The Andean Countries World Geography

The Andes Form the backbone of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile (longest unbroken mountain chain in the world). Only taller range: Himalayas Shape physical geography… which inevitibly effects the CULTURE, ECONOMY, etc.

3 Major Environments: Coastal Plain Highlands Tropical Forests

Coastal Plain

Coastal Plain Characteristics: Flat (ish) area between the mountains and the sea. At points it is very small (where the mountains reach almost to the sea), while at others it is almost 100 miles inland.

Atacama Desert Coastal Plain in Northern Chile So dry it has preserved relics from ancient times such as textiles (woven hundreds of years ago) and mud¿brick buildings.

Highlands Range from 6,500 to 16,000 feet above sea level Altiplano = highlands in Peru & Bolivia Páramos = highlands in Ecuador

Highlands cont. Climate varies with elevation Alpine Tundra: vegetation at high altitudes (above the TIMBER LINE, boundary above which continuous forest vegetation cannot grow)

Tropical Forests Selva: name for the forested regions in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia ◦ Rain forests of the Amazon River begin here ◦ Jaguars, hummingbirds, monkeys, and toucans live here, but few people

Economics and Culture: Vertical trade: crops grown in higher elevations (potatoes, cabbages) traded for lower elevations (bananas, sugar cane) 25-55% of the population of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru are Native Americans

Andean Indians developed certain physical characteristics (larger hearts and lungs) to allow them to live in regions with less oxygen.

Ecuador From “equator” ¼ of 12,900,000 people are from Indian descent Quechua (KECH wah) = language, from Incas Subsistence agriculture 10 % of population has European background… but they own most of the large farms and factories (thus have substantial influence)

1960s Oil discovered in the selva lowlands Challenge to transfer from mountains to the coast (pipelines built) Petroleum became important export

Peru Former heart of the Inca Empire Fell to Spaniards in early 1500s 45% of population are Native Americans and speak Quechua or Aymara Subsistence farming, herding alpacas or llamas are main economic activities

Mestizos constitute the other majority of the population Live in urban areas or on the coastal plain Work for low wages in factories producing fish meal (for animal feed) or on plnatations (cotton, sugar cane, rice) Poverty and unemployment are major issues

Asian immigration to Peru: ◦ 1990 election of first Peruvian president of Japanese ancestry ◦ Improved economy and suppressed guerrilla rebellion ◦ Allegations of corruption led him to resign

Bolivia Landlocked: lacks profitable coastal ports Many minerals, but the best have been removed Most Bolivians are Indians, mostly subsistence farmers living in the highlands Climate varies from humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Chile “End of the land” 2,700 miles long, but only averages 100 miles wide 2/3 of the population (15,000,000) are mestizos ¼ of the population is of European descent (mostly Spanish, British, German) Relatively few Indians

Santiago: the capital, is home to about 1/3 of the country ' s population High unemployment, unskilled, illiterate workers from the countryside About 3 million people (or 1/5) live below the poverty line