Andes Mountains, Peru
The Andean Mountains or Andes, in South America, are the longest mountain range in the world and the world's highest mountain range outside Asia.
The Andes, ´Cordillera de los Andes´ in Spanish, are a belt of mountains along the Pacific Ring of Fire , a zone of volcanic activity. The Andes are the result of tectonic movement and the worlds highest and most stunning volcanos are in the Andean mountain range.
Peru's mountains are part of the Central Andes in South America. The capital of Peru is Lima. Lima has an international airport. From Lima it is easy to get connecting flights to Cuzco and other mountain regions within the country. Peru is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia in the north, Brazil in the east, Bolivia in the southeast and Chile in the south. The Andes run parallel to the Pacific Ocean; they define the three regions traditionally used to describe Peru. The 'costa' (coast) to the west is a narrow plain, largely arid, except for valleys created by seasonal rivers. The 'selva' (jungle) is a wide expanse of flat terrain covered by the Amazon rainforest that extends east. The third region, the 'sierra' (highlands), is the region of the Andean mountains and it includes the Altiplano plateau as well as the highest peak of the country.
The Andean Mountains or Andes, in South America, are the longest mountain range in the world.
Peru's mountains are part of the Central Andes and Peru is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia in the north, Brazil in the east, Bolivia in the southeast and Chile in the south. The Andes run parallel to the Pacific
Climate
A combination of factors, variations and two ocean currents, Humbolt and El Nino, give Peru a large diversity of climates. The climate in the Andes varies greatly depending on latitude, altitude, and proximity to the sea. The central section of the Andes, which Peru is part of, is dry. The snow-line is at between 4,500 and 4,800 m or 14,800 and 15,700 ft, in the northern Peruvian Andes, rising up to 5,200 m or 17,100 ft in the drier mountains of southern Peru. When night temperatures are still cool but day temperatures are nice and warm, from April until October, the hiking, trekking and mountaineering in Peru is best.
Flora and founa
Peru is an extremely biodiverse country because of the wide variety of habitats within the three distinct regions. An amazing amount of about 30,000 species of plants live in the Andes, surpassing the diversity of any other 'hotspot'. Rare high-altitude forests, at around 4,500 meters or 14,760 ft, are found in Peru. The forest trees known locally as Quechua, were used since the Inca period and they are unique and beautiful in their own way.
The diversity of animals in the Andes is very high, with almost 600 species of mammals, more than 600 species of reptiles and more than 1,700 species of birds. The Peruvian national bird is the Andean cock-of-the-rock called Tunki in Quechua, the language of the Inca's. Beautiful Vicuna's, Llama's and Alpaca's roam the Peruvian Andes, most likely to be seen at higher elevations. Although rare, the Andean Condor is the largest bird of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and is a magnificent sight.
The consensus is that the name 'Andes' derives from the Quechua word 'anti' or 'antisuyu', one of the four regions of the Inca Empire, which means "east".
The Andes Mountains form an axis of cultural influences. Significant Peruvian cultural development culminated in the expansion of the Inca empire and civilisation in the central Andes during the 13th to 16th centuries. The Incas formed their civilisation through magnificent management of the land and it's people, with careful and meticulously constructed aquaducts and road systems in addition to impressive villages, sacred amphitheaters and the like. Some of these constructions are still in existence and perfectly preserved today and waiting for you to visit and explore.
Near the Urubamba Valley, in southeastern Peru, lies Cusco, at 3,400 meters or 11,200 ft. Cusco is the historical capital of Peru and the Inca Empire for 3 centuries. In 1983 Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and serves as the adventure base camp of OUTDO in Peru ...
