The Andes mountain range contains Aconcagua, the highest mountain in both the Americas and the Western Hemisphere.
The Andes extend along the western edge of South America, passing through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Aconcagua stands in Argentina’s Mendoza Province near the Chilean border. Its commonly cited elevation is 6,961 metres (22,838 feet), although precise measurements and reference systems can produce slightly different figures.
Aconcagua is not a volcano, despite its enormous height and location in a region shaped by subduction. It is primarily a mountain of uplifted and deformed rock. The Andes formed largely because the Nazca Plate and Antarctic Plate are being forced beneath the South American Plate, a process that continues today.
A common mix-up is confusing Aconcagua with Denali, the highest mountain in North America, or with Mount Everest, the highest above sea level worldwide. Aconcagua is the highest peak outside Asia.