What is the longest mountain range in South America?

The longest mountain range in South America is the Andes, stretching along the continent’s western edge.

The Andes form a vast chain of linked ranges rather than one perfectly uniform wall. They run through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, following the Pacific side of South America for roughly 8,900 kilometres. This makes them the world’s longest continental mountain range as well as South America’s defining highland system.

The range formed mainly through the subduction of the oceanic Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. That continuing tectonic collision produces earthquakes, uplifts mountains and fuels volcanic activity. The Andes contain the high Altiplano plateau, deep valleys, glaciers and some of the world’s highest volcanoes.

A common mix-up is confusing the Andes with the American Cordillera, the much larger mountain system extending through both North and South America. The highest summit in the Andes is Aconcagua in Argentina, at about 6,961 metres. It is also the highest mountain outside Asia.