Economic opportunities and adaptations - Case study: the Andes

1.1.3 Landforms

1.2.1 Shield & composite volcanoes

Economic opportunities and adaptations - Case study: the Andes

  1. Overview

    1. The Andes is a range of highland on the west coast of South America and is the longest continental mountain range in the world, about 7000 km long
    2. They were formed mainly due to the subduction of the Nazca & Antarctic plate under the South American plate

  2. Farming

    1. Most crops are grown in the lower valleys but the slopes are also used for farming by creating terraces
    2. The area of flat land created retains water in an area that receives little and limits the downward movement of soil in areas where the soil is thin in the first place
    3. The main type of farming is subsistence, wherein potatoes are the main source of food
    4. Tobacco, cotton and coffee are the main exports

  3. Llamas

    1. Llamas have been used as pack animals for hundreds of years
    2. They can carry over a quarter of their body weight
    3. They are used for carrying materials for irrigation and building into inhospitable & inaccessible places, as well as in the mining industry
    4. The female llamas are used for meat & milk, with their wool being used in clothes & rugs

  4. Mining

    1. The Andes are famous for their wealth of minerals
    2. Mining in the Andes causes Chile & Peru to be the first & third largest producers of copper respectively
    3. Peru contains the largest gold mine in the world: the Yanacocha, causing the nearby town of Cajamarca to grow from 30,000 inhabitants to 240,000 in 2005, bringing with it a host of new jobs

  5. Hydroelectric power

    1. The steep slopes and narrow valleys lend themselves to hydroelectric power
    2. The meltwater of Spring ensures a surplus of water but the water supply is highly variable throughout the year
    3. Examples of Hydroelectric power stations in the Andes include the Yuncan and El Platinal project in Peru

  6. Tourism

    1. There are many natural attractions such as mountain peaks, volcanoes, glaciers and lakes
    2. Some tourist attractions show how people settled in these inhospitable places such as the Incas in Machu Picchu