- The Andes are formed due to convergence between the Nazca Plate (oceanic plate) and the South American Plate (continental plate).
- The Peru-Chile trench is formed due to the subduction of the Nazca plate.
- Extent: ~7,000 km – longest continental mountain range.
- Ojos del Salado active volcano on the Argentina-Chile border in the Andes is the highest active volcano on earth at 6,893 m. (Olympus Mons (27 km) on Mars is the highest volcano in the solar system.
- Mount Aconcagua (6,960 m, Argentina) in the Andes is the highest peak outside the Himalayas and the highest peak in the western hemisphere. It is an extinct volcano.
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