The Longest Mountain Range on Earth | The Basement Geographer The Longest Mountain Range on Earth by kuschk The Andes . 7 000 km in length, they run the length of South America and are the highest mountain range outside of Asia. The diversity of the range is astounding, from the moist, warm north to the arid, frozen southern reaches. In total, the Andes stretch out over nearly 70 degrees of latitude, easily making them the longest mountain range on Earth. Until you look under water, that is, where the actual longest mountain ranges on Earth exist. As humans, we are rarely confronted with what lies beneath the ocean, only with the things that emerge from it (islands and continents). The world’s sea floors, however, are riddled with mountains and ridges. Every place on the planet where two tectonic plates are pulling apart, magma is rising through the breaks in the crust to create new land . This magma creates new volcanic mountains rising out of the ocean floor.

With plate boundaries running into each throughout the world’s oceans, many of these underwater mountain chains ( mid-oceanic ridges ) stitch together to form a continuous set of peaks that stretch 65 000 km in length . That’s nearly ten times the length of the Andes. The US Geological Survey identifies several major mid-oceanic ridges as being contiguous. The age of oceanic crust. Deep red areas indicate where new crust is being formed (and thus where the mid-oceanic ridges are located). Eventually mountains get pushed away from the centre over times by the new crust continually emerging from the mid-oceanic ridge. Bermuda, for example, was originally formed from mid-oceanic magma but has since moved considerably to the west of it . Source: NOAA, (click to enlarge). The 65 000-km undersea mountain chain begins in the Arctic Ocean with what is known as the Gakkel Ridge . Located 3 to 5 kilometres beneath the surface, the Gakkel Ridge is the deepest and slowest-spreading ridge on the planet .

The Gakkel is covered in pyroclastic deposits and hydrothermal vents, and is home to a unique type of magma ten times more volatile than that in other mid-oceanic ridges. The high mineral content has provided the opportunity for rather unique life forms to evolve around the seafloor heat vents via chemosynthesis . The Gakkel Ridge can be seen as the zipper-like formation bypassing the North Pole on the right in the centre of the map. The mid-oceanic chain continues southward from the Gakkel, now known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , as it snakes between Greenland and Svalbard, eventually emerging above water in Iceland. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge splits the island country in half, fuelling Iceland’s physical growth (as well as providing 24 percent of its electricity and 87 percent of its heating via geothermal means) but also creating occasional chaos via major volcanic eruptions. The ability of these eruptions to form new land was born out quite famously half-a-century ago with the emergence of the island of Surtsey off the southern Icelandic coast. Over time, Iceland will continue to grow, being pulled apart slowly to the west and east as North America and Europe grow further apart.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge extends nearly all the way to Antartica. While the deepest parts of the ridge can be thousands upon thousands of metres deep, these great canyons are of course surrounded on both sides by the massive seamounts that form from magma eruptions, rising 3 000 metres above the ocean floor . In addition to Iceland, numerous smaller islands periodically emerge from the ocean along the massive ridge that nearly stretches from pole to pole, such as the Azores, Saint Helena, and two islands in the South Atlantic previously covered here, Tristan da Cunha and Bouvet Island . Speaking of Bouvet, it is at the nearby Bouvet Triple Junction where the great mid-oceanic mountain chain turns east along the Southwest Indian Ridge, first navigating between Antarctica and South Africa before turning northeast into the heart of the Indian Ocean. As one can see in the embedded Google Map below, the Southwest Indian Ridge is covered in countless seamounts. Not even a handful, though, break the surface; the most notable being South Africa’s Prince Edward Islands . View Larger Map This island-less trend continues for most of the great oceanic mountain chain’s length.

The faint blue line of the mid-oceanic ridge system can be seen in the above image passing between Australia and Antarctica (the Southeast Indian Ridge) and then into the Pacific Ocean (the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge) before turning north at the east edge of the Pacific Plate (the East Pacific Rise ) and snaking its way toward the Gulf of California in Mexico, where it finally terminates. Along the way, the East Pacific Rise meets the Chile Rise near the location of Easter Island (the largest island along the ridge in the Pacific). The southern part of the East Pacific Rise is some of the fastest-spreading oceanic crust on the planet. So, there you have it. Next time someone tells you that the Andes are the longest mountain chain on the planet, you can tell them differently. Further Reading UNESCO (2011). The Mid-Atlantic Ridge. World Heritage Convention. Available at . Accessed 27 February 2011. United States Geological Survey (1999). Developing the theory. Available at . Accessed 27 February 2011. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (2006). Arctic Seafloor Expedition: July 1-Aug.

10, 2007. Available at . Accessed 27 February 2011. SOUTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA FIND OUT MORE The triangular continent of South America stretches from north of the equator almost down to the Antarctic Circle. It contains three very different landscapes. In the west, the Andes tower 22,833 ft (6,959 m) high, forming a backbone down the entire length of the continent, along the Pacific Ocean coast. Dense rainforests in the humid Amazon valley and along the Caribbean coast cover much of the north and northeast. In the south, windswept grasslands and dry pampas roll down to the cold, rocky point of the continent at Cape Horn. THE ANDES The world’s longest mountain chain, the Andes, runs 4,505 miles (7,250 km) down the western edge of South America. Its steep slopes are terraced to grow barley, potatoes, and wheat on its colder, upper slopes, and coffee, tobacco, and corn on the warmer, lower slopes.

FACTFILE: SOUTH AMERICA Mountains and Mountain Ranges - 2 | Britannica.com Mountains and Mountain Ranges landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined summit area, and considerable local relief. Displaying 1 - 100 of 753 results Abajo Mountains volcanic segment of the Colorado Plateau, in San Juan county, southeastern Utah, U.S. Abajo Peak (11,362 feet [3,463 metres]) is the highest point in the mountains, which comprise eight summits and are embraced by the Manti-LaSal National Forest. The... Aberdare Range mountain range, forming a section of the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley in west-central Kenya, northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and just south of the Equator. The range has an average elevation of 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) and culminates in Oldoinyo... Absaroka Range mountain segment of the northern Rocky Mountains, in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana, U.S.

Extending in a northwest-southeast direction, the range is 170 miles (270 km) long and 50 miles wide. A large plateau, the result of volcanic action,... Abukuma Mountains range in northern Honshu, Japan. It extends for 106 miles (170 km) north to south and parallels the Pacific Ocean coast of Fukushima prefecture in the Tōhoku region. Its southern end reaches into northern Ibaraki prefecture in the Kantō region. The mountain... Acaraí Mountains low range on the border of Brazil (Pará state) and southern Guyana. The mountains, which rise to about 2,000 feet (600 metres) above sea level, run in an east–west direction for about 80 miles (130 km) and form part of the northern watershed of the Amazon... Aconcagua, Mount mountain in western Mendoza province, west-central Argentina, on the Chilean border. It is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere. Aconcagua lies in the Southern Andes Mountains; although its peak is in Argentina, its western flanks build up from...

Adam’s Peak mountain in southwestern Sri Lanka (Ceylon), 7,360 feet (2,243 m) high and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Ratnapura; it is located in the Sri Lanka hill country. Its conical summit terminates in an oblong platform about 74 by 24 feet (22 by 7 m), on which... Adirondack Mountains mountains in northeastern New York state, U.S. They extend southward from the St. Lawrence River valley and Lake Champlain to the Mohawk River valley. The mountains are only sparsely settled, and much of the area exists in a primitive natural state,... Agou, Mount mountain in southwestern Togo, near the border with Ghana. An extreme western outlier of the Atakora Mountains of adjacent Benin, it rises to 3,235 feet (986 metres) and is the highest point in Togo. It was initially named for Oskar Baumann (1864–99),... Agung, Mount volcano, northeastern Bali, Indonesia.

The highest point in Bali and the object of traditional veneration, it rises to a height of 9,888 feet (3,014 m). In 1963 it erupted after being dormant for 120 years; some 1,600 people were killed and 86,000 left... Aimorés Mountains mountainous region divided between the estados (states) of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, eastern Brazil, occupying an area of about 3,900 square miles (10,100 square km). The mountains form a crystalline-hill upland with an average elevation of 3,000... Aïr massif group of granitic mountains rising sharply from the Sahara in central Niger. Several of these mountains approach and exceed 6,000 feet (1,800 m), the highest being Mount Gréboun (6,378 feet [1,944 m]). The mountains are dissected by deep valleys, called... Akademii Nauk Range mountain range, western Pamirs, central Tajikistan.

The mountains, extending north-south, are approximately 68 miles (110 km) in length and are composed mostly of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, together with some granite. Glaciation from permanent... Akhḍar Mountains mountain range of northeastern Libya that extends along the Mediterranean coast for about 100 miles (160 km) in an east-northeasterly direction between the towns of al-Marj and Darnah. Rising sharply in two steps, the first reaching 985 feet (300 m)... Akwapim-Togo Ranges narrow belt of ridges and hills in Ghana, western Africa. They extend in a southwest-northeast line for about 200 miles (320 km) from the Densu River mouth (near Accra) on the Atlantic coast to the boundary with Togo. Averaging 1,500 feet (460 m) in... Alaska Range one of the components of the Alaskan mountains and a segment of the larger Pacific mountain system of western North America.

The range extends generally northward and eastward in an arc for about 400 miles (650 km) from the Aleutian Range to the boundary... Alaskan Mountains three principal mountain groups of far northwestern North America —the Brooks Range, Alaska Range, and Aleutian Range —found in the U.S. state of Alaska. The mountain ranges of Alaska give their state a rugged and beautiful terrain across its entire... Alban Hills volcanic area in the Lazio (Latium) regione (region) of central Italy, southeast of Rome. The hills consist of an outer circle, 6–8 miles (10–13 km) in diameter, rising to 3,113 feet (949 metres) at Mount Cavo, and an inner crater rim, about 1.5 miles... Albula Alps part of the Rhaetian Alps in eastern Switzerland, lying in Graubünden canton to the north of the resort of Saint Moritz. The mountains extend northeastward from the Splügen Pass (6,932 feet [2,113 m]) to the Flüela Pass (7,818 feet [2,383 m]), and they...

Aleutian Range segment of the Pacific mountain system, western North America. The range extends southwestward for about 600 miles (1,000 km) from the west end of the Alaska Range to the head of Cook Inlet of the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska, U.S. The Aleutian Islands represent... Allegheny Mountains mountainous eastern part of the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains, U.S. The Allegheny range extends south-southwestward for more than 500 miles (800 km) from north-central Pennsylvania to southwestern Virginia. Rising to Mount Davis (3,213... Alps a small segment of a discontinuous mountain chain that stretches from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa across southern Europe and Asia to beyond the Himalayas. The Alps extend north from the subtropical Mediterranean coast near Nice, France, to Lake... Altai Mountains complex mountain system of Central Asia extending approximately 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in a southeast-northwest direction from the Gobi (Desert) to the West Siberian Plain, through China, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The jagged mountain ridges derive...

Altun Mountains mountain range in the southern part of the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, northwestern China. Branching off from the Kunlun Mountains, the range runs for more than 400 miles (650 km) from southwest to northeast to form the boundary between the... Amambaí Mountains highlands in western Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, and eastern Paraguay. Extending south-southwest initially as the Maracaju Mountains for approximately 200 miles (320 km) from Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, they form the western... Amargosa Range group of mountains in eastern California and southern Nevada, U.S., separating Death Valley from the Amargosa Desert. Part of the Basin Ranges of eastern California, the Amargosa Range extends 110 miles (180 km) from Grapevine Peak (8,705 feet [2,653... Anai Peak peak in eastern Kerala state, southwestern India. Located in the Western Ghats range, it rises to 8,842 feet (2,695 metres) and is peninsular India’s highest peak.

From this point radiate three ranges—the Anaimalai to the north, the Palni to the northeast,... Anaimalai Hills mountain range in the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The Anaimalai Hills are located at a junction of the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats and have a general northwest-southeast trend. Anai Peak (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]) lies at the... Andes Mountains mountain system of South America and one of the great natural features of the Earth. The Andes consist of a vast series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5,500 miles (8,900... Annamese Cordillera principal mountain range of Indochina and the watershed between the Mekong River and the South China Sea. It extends parallel to the coast in a gentle curve generally northwest-southeast, forming the boundary between Laos and Vietnam. A fairly continuous... Annapurna massif of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal.

It forms a ridge some 30 miles (48 km) long between the gorges of the Kali (Kali Gandak; west) and Marsyandi (east) rivers north of the town of Pokhara. The massif contains four main summits, two of which—... Anti-Atlas mountain range in Morocco running parallel to and southward of the central range of the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Although it has a mean elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 metres), some peaks and passes exceed 6,000 feet (1,800 metres). This rugged,... Anti-Lebanon Mountains mountain range that runs northeast-southwest along the Syrian-Lebanese border parallel to the Lebanon Mountains, from which they are separated by the al-Biqāʿ Valley. The range averages 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level, with several peaks exceeding... Apennine Range series of mountain ranges bordered by narrow coastlands that form the physical backbone of peninsular Italy.

From Cadibona Pass in the northwest, close to the Maritime Alps, they form a great arc, which extends as far as the Egadi Islands to the west... Apo, Mount active volcano, south central Mindanao, 20 miles (32 km) west of Davao City; it is the highest point in the Philippines, rising to 9,692 feet (2,954 metres). Part of the Cordillera Central, it is covered by a forest of tall, tropical hardwoods; two subsidiary... Appalachian Highlands the regions of the Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Appalachian Plateau in the eastern United States. Appalachian Mountains great highland system of North America, the eastern counterpart of the Rocky Mountains. Extending for almost 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to central Alabama in the United States, the Appalachian Mountains... Appalachian Orogenic Belt an old mountain range that extends for more than 3,000 km (1,860 miles) along the eastern margin of North America from Alabama in the southern United States to Newfoundland, Canada, in the north.

The geosynclinal theory of mountain building was first... Apuseni Mountains large mountain chain, a subgroup of the Carpathians, lying north of the Mureş River, northwestern Romania. The Apuseni (Western) Mountains are not high—reaching a maximum elevation of only 6,066 feet (1,849 m)—but as a uniform, imposing group they dominate... Aragats, Mount mountain in Armenia, northwest of Yerevan and north of the Ararat Plain. The highest point in both Armenia and the Lesser Caucasus range (13,418 feet [4,090 m]), Aragats is a circular, shieldlike mountain composed of both lavas and tufas. A volcanic... Ararat, Mount volcanic massif in extreme eastern Turkey overlooking the point at which the frontiers of Turkey, Iran, and Armenia converge. Its northern and eastern slopes rise from the broad alluvial plain of the Aras River, about 3,300 feet (1,000 metres) above... Aravalli Range hill system of northern India, running northeasterly for 350 miles (560 km) through Rajasthan state.

Isolated rocky offshoots continue to just south of Delhi. The series of peaks and ridges, with breadths varying from 6 to 60 miles (10 to 100 km), are... Argonne wooded, hilly region in eastern France that forms a natural barrier between Champagne and Lorraine. The Argonne is about 40 miles long and 10 miles wide (65 by 15 km). The hilly massif rarely exceeds 650 feet (200 m) in elevation but is slashed with... Arkatag Mountains one of the complex mountain chains that form the Kunlun Mountains in western China. The Arkatag range is in the east-central portion of the Kunluns. Mount Muztag (Muztagh), at its western end, reaches an elevation of 25,338 feet (7,723 metres) and is... Armenian Highland mountainous region of western Asia. It lies mainly in Turkey, occupies all of Armenia, and includes southern Georgia, western Azerbaijan, and northwestern Iran. The highland covers almost 154,400 square miles (400,000 square km).

The average elevation... Arvon, Mount peak, Baraga county, northern Upper Peninsula, Michigan, U.S. Reaching an elevation of 1,979 feet (603 metres), it is the highest point in the state. It lies about 12 miles (20 km) east of L’Anse, inland from the Lake Superior shore in a wilderness recreational... Aso, Mount volcano, Kumamoto ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan, rising to an elevation of 5,223 feet (1,592 m). It has the largest active crater in the world, measuring 71 miles (114 km) in circumference, 17 miles (27 km) from north to south, and 10 miles (16 km)... Aspiring, Mount mountain in the Southern Alps of west-central South Island, New Zealand. It is a pyramid-shaped peak that rises from the small Bonar, Volta, Therma, and Iso glaciers. Its four ridges reach 9,932 feet (3,027 m), with thick rain forests clothing the western...

Assam Himalayas eastern section of the Great Himalayas, extending eastward across Sikkim state (India) and Bhutan, into northern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states (India), and along the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region (China). The mountains run eastward for... Atakora Mountains mountain range in western Africa, trending north-northeast. The range begins in the Akwapim Hills of southeastern Ghana (see Akwapim-Togo Ranges) and continues northeasterly to the Niger River through Togo and Benin. The mountains average 2,000 feet... Athos, Mount mountain in northern Greece, site of a semiautonomous republic of Greek Orthodox monks inhabiting 20 monasteries and dependencies (skíte s), some of which are larger than the parent monasteries. It occupies the easternmost of the three promontories of... Atlas Mountains series of mountain ranges in northwestern Africa, running generally southwest to northeast to form the geologic backbone of the countries of the Maghrib (the western region of the Arab world)— Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. They extend for more than...

Aurès mountains, part of the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria, northern Africa, fronted by rugged cliffs in the north and opening out in the south into the two parallel fertile valleys of the wadies Abiod and ʿAbdi, facing the Sahara. The highest peaks,... Australian Alps mountain mass, a segment of the Great Dividing Range (Eastern Uplands), occupying the southeasternmost corner of Australia, in eastern Victoria and southeastern New South Wales. In a more local sense, the term denotes the ranges on the states’ border... Azov Upland hilly region, southeastern Ukraine. Part of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield, the Azov Upland is an area of denuded mountains, extending from the Dnieper River for 100 miles (160 km) to the Donets Ridge and sloping gently down southeastward to the Sea... Babia, Mount highest mountain (5,659 feet [1,725 m] at Diablok) peak in the Beskid Mountains, on the Slovakia-Poland border and one of the highest peaks in Poland.

It is 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Námestovo, Slovakia, and 12 miles (19 km) south-southwest... Backbone Mountain highest point in Maryland, U.S., reaching an elevation of 3,360 feet (1,024 metres). It is located on a ridge of the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains, located in Garrett county 12 miles (19 km) south of Oakland. The ridge is 35 miles (56 km) long... Baetic Cordillera mountain system comprising the Andalusian mountains of southeastern Spain. The northern range (called pre-Baetic in Andalusia and sub-Baetic in Valencia) runs about 360 miles (580 km) from Cape Trafalgar in Andalusia to Cape Nao in Valencia, and it continues... Bago Mountains mountain range of south-central Myanmar (Burma), extending 270 miles (435 km) north-south between the Irrawaddy and Sittang rivers and ending in a ridge at Yangon (Rangoon).

The range averages about 2,000 feet (600 metres) in elevation, reaching its... Bakhuis Gebergte range of hills, west central Suriname, running north–south, about 70 miles (110 km) in length and separating the basins of the Kabalebo and Nickerie rivers (west) from that of the Coppename River (east). The range is relatively low-lying, comprising... Bakony Mountains mountain range in western Hungary, covering about 1,500 square miles (4,000 square km) between Lake Balaton and the Little Alfold and running southwest-northeast for 70 miles (110 km) from the Zala River. The range forms the major component of the highlands... Balaghat Range series of hills in western Maharashtra state, western India. Originating in the Western Ghats at the Harishchandra Range, the Balaghats extend southeastward for about 200 miles (320 km) to the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka states. Its width varies...

Baldy Mountain summit (11,403 feet [3,476 metres]) in the White Mountains, Apache county, eastern Arizona, U.S. Springs on the mountain’s northern slope form the headwaters of the Little Colorado River. Also called Dzil Ligai (Apache: “Mountain of White Rock”), Baldy... Baldy Mountain highest peak in Manitoba, Can., in the southeastern part of Duck Mountain Provincial Park, 36 miles (58 km) northwest of Dauphin. At 2,730 feet (832 metres) above sea level, it is also the highest peak in the 350-mile- (560-km-) long Manitoba Escarpment.... Bale Mountains mountain chain in southern Ethiopia. It rises above 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) near Goba. The Bale Mountain region, including Bale Mountains National Park, is known for its numerous endemic species. Among these are the rare and endangered Ethiopian wolf... Balkan Mountains chief range of the Balkan Peninsula and Bulgaria and an extension of the Alpine-Carpathian folds.

The range extends from the Timok River valley near the Yugoslav (Serbian) border, spreading out eastward for about 330 miles (530 km) into several spurs,... Bamba, Mount mountain (2,625 feet [800 metres]) in the Mayombé Massif, in the southwestern part of the Republic of the Congo. Bandeira Peak peak on the border of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais estados (states), eastern Brazil. It is part of the Caparaó mountain range and lies about 100 miles (160 km) inland from Vitória city on the Atlantic coast. Until 1962, when Neblina Peak (9,888 feet... Baoruco, Sierra de mountain range in the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic. It extends about 50 mi (80 km) east from the Haitian border to the Caribbean Sea and lies parallel to the Cordillera Central. Its highest peak is 5,348 ft (1,630 m). Straddling the Haitian... Bartle Frere, Mount mountain in Bellenden-Ker Range, northeastern Queensland, Australia.

It is the highest point in the state and rises to 5,287 ft (1,611 m) in an area reserved as a national park. Its slopes have the climate of a rain forest and provide cover for a variety... Bavarian Alps northeastern segment of the Central Alps along the German-Austrian border. The mountains extend east-northeastward for 70 miles (110 km) from the Lechtaler Alps to the bend of the Inn River near Kufstein, Austria. Zugspitze (9,718 feet [2,962 metres])... Beartooth Range segment of the northern Rocky Mountains in the United States, extending east-southeastward for 50 miles (80 km) from the Stillwater River, in southern Montana, to the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, in northwestern Wyoming. Many peaks rise to more... Bellenden Ker Range granitic massif, in the Eastern Highlands, northeastern Queensland, Australia, extending for 40 mi (65 km) along the coast northeast from Nerada to Gordonvale, just south of Cairns.

Bounded by the Mulgrave River (east), the Innisfail Downs (south), and... Belukha, Mount one of the Katun Mountains, a series of snowcapped peaks in Russia. The highest mountain in the Russian portion of the Altai Mountains, Belukha reaches a height of 14,783 feet (4,506 m) in one of its twin peaks. Glaciers cover some 27 square miles (70... Ben Cruachan mountain in the Highlands, Argyll and Bute council area, Scot., culminating in several peaks, the highest of which is 3,689 feet (1,124 metres). It is situated between Loch (“Lake”) Etive on the north and Loch Awe on the south. The Cruachan hydroelectric... Ben Nevis highest mountain of the British Isles, in the Highland council area, Scotland. Its summit, reaching an elevation of 4,406 feet (1,343 metres), is a plateau of about 100 acres (40 hectares), with a slight slope to the south and a sheer face to the northeast....

Ben Rinnes mountain in the Moray council area, Scotland, situated 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Keith and about 5 miles (8 km) east of the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Spey. It reaches an elevation of 2,759 feet (841 metres). One of the notable sights associated... Ben Wyvis mountain in the northern Highlands, Highland council area, Scotland, whose summit stands some 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Dingwall on the Cromarty Firth, which is an inlet of the Moray Firth. The mountain has an elevation of 3,429 feet (1,045 metres).... Berkshire Hills segment of the Appalachian Mountains, U.S., mainly in Berkshire county, western Massachusetts. Many summits rise to more than 2,000 feet (600 metres), including Mount Greylock (3,491 feet [1,064 metres]), the highest point in Massachusetts. The scenic...

Bernese Alps segment of the Central Alps lying north of the Upper Rhône River and south of the Brienzer and Thunersee (lakes) in Bern and Valais cantons of southwestern Switzerland. The mountains extend east-northeastward from the bend of the Rhône near Martigny-Ville... Bernina Alps part of the Rhaetian Alps in eastern Switzerland along the Italian border, lying southeast of the Engadin (valley of the Upper Inn River). The scenic range rises to Bernina Peak (13,284 feet [4,049 m]), which was first ascended in 1850 by the Swiss climber... Beskid Mountains discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia, and southern Poland. The Czech sections at the western end of the Carpathian Mountains lie south and east of the Moravian Gate and are identified... Bia, Mount highest peak (9,245 feet [2,818 metres]) in Laos, located among the western spurs of the Annamese Cordillera (Chaîne Annamitique) immediately south of the Xiangkhoang Plateau.

The massif, which trends northwest-southeast, is isolated from its 8,050–8,500-foot... Big Belt Mountains segment of the northern Rocky Mountains, paralleling the eastern bank of the Missouri River for about 80 miles (129 km) in west-central Montana, U.S. The range lies some 20 miles (30 km) east of the city of Helena and the Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The... Big Rock Candy Mountain complex of carbonate hills, about 5,500 feet (1,675 metres) tall, on the edge of one segment of Fishlake National Forest, near Marysvale, south-central Utah, U.S. The striped dun- and rose-coloured hills were fancifully named by workers on the Denver... Bighorn Mountains range of the northern Rocky Mountains in southern Montana, U.S., extending southeastward in an anticlinal arch across north-central Wyoming for 120 miles (193 km). Varying in width between 30 and 50 miles (50 and 80 km), the mountains rise abruptly 4,000...

Bihor Massif mountain massif, the highest part of the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Western Carpathians, western Romania. It is roughly 16 miles (25 km) long from northwest to southeast and 9 miles (14 km) wide. The summit is almost smooth, broken by a few peaks... Bismarck Range northeastern segment of the central highlands of Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Visited in 1886 by the German explorer G.E. von Schleinitz, the range was named for Otto von Bismarck. The mountains reach 14,793 feet (4,509 metres)... Bitterroot Range segment of the northern Rocky Mountains, U.S., extending southward for 300 mi (480 km) along the Idaho–Montana border. Peaks average about 9,000 ft (2,700 m), with Scott Peak, in Idaho, the highest (11,394 ft). Owing to the inaccessibility of the mountains... Black Hills isolated eroded mountain region in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, U.S., lying largely within Black Hills National Forest.

The hills lie between the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche rivers and rise about 3,000 feet (900 metres) above the surrounding... Black Mountain Range southern spur of the Assam Himalayas in Bhutan. It lies between the Sankosh River (west) and the Mangde (Tongsa) River (east), and tributaries of the two rivers run through deep ravines down its steep slopes. The road between Punakha and Tongsa Dzong... Black Mountains mountain range in Yancey and Buncombe counties in western North Carolina, U.S., part of the Appalachian Mountains extending north from the Blue Ridge. The range includes Mount Mitchell (6,684 feet [2,037 metres]), the highest point east of the Mississippi... Black Range mountain range extending 100 miles (160 km) north to south, through Catron and Sierra counties, southwestern New Mexico, U.S. The range follows the Continental Divide for much of its length. Most of the range lies within the Gila National Forest, near... Blanc, Mont mountain massif and highest peak (15,771 feet [4,807 metres]) in Europe.

Located in the Alps, the massif lies along the French-Italian border and reaches into Switzerland. It extends southwestward from Martigny, Switzerland, for about 25 miles (40 km)... Blanca, Cordillera eastern section of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes, in west central Peru, South America. The snowcapped range extends about 110 mi (180 km) and has a southeast to northwest trend. The highest peak (22,334 ft [6,768 m]) is Nevado (mount) Huascarán.... Blue Mountains range curving northeastward for 190 mi (310 km) from central Oregon to southeastern Washington, U.S. The range reaches a width of 68 mi and an average elevation of about 6,500 ft (2,000 m); it comprises an uplifted, warped, and dissected lava plateau,... Blue Mountains range in eastern Jamaica that extends for about 30 miles (50 km) from Stony Hill, 8 miles north of Kingston, eastward to the Caribbean Sea.

The highest point in the range is Blue Mountain Peak (7,402 feet [2,256 metres]). The Blue Mountains are thickly... Blue Ridge segment of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. The mountains extend southwestward for 615 miles (990 km) from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, through parts of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, to Mount Oglethorpe, Georgia. The... Boggeragh Mountains mountain range in west County Cork, Ireland, comprising the western end of the Boggeragh-Nagles anticline (upwarp of rock strata), a long line of hills running from County Kerry eastward to the Drum Hills of County Waterford. The Boggeragh Mountains... Bogong, Mount highest peak (6,516 feet [1,986 m]) of Victoria, Australia. It is in the Australian Alps, 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Melbourne. Well known for winter sports, the peak derived its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “high plains.” Bogong township...

Mountains in Colombia - Colombian Andes Barranquilla Carnival Share Some of the mountains in Colombia are part of the larger Andes chain. None of the Andean peaks are the highest in the country, however. That distinction goes to either Pico Cristobal Colon or Pico Simon Bolivar. These two mountains are part of the separate Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, and they both top out at around 18,700 feet above sea level. It has yet to be determined which of the two peaks is higher. The Colombian Andes split into three major mountain chains down near the Ecuador border. These chains run south to north and are known as the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Central, and the Cordillera Oriental. The Cordillera Occidental runs along the western portion of the country. To one side is the Pacific Ocean, and to the other is the Cauca River basin. The Cordillera Occidental is considered to be a moderately high range. Its peaks top out at around 15,000 feet, and it is worth noting that it is the source of the San Juan River.

The Cordillera Central rises up on the eastern side of the Cauca River basin, or the Cauca River valley, as it is also known. This Colombian Andes chain is home to snow-covered volcanoes that rise to elevations of more than 17,000 feet. An example of one of these volcanoes is the Nevado del Ruiz. It can be found approximately 80 miles west of Bogota and reaches an elevation of 17,457 feet. Colombia Map Moving east from the Cordillera Central, you must cross the Magdalena River valley if you wish to get to the Cordillera Oriental. This eastern branch of the Colombian Andes extends in a northeast direction all the way to the Venezuela border. Bogota is set among the mountains of the Cordillera Oriental, it is worth nothing, and the tallest peak in the chain reaches an elevation of 17,749 feet. This peak is known as Ritacuba Blanco, and it is found within the borders of El Cocuy National Park. Hiking, mountain climbing, and rock climbing are among the activities of choice in this park.

The other main mountains in Colombia are found to the north in the Caribbean region and form the snowcapped Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta chain. This range near the Caribbean coast is actually the highest coastal range on the planet, and because of its lofty nature, it offers several different eco-regions. Some of these eco-regions can be explored at Tayrona National Park , and many Colombia visitors take advantage of that fact. Access to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta chain is easiest from Santa Marta . In fact, this coastal city is a major jump off point for visits to Tayrona National Park. Tours that include some time in the mountains of Colombia can be arranged by those who are interested. Some of these tours take their guests from Bogota to Los Nevados National Park for some high mountain trekking, and there are often opportunities to visit working coffee plantations on the side. Hotels A Science Odyssey: You Try It: Plate Tectonics: Floor Spread The Sea Floor Spread The Earth's longest mountain chain isn't the Andes in South America, or the Himalayas in Asia, or even North America's Rockies. It's an underwater chain of mountains 47,000 miles long.

The chain runs down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (surfacing at Iceland), around Africa, through the Indian Ocean, between Australia and Antarctica, and north through the Pacific Ocean. Running along the top of this chain of mountains is a deep crack, called a rift valley. It is here that new ocean floor is continuously created. As the two sides of the mountain move away from each other, magma wells up from the Earth's interior. It then solidifies into rock as it is cooled by the sea, creating new ocean floor. The speed at which new ocean floor is created varies from one location on the ocean ridge to another. Between North America and Europe, the rate is about 2.2 inches (3.6 cm) per year. At the East Pacific rise, which is pushing a plate into the west coast of South America, the rate is 12.6 inches (32.2 cm) per year.

Question: Which mountain chain runs down the centre of South America?
Answer: Andes