2. Northern Andes Topography:
 Mt. Height: 7,000 km
 Mt. Width: 500 km
 Mt. Elevation: 6,982 m
 The Northern Andes Mountains stretches over 5500 miles
from the southern tip of Argentina and Chile to the northern
part of Columbia in South America. With many peaks and active
volcanoes over 20,000 feet, including the highest peak Cerro
Aconcagua (elevation 22,826, located on the Chile and
Argentina border). This majestic region is second only to the
Himalayas in size and average elevation. With the high snow
covered mountains as a spectacular backdrop, fishing for trout
and Atlantic salmon can be an unforgettable experience.

3. Northern Andes climate:

The climate of the Northern Andes is very interesting.
Most of the areas enjoy a mild tropical climate. The
northern Andes are made up of three mountain ranges that
spread out to catch and keep the moisture of the
northeastern trade winds. This in turn gives a large amount
of rainfall to the area.
 On the Pacific side of the mountain range, from the
Isthmus of Panama to the equator, the Colombian Andes
catch the southwardly winds, leading to rainfall almost
every day. Argentina's eastern slopes are relatively dry.
 The region from the Gulf of Guayaquil through the
Northern part of Chile (the west coast) is very arid. This
stretch of land lies in the path of the trade winds. There the
winds tend to come from the east and the southeast and
drop the moisture level of the eastern slopes of the Andes.

4. Animals found there:
Some animals:
The mountain range is
home to a rich variety  Andean condor
of fauna and flora, with  Llama
about 30,000 species of
vascular plants, 1000  Alpaca
species of
amphibians, 600
 Chinchilla
species of  Vicuna
mammals, 1700 species
of birds, 600 species of  Spectacled Bear
reptiles and 400 species
of fish.
 Cougar
 Ocelot
 Opossum Coatimundi
 Guanaco

5. Pictures of the animals:

6. Unique Geographic features:
 Highest peaks in the Major Volcanoes:
Northern Andes:
Galeras
Chimborazo = 20,703 ft Sangay
Saru – Urco= 15,337 ft
Antisana = 18,715 ft
Nevado Del Ruiz
Cotopaxi = 19,348 ft
Corazon = 15,704 ft
Illiniza South = 17,269 ft
Pichincha = 15,986 ft
Cotachaci = 16,199 ft

7. Issues or problems:
 A major conservation program in the northern Andes is the way for the region to
solve many of the area's problems, environmental activists say.
 One environmental problem of the Northern Andes is the endangered species of the
spectacled bear. There are only 5,000 such bears left in the region.
As a result, they have been coming out of their usual habitat, attracted by crops &
cows which makes them easier to be hunted in the Northern Andes.
This region has been at the center of hemispheric conflicts concerning oil, coca
production, drug trafficking, and paramilitary operations since the end of the Cold War.
New roads have been built, which has encouraged landless farmers to settle forested
areas and lead to more deforestation as they try to eke out a living.
The expansion of local infrastructure such as roads, pipelines or hydroelectric projects is
also putting pressure on the environment, while demand for clean water is increasing as
population rises.

8. Vegetation:
The vegetation of the Northern Andes is the wild
potato, and the polylepis forest.

9. Description of human cultures:
 Although the northern Andes of Ecuador are home to a great number of indigenous
peoples, the rough mountain terrain of the region was less than accommodating for
earlier cultures. Instead, the majority of ancient cultures first sprouted up on the
coast, before progressing and expanding eastward into the sierras. Eventually, the
Quitu civilization was established around modern day capital city of Quito. Near the
end of the 1st century, the ever-growing Cara culture of the coast conquered the
Quitus. The fusion of these two tribes would culminate in the creation of the Shyris
civilization, named after the Shyri, the chief of the Cara people.
 The resulting Caranqui civilization—the remnants of which can still be seen near the
modern day city of Ibarra—appeared around 800 A.D. and thrived until the 1470s
when they were defeated by the Incan forces led by Huayna Capac. While the Inca did
ultimately prevail over the Cara people, it should be noted that the battle raged on for
no less than fifteen years. Legend says that Inca leaders tossed so many dead Cara
bodies into a nearby lake that its waters turned red, which explains why the lake is
today known as Laguna Yaguarcocha—the lake of blood in the language of the Incas.

10. Interesting facts:
1) Andes Mountains stretch over a length of 7,000 km (4,400 miles), width
of 200-700 km (120-420 miles).
2) The mountain range is at its widest between 18° to 20°S latitude.
3) The mountain range extends over seven countries -
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
4) Andes Mountains make up the highest mountain range outside Asia.
5) The highest peak of the mountain range is Aconcagua, which rises to
a height of 6,962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level.
7) Ecuadorean Andes are home to Mount Chimborazo, which forms the
point on the Earth's surface that is most distant from its center.
8) The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, stuated in the Caribbean
Sea - off the coast of Venezuela, are nothing but the submerged peaks
of the extreme northern edge of Andes Mountains.

11. Pictures:

12. People of the Northern Andes