costa Rica and Panama
  • Cordillera de Talamanca

South America

The Cordilleras of South America are the Andes . Depending on the region, they consist of two to three main chains: Cordillera Occidental (Western Cordillera), Cordillera Central (Central Cordillera) and Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Cordillera). There are also foothills in the north and south.

• Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela, northern foothills

• Western Cordillera
  • Cordillera Occidental in Colombia
  • Cordillera Occidental in Ecuador; separated from it the coastal mountain range Cordillera Costanera in Ecuador, a low mountain range
  • Cordillera Negra , Cordillera Blanca , Cordillera Huayhuash and Cordillera Raura in northern Peru
  • Cordillera Volcánica in southern Peru
  • Cordillera Occidental in Bolivia

• Central Cordillera
  • Cordillera Central in Colombia
  • Cordillera Real (also Cordillera Central or Cordillera Oriental ) in Ecuador
  • Cordillera Central (with Cordillera Apolobamba , Cordillera Real , Cordillera Muñecas , Cordillera Tres , Cordillera Azanaques , Cordillera de Frailes , Cordillera de Chichas and Cordillera de Lípez ) in Bolivia

• Eastern Cordillera
  • Cordillera Oriental in Colombia
  • Cordillera Oriental (with Cordillera Azul , Cordillera Huaguruncho , Cordillera Huaytapallana and Cordillera Vilcanota ) in Peru
  • Cordillera Oriental (with Cordillera de Cochabamba ) in Bolivia

• Cordillera de la Costa , coastal mountains in Chile, southern foothills
• Cordillera Darwin on Tierra del Fuego, southernmost foothills