A cordillera is an extensive chain and/or network system of
mountain ranges, such as those in the west coast of the
Americas. The term is
borrowed from
Spanish, where the word comes from cordilla, a
diminutive of cuerda ('rope').
Such mountain systems have a complex structure, which is usually the result of
folding and
faulting accompanied by
volcanic activity. In South America, the ranges include numerous
volcanicpeaks. The Andes cordillera has
Ojos del Salado, the highest
active volcano in the world and second-highest point in the
Western Hemisphere (though not itself a volcano, Argentina's
Aconcagua, at 6,960 m or 22,830 ft, is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere).[2] Some of the volcanoes have been active in
historical times.
Aside from the volcanic peaks, the cordilleran
crests include many narrow ridges, some of which reach into the
zone of permanent snow. Between the ranges are numerous inhabited
valleys,
basins and low
plateaus, with a wide range of
elevations.