Where are the Andes Mountains and why are they significant? South America - they run down the western side of the continent. They are important because they made it harder to colonize and settle South America and because of their vast resources.
What are the Andes mountains the result of?
The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby earth is uplifted as one plate (oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust). To get such a high mountain chain in a subduction zone setting is unusual which adds to the importance of trying to figure out when and how it happened.
What mountain range impacts settlement the most in South America?
The Andes Mountains are a series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometres)—from the southern tip of South America to the continent's northernmost coast on the Caribbean.
How are the landforms of the region both an advantage and disadvantage?
How are the landforms of the region both and advantage and disadvantage? the mountains provide protection for settlements but made it hard to cross the continents; the rivers also made traveling difficult. The landforms also resulted in rich soil that is good for planting and grazing and lots of natural resources.
What is the most likely cause of the formation of the Andes mountains in South America quizlet?
the Andes were formed from a plate that is subducting at a steep angle compared to the subduction zone that formed the Rocky Mountains.
Why is the Andes mountains important?
The Andes play a vital part in national economies, accounting for a significant proportion of the region's GDP, providing large agricultural areas, mineral resources, and water for agriculture, hydroelectricity (Figure 1), domestic use, and some of the largest business centres in South America.
What are some facts about the Andes mountains?
10 Fascinating Facts About the Andes MountainsThe Andes Mountains are so much more than just one mountain range. ... Most Andean peaks are volcanic. ... The world's highest/largest/biggest etc is probably here. ... The Andes are a haven of biodiversity. ... The Andes is the source of the astounding Amazon River.More items...•
What type of landform is best for human settlement?
People prefer living on flat plains and gentle slopes. This is because such areas are favorable for the production of crops and to build roads and industries.
What two farming techniques helped the Inca survive in the Andes?
They developed resilient breeds of crops such as potatoes, quinoa and corn. They built cisterns and irrigation canals that snaked and angled down and around the mountains. And they cut terraces into the hillsides, progressively steeper, from the valleys up the slopes.
What factors help make the United States the world's largest economic power?
Natural resources, astable political system, and agricultural industries helped to make the U.S the worlds largest economic power.
Which of the following best explains the area of the Andes Mountains?
Based on the map, which of the following best explains the area of the Andes Mountains that would have the greatest number of rivers? Equal numbers of rivers would be found on both the east and west sides of the Andes Mountains because water flows downhill.
What tectonic activity is creating the Andes Mountains quizlet?
The Andes Mountains The mountains we see today formed when the oceanic crust associated with the Nazca Tectonic plate was subducted beneath the continental crust of the South American Plate, beginning about 140 million years ago.
What causes most of the earthquakes in the Andes and the Himalaya Mountains?
The rise of the Himalayan Mountain range is due to an ongoing collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate. Earthquakes in California are due to transform fault motion. Geologists have hypothesized that the movement of tectonic plates is related to convection currents in the earth's mantle.
What effect does altitude have on the climates of the Andean countries of South America?
The higher the altitude the cooler the temperature. Also the oxygen is thin. What is the relationship between altitude and climate in the Andes? How are the climates in the mid-latitude countries of South America different from those in the Andean region?
Why are there mountains along the west coast of South America?
The west coast of South America is a subduction zone, which means that the oceanic plate, called the Nazca plate, is being forced beneath the adjacent continental plate. The Andes mountains were thrust upwards by this motion, and can still be considered "under construction" by the earth's crust.
Where are earthquakes most prominent in Latin America which tectonic plates?
In South America, most of the seismicity is located on the western coast due to large subduction zones along Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, and Chile, whereas the eastern part of the continent that covers Brazil and part of Argentina is seismically stable with very low to moderate seismicity.
What use has been made of the wide plains in South America?
South America has wide plains that offer rich soil for growing crops and grasses for grazing livestock.