In the deep south of Chile and Argentina, the mountains rise in some of the wildest regions of the world, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego . In the northern Andes, the majority of inhabitants live above 9,000 feet. In the south, the Andes are too cold for habitation above 5,000 to 8,000 feet. The Andes are generally folded mountains, composed of limestone, sandstone, slate, and some granite. Large amounts of lava also enter the mix as the Andes are home to numerous volcanoes, some active.
Frequent earthquakes provide further evidence of the dynamic nature of the region's geology.
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