What do the cordillera mountains border on. Cordillera: “Great Mountain Ranges. on which continent are the mountains of the Alps, Andes, Cordillera, Ural, Scandinavian, Himalayas, Appachi

One of the largest in terms of mountain systems on our planet are the mountains of the Cordillera.

They amaze with their huge scale (they are perfectly visible from space, if you look at the mainland), length and extraordinary beauty with their inherent uniqueness of the local climate, flora and fauna.

Where are the Cordillera

The Cordilleras (Cordilleras, the English origin of the name) are located on the west coast of America and stretch from north to south. These are huge mountains several thousand kilometers long, up to 18,000 km long and 1,600 km wide.

Looking at physical map world, you can see that the mountains pass through 10 countries and capture the entire western hemisphere of the earth. The coordinates are impressive: south latitude 32/39/12; west longitude 70/00/42.

Note: the age of this system is simply enormous - the Cordilleras formed in jurassic, and scientists say that their formation has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent volcanoes (more than 80 active).

The highest point of the Cordillera

The average height of the Cordillera is 3-4 thousand meters above sea level. The highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Aconcagua, located in South America in the Andes near the border with Chile.

Mount Aconcagua

And the place where the Andes formed is called the Patagonian platform. Altitude this mountain is about seven thousand kilometers (6961 m) above sea level.

In North America, the highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Denali, located in southern Alaska. Mountain just below Aconcagua, height 6190 m.

Characteristics of the Cordillera of North America

The mountains originate in Alaska and pass through the entire continent, through three countries (Canada, USA, Mexico) to a point in the south in the valley of the Mexican river Balasas on the border with Central America.

The tectonic structure is complex, there are: areas of ancient, middle and new folding, many active volcanoes.

Throughout the length of the Cordillera there are three main belts:

• internal - consists of plateaus and plateaus in the middle of the western and eastern, there are many tectonic depressions with rivers;
• eastern - belt rocky mountains, large ridges separate the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico from the Arctic Ocean;
• western - volcanic mountains parallel to the Pacific coast.

Three main arcs of the Cordillera

In Central America, the mountains diverge into arcs:

1. One arc forms mountains in Cuba and northern Puerto Rico and Haiti. The arc was formed from the eastern and western belts, from the north.
2. The other starts from the borders of Mexico from the south, further through Central America, to the western part of Panama. This arc smoothly transitions into .
3. The last arc from the south of the western belt takes the direction to the mountains of the southern side of Puerto Rico and Haiti, and the mountains of Jamaica.

Geological structure and minerals

The lowlands between the mountain ranges accumulated sedimentary rocks for a long time.

And now in the mountains North America large deposits of minerals were formed, while the mountains themselves are valuable in metal ore:

• there are oil fields in Alaska;
• the Rocky Mountains are rich in copper, gold, and tungsten;
• the coastal part of the ridges is of interest for the extraction of mercury and coal.

natural areas

Since the Cordilleras run through all of America, then natural areas mountains capture everything: forest tundra, mixed forests, forest-steppes, forests, semi-deserts and deserts, tropical shrouds and forests. Only the arctic and subarctic zones are missing.

Rivers and lakes of the Cordillera

In the north of Alaska there are glaciers (large - Bering). Many rivers begin their journey in the Cordillera mountains, for example: Missouri, Yukon. Very deep rivers Pacific Basin.

The southern rivers are filled with rainwater, the northern rivers are fed by glaciers and snow.

Spring high water is typical for the northern regions of the mountains. The strong northern rivers are used for irrigation and power generation. Notable Reservoirs: Columbia, Colorado. There are also fresh and salt lakes.

Climate and climatic zones

The climate in the Cordillera is diverse due to the vast territory on which they are located:

1. Humidity in the southern part of the mountains is not more than 60%, and in the northern part up to 80%.
2. The average air t in summer in July is plus, in the south up to 30 degrees, and in the north up to 15. Winter average t in January in the north is -30, in the southern regions -17.
3. The amount of precipitation per year is the largest in southern Alaska up to 4000 mm, and the most meager in the Mojave Desert - 50 mm.

Mountains, passing through all climatic zones:

• the south is the tropics and subtropics;
• the north of the belt changes climate from arctic to subarctic, then temperate;
• in the central, inland regions - the continental belt, and on the Pacific slopes of the mountains - the soft oceanic.

Flora and fauna

The natural landscape of the mountains is very diverse (due to altitudinal zonation).

Allocate natural areas:

1. Northwestern consists mainly of glaciated mountain peaks and plateaus. The climate is harsh, permafrost, to the south coast - a little warmer. The landscape is tundra, woodland. Deer, lemings, and many birds live in the tundra. Bears, wolves, lynxes, cougars can be seen in the forests.
2. Canadian Cordillera in southeastern Alaska. Temperate climate, landscaped with cedars, fir forests. Tui grow on the slopes of the Pacific coast. The inhabitants of the forests are deer, mountain sheep, moose, bears, wolverines, cougars, foxes.
3. US Cordillera is the country where most of them are located. Nature is also very rich, on the slopes of the mountains - pine forests. There are dry plateaus. The low coastal mountains are covered with evergreen bushes and relict trees. The animal world is significantly exterminated. Lizards, snakes, rodents live in semi-deserts.
4. mexican cordillera- the climate is dry, there are many seismic zones. Shrubs, forests, cacti grow in the savannahs. Hares, wolves, cougars, rodents are inhabitants of the local desert. Wolves, lynxes, bears live in the forests, and monkeys, tapirs, and predators live in the tropics.

National parks in the Cordillera

In order to see the many sights, you must definitely visit the reserves located on the territory of the Cordillera.

Grand Canyon

To get acquainted with the peculiarities of flora and fauna, appreciate the beauty of the landscape, see volcanoes, you can go to one of national parks:

1. In the USA - Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Yosemite, Glacier.
2. In Canada - Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Garibaldi, Nahanni.

Conclusion

The area and grandeur of the Cordillera is striking, the geographical position and a large number of mountain ranges with amazing secrets beckons and makes you want to go on a trip.

McKinley (Nic McPhee) McKinley (Cecil Sanders) Airplane view of the Cordillera (Vivis Carvalho) Denali National Park and Preserve Cordillera (Ross Fowler) Ross Fowler Helicopter in the background of the Cordillera (The U.S. Army) Pablo Trincado Denali National Park (Harvey Barrison) View of the Cordillera (Maykol Saavedra) View of the Cordillera (Miguel Vera León) Beautiful view on McKinley (Christoph Strässler) Mount McKinley, Denali National Park (Christoph Strässler) The highest point of the Cordillera (Denali National Park and Preserve) Denali National Park and Preserve Denali National Park and Preserve Carlos Felipe Pardo Cordillera Blanca, Andes (Ross Fowler) Cordillera Blanca, Peru (Daniel Peppes Gauer) Cordillera Blanca, Peru (Mel Patterson) Cordillera Blanca, Peru (Mel Patterson) )

What continent are they located on? The Cordilleras are unusual in that they are located on two continents at once. If you look at the map, you can see that these mountains stretch almost 18,000 kilometers from north to south, along the Pacific coast of North and South America - from Alaska to the island of Tierra del Fuego.

Cordilleras are divided into two large systems- Cordillera of North America and Cordillera of South America, also commonly known as the Andes. Within the framework of this article, only the Cordilleras of North America, stretching from Alaska to southern Mexico, will be described.

The height of the Cordillera is the highest point

The highest peak of the Cordilleras of North America is Mount Denali, until recently known as McKinley, whose height is 6190 m. Its coordinates are: 63 ° 04′10 ″ northern latitude 151°00′26″ West.

Mount McKinley, Denali National Park (Christoph Strässler)

Geographical characteristic

The length of the mountain system is almost 9000 km with a width of 800 to 1600 km. At the same time, the Canadian Cordilleras have the smallest width, and the mountains reach the maximum width in the USA. Almost along their entire length, these mountains form 3 belts - eastern, western and internal.

View of the Cordillera (Miguel Vera León)

The Eastern Belt, also known as the Rocky Mountain Belt, forms a series of high mountain ranges that form a watershed that separates the Pacific Ocean to the west from the Atlantic and North Atlantic basins. arctic oceans in the east. In addition to the Rocky Mountains themselves, it includes the Brooks Range in Alaska, the Richardson Range and the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada, and the Eastern Sierra Madre mountain range in Mexico. The highest point of the belt is Mount Elbert, which is located within the state of Colorado. Its peak has an absolute mark of 4399 meters.

The western belt is represented by folded and volcanic ridges that run parallel to the Pacific coast. It includes the Aleutian, Alaska and Coast Ranges, the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada mountain system, the Western and Southern Sierra Madre, and the Transverse Volcanic Sierra. Within the Alaska Range is the most high mountain not only this belt, but the whole of North America - Mount Denali (McKinley), whose height is 6190 m.

The inner belt includes a number of plateaus and plateaus located between two other belts. It includes the Fraser Plateau, the Columbia Mountains, the Great Basin Highlands, the Colorado Plateau, and the Mexican Highlands.

The three main mountain arcs of the Cordillera

In Central America and the islands caribbean The Cordilleras fall into three main mountain arcs, which are separated by depressions.

Cordillera (Ross Fowler)

Thus, the arc, which is a structural continuation of the Rocky Mountains and the Eastern Sierra Madre, forms the mountains of the islands of Cuba, northern Haiti and Puerto Rico.

The southern Sierra Madre is geologically continued by the mountains of Jamaica, the south of Haiti, and in Puerto Rico they merge with the mountains of the first arc.

The third arc runs from the southern borders of Mexico through all the countries of Central America to the west of Panama. Its continuation is the Andes.

The Cordilleras cross all the geographical zones of the continent, from the arctic in the north to the subequatorial in the south. Throughout their course, the climate of the area, vegetation and animal world.

Natural conditions change no less strongly when moving from west to east of the mountain system; often the climate and vegetation change in this direction much faster than when moving from north to south. Besides, as in all high mountains, great importance here has an altitudinal zonality.

Geology

The Cordilleras of North America are composed of various geological structures of different ages. The mountains began to form in the Jurassic, a little earlier than the Andes, whose formation began only at the end of the Cretaceous.

Mountain building has not ended to this day, as evidenced by the fairly frequent earthquakes and the presence of active volcanoes. Approximately north of the parallel of 45 degrees north latitude, a significant influence on the formation of the relief had Quaternary glaciation.

In the Cordillera, gold, mercury, tungsten, copper, molybdenum and other ores are mined. Of the non-metallic minerals, there are oil deposits, hard coal and etc.

Hydrography

In the Cordillera are the origins of such major rivers like Yukon, Mackenzie, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande and many more.

Denali National Park and Preserve

To the north of the 50th latitude, the snow supply of watercourses predominates, and to the south - rain. Many mountain rivers have great energy potential. Especially many hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Columbia River basin.

In the interior regions of the mountain system there are large drainless areas. The discharge of a few streams, which are mostly temporary, is carried out here into salty drainless lakes, the largest of which is the Great Salt Lake.

Freshwater lakes are also quite numerous: Atlin, Okanagan, Kootenay (Canadian Cordilleras); Utah, Tahoe, Upper Klamath (USA).

Climate

Due to the very long extent in the meridional direction, the climate in the Cordillera varies greatly. In Alaska, Canada and the northwestern United States, on the Pacific slopes, the climate is characterized as rather mild and humid.

Denali National Park (Harvey Barrison)

The total precipitation on the islands off the coast of Canada and Alaska, as well as on the western slope of the Coast Ranges, exceeds 2000 mm, and in some areas can reach 6000 mm.

The maximum precipitation here occurs in winter, and therefore, most of it falls in the form of snow. Winters are relatively warm and humid, while summers are cool and dry.

Average temperatures in July usually vary from 13 to 15 degrees, and average temperatures in January - from 0 to 4 degrees.

Away from the coast, the climate is very different; it is characterized as continental. On some plateaus, the amount of precipitation does not exceed 400-500 mm. Winters here become more frosty, and summers, on the contrary, are warmer.

View of the Cordillera (Maykol Saavedra)

In the southwestern United States, the climate is characterized as subtropical. Precipitation here also falls mainly in winter. Their number can reach up to 2000 mm on the western slopes of the Coast Ranges, and up to 1000 mm in the west of the Sierra Nevada.

In the Rocky Mountains, by contrast, eastern elephants receive more rainfall (700-800 mm) than western elephants (300-400 mm). This is due to the fact that air masses from the Atlantic Ocean reach the eastern slopes. Some deep interior basins receive less than 200 mm of precipitation per year.

The most arid deserts are the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, as well as the western part of the Great Basin. In some areas of these deserts, only about 50 mm of precipitation falls.

The climate of the intermountain basins is characterized as sharply continental with very large daily and annual temperature fluctuations. In the intermountain depression "Death Valley" was recorded the most heat in the world, which amounted to 56.7 degrees, while in winter the temperatures here often fall below zero.

The total area of ​​glaciers is more than 60,000 square kilometers. The height of the snow line varies from 300-450 meters on the coastal slopes of the mountains of the south and southeast of Alaska to 4500 meters or more in Mexico.

In the Rocky and Cascade Mountains in the United States, the snow line is at an altitude of 2500-3000 meters, and in the Sierra Nevada mountains - up to 4000 meters.

Flora and fauna

The flora of the Cordillera varies greatly not only depending on the height above sea level, as in all other mountains; it also strongly depends on the latitude of a particular area and on its distance from the ocean.

Denali National Park and Preserve

In the north of the mountain system, the slopes of the ridges are covered mainly with coniferous forests.

The interior plateaus, plateaus and depressions of the United States and northern Mexico are occupied mainly by arid steppes and deserts, which is explained by the rain shadow effect, due to which moist air masses are trapped by high mountains and almost never reach these areas.

Part of the coast of California and northwestern Mexico is characterized by hard-leaved shrub vegetation known as chaparral.

On the western slopes in southern Mexico and Central America, both evergreen and deciduous trees are common. rainforests. On the eastern slopes and in the intermountain basins, the vegetation is much more sparse and is represented by various shrubs, cacti and savannahs. The variety of cacti and agaves is especially great, of which hundreds of species are found here.

The fauna of mountain forests is quite similar to the fauna of the lowland North American taiga. Grizzly bears, foxes, wolves, beavers, wolverines, lynxes, cougars, etc. are found here. Of the species characteristic only of the mountains, mountain sheep are found. Pumas, coyotes, steppe wolves, hares, and various rodents live in the steppes and deserts. Animal world rainforest represented by various monkeys; of predators here you can meet the jaguar.

Beautiful view of McKinley (Christoph Strässler)

National parks in the Cordillera

On the territory of the Cordillera there are numerous National parks attracting millions of tourists from all over the world. Photos of the local extraordinary landscapes amaze even people who have traveled a lot around the world.

On the western side of the Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the most famous national parks in the United States - Yosemite, which is famous for its high granite cliffs, waterfalls and simply untouched nature.

A little south of it is Sequoia Park, famous, as the name implies, thanks to its giant sequoias. Mount Rainier National Park is located in the Cascade Mountains, on the territory of which the volcano of the same name is located. On the Colorado Plateau is the oldest park in the United States - the Grand Canyon, which is a canyon of the Colorado River.

The Cordilleras are mountains, a huge system of which occupies the western edge of the continent of North America. They stretched for about 7 thousand km. Cordillera - mountains of great diversity natural conditions. They are characterized by a number of features, and this determines their uniqueness among the rest of the mountain systems of our planet.

General characteristics of the Cordillera

Where are the Cordillera Mountains located? They are predominantly elongated in the submeridional direction. These mountains are formed within five orotectonic belts of different ages. The Cordilleras have in their composition a significant proportion of highlands (2.5-3 thousand or more meters above sea level). They have active volcanism and high seismicity. The large extent of these mountains from north to south has led to the presence here of many spectra of altitudinal zonality. Cordillera - mountains formed at the junction between lithospheric plates. The border between them almost coincides with the coast line.

Composition of the Cordillera

The third part of the area of ​​the entire continent is occupied by a mountain fold-block system. It has a width of 800-1600 km. It includes mountain plateaus, intermountain basins, ranges, as well as volcanic plateaus and mountains. Young deformations, volcanism, denudations have undergone the Cordillera, which determined their current appearance and disguised many geological structures that appeared earlier. The mountain system is very heterogeneous both in the transverse and in the longitudinal direction.

More about the structure of the Cordillera

The structure of the surface of the mainland, where the mountains of the Cordillera are located, is asymmetrical. They occupy its western part, eastern - low mountains and vast plains. The western part is located at an altitude of about 1700 meters, and the eastern part is 200-300 m. 720 meters is average height continent.

The Cordilleras are mountains that include a number of mountain arcs, which are elongated mainly in the direction from the northwest to the southeast. From Mackenzie, Mt. Brooks, the Rocky Mountains consists of the eastern arc. A discontinuous belt formed from internal plateaus and plateaus is located to the west of these ranges. 1-2 thousand meters is their height. The Cordilleras are mountains that include the following plateaus and plateaus: the Yukon Plateau, the Columbian Plateau and the British Columbia Plateau, the Great Basin, the plateaus and the volcanic plateau of the Mexican Highlands (its inner part). For the most part, they represent an alternation of basins, ridges and table flat surfaces.

The highest mountain

The Cordilleras from the western part are marked by a system of the highest ridges. These are the Aleutian Ridge, the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Ridge. The latter reaches a height of 6193 meters. This is McKinley, the highest mountain shown in the photo above. The Cordillera is a system that also includes in the western part the Cascade Mountains, the Canadian Coast Range, the Western Sierra Madre and the Sierra Nevada, as well as the Transverse Volcanic Sierra located here (5700 meters), etc.

To the west of them, the height decreases. The Cordilleras are mountains that smoothly merge into the flat part of the mainland. It is occupied in the west by either Puget Sound, Cook), or lowlands (California Valley, Willamette River Valley). This coast of the continent is formed by the St. Elijah, Chugach, Kenai, Canadian Island Ranges, and the US Coast Ranges. The chains of the Cordillera to the south of the Mexican highlands bifurcate. One of them deviates to the east, forming the islands of the West Indies and underwater ridges, after which it passes into the Venezuelan Andes. The second half stretches through the Isthmus of Panama and Tehuantepec to the Colombian Andes.

What is the reason for the diversity of the relief of mountains?

It is associated with different ages land areas, as well as with the history of their development. The mainland did not immediately form in its present form. The mountains of the Cordillera in their present form arose thanks to various processes that took place in different time on the continent.

For the Laurentian Upland, marked by the most ancient geological structures, the relief is characterized by leveling surfaces, the formation of which began at the beginning of the Paleozoic. The wavy surface of the modern upland was determined by the different resistance of rocks to denudation, as well as uneven tectonic movement. The lowering of the central part of the territory caused a cover Quaternary glaciation, due to which the depressions of the modern one were formed. In addition, under its influence, the accumulation of water-glacial and moraine sediments occurred, which formed the type of relief (moraine-hilly).

Great and belong to the type of reservoir. Under the influence of denudation processes in various places, depending on the characteristics of the occurrence of various rocks, cuest ridges (Great Lakes), stepped plateaus (Great Plains region), middle mountains and erosional low mountains (Washita, Ozarks) were formed.

The relief of the Cordilleras themselves is very complex. compression band earth's crust crossed by numerous faults, starting from the bottom of the ocean and ending on land. The mountain building process has not been completed yet. This is evidenced by volcanic eruptions (for example, Popocatepetl and Orizaba), as well as strong earthquakes that occur here from time to time.

Minerals

As you know, many different minerals can be found where there are mountains. The Cordillera is no exception. There are huge reserves of ores of non-ferrous and ferrous metals. From non-metallic, one can distinguish oil, which is located in intermountain troughs. Stocks of brown coal are available in the Rocky Mountains (their internal basins).

Climate

We continue the description of the mountains with the characteristics of the climate. The Cordilleras are in the path of oceanic air masses. Because of this, in eastbound the influence of the ocean is drastically weakened. This climatic feature The Cordillera is reflected in the soil and vegetation cover, the development of modern glaciation, and altitudinal zonation. The elongation from north to south of the mountain ranges predetermines the differences in temperatures in summer and winter. In winter, it ranges from -24 ° С (in the Alaska region) to +24 ° С (Mexico, south of the country). In summer the temperature reaches from +4 to +20 °C.

Precipitation

The northwest receives the most rainfall. The fact is that this part of the Cordillera is located on the way westerly winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean. The amount of precipitation here is approximately 3000 mm. The least humid are tropical latitudes, since the oceanic air masses do not reach them. The low amount of precipitation is also due to the cold current passing near the coast. The inner plateaus of the Cordillera are also not very wet. The mountains are located within the temperate, subarctic, tropical and subtropical climatic zones.

Rivers and lakes of the Cordillera

A significant part of the western rivers of the continent originates precisely in the Cordillera. Mostly their food is snow and glacial, in the summer there is a flood. These rivers are mountainous, swift. The largest of them are Colorado and Columbia. The lakes of the Cordillera are of glacial or volcanic origin. On the inner plateaus there are saline shallow water bodies. These are the remains of large lakes that existed here for a long time, in times of a humid climate.

Vegetable world

very diverse vegetable world Cordillera. Coniferous forests with a peculiar appearance are located up to 40 ° N. sh. By species composition they are very rich. Spruce, cypress, fir, thuja (red cedar) are their typical representatives. Height coniferous trees reaches 80 meters. Between them there is practically no woody undergrowth. However, a variety of shrubs grow here in abundance. There are many mosses and ferns in the ground cover. In the coniferous forests, when moving south, sugar pine, white fir, and yellow pine begin to come across. evergreen sequoia appears further south. As dryness increases, south of 42 ° N. sh., thickets of bushes are replaced by forests. They are juniper, heather, and their height usually does not exceed two meters. Here you can sometimes find different types evergreen oak. The humidity of the climate in the interior of the Cordillera is decreasing. They are characterized by dry forests, as well as areas of saltwort and wormwood deserts. The mountain slopes that receive rainfall are covered up to a height of 1200 m with evergreen forests.

Animals living in the mountains of the Cordillera

Where the mountains of the Cordillera are located, you can meet a brown grizzly bear - large predator continent of North America. having long black fur, lives in the southwest of this system. It destroys livestock and spoils crops. There are also many lynxes, foxes, wolves. Arthropods, lizards, snakes are often found in the southern regions of the mountains. In addition, the gilatooth lives here - the only legless poisonous lizard. Large animals in places where people live are either destroyed or are extremely rare. Bison and pronghorn (a rare antelope) are only saved through national programs in North America. Only in the reserves one can observe today a rich animal world.

Cordillera, the largest mountain system the globe, stretching along the western margins of North and South America, from 66 ° N.S. (Alaska) to 56°S sh. (Tierra del Fuego).

The length is more than 18 thousand km, the width is up to 1600 km in North America and up to 900 km in South America. Located in [Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

For almost its entire length, it is a watershed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as a pronounced climatic boundary. In height they are second only to the Himalayas and mountain systems Central Asia. Most high peaks Cordillera: in North America - Mount McKinley (6193 m), in South America - Mount Aconcagua (6960 m).

The entire Cordillera system is divided into 2 parts - Cordillera of North America, and the Cordillera of South America, or the Andes.

The main mountain-building processes that resulted in the emergence of the Cordillera began in North America in the Jurassic, in South America at the end of the Cretaceous and took place in close connection with the formation of mountain systems on other continents (Alpine folding). The formation of the Cordillera has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes and intense volcanism (more than 80 active volcanoes). Important role Quaternary glaciation also played a role in the formation of the relief of the Cordillera, especially north of 44 ° N. latitude. and south of 40°S.

Cordillera lie in all geographical zones(except for the subantarctic and antarctic) and are distinguished by a large variety of landscapes and a pronounced altitudinal zonality. The snow limit in Alaska is at an altitude of 600 m, in Tierra del Fuego - 500-700 m in Bolivia and South Peru rises to 6000-6500 m. In the northwestern part of the Cordilleras of North America and in the southeast of the Andes, glaciers descend to ocean level in the hot zone they cover only the highest peaks. The total area of ​​glaciation is about 90 thousand km 2 (in the Cordillera of North America - 67 thousand km 2, in the Andes - about 20 tons km 2).

Literature

• Geographical encyclopedic Dictionary, M., 1986.

Over and over I reread my favorite book, The Children of Captain Grant. I love her characters, I experience their difficulties and hardships with them. But most of all I love the part about the heroes' journey through the mountains of the Cordillera. What are these mountains and where are they located?

Where are the Cordillera Mountains located?

Mountains of the Cordillera is one of largest mountain systems on earth, It has Plength of about 18 thousand kilometers. Their feature is a huge variety of natural conditions, which makes these mountains unique. Located they're in North and South America. South American Cordilleras have a name Andes. Mountains stretch through the following countries:

Above the Cordillera, only the Himalayas. In the mountains there active volcanoes and there is a high probability of earthquakes. Cordillera of North America share for three belts. Eastern Belt also called the Rocky Mountains consists of he is predominantly from high massive ridges. Inner belt comprises plateaus and uplands. There are very wide tectonic depressions, in which river floodplains are located. Although here there is high ridges. IN western belt includes: Pacific ridges; coastal belts and belts of intermountain lakes.

Mountain range of North Americaki include:

• lowlands;
• plateau;
• sea ​​bays and straits;
• coastal chains;
• mountainous coastal islands.

Animal world

Depending on the climate, altitude and other climatic conditions,The flora and fauna of the Cordillera is very different. Common here coniferous forests . The height of the trees sometimes reaches more than 80 meters. Among them: spruce,cypress,fir,white and black spruce,huge thuja (red cedar),birch.

There are also many here mosses and ferns. Trees like sequoia located somewhat to the south. You can find various types evergreen oak.

The main predator of the mountains is the famous Grizzly bear. common foxes, wolves, lynxes, moose, deer. IN southern regions meet lizards and snakes. But today wildlife in all its glory can be found only innature reserves. For example, bison and pronghorn live only there.