Ralph the Llama Tours the Andes Quiz

Answer: West

As the rather elongated image of South America shows, the lofty and snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountains run near the western coast of South America. The mountains were basically formed as the Nazca and Antarctic tectonic plates were subducted under the South American plate.

They are the longest mountain range found on a continent (about 7,000 km, or 4,300 mi), and the highest non-Asian mountain range in the world. As well as the actual mountain peaks, there are extensive areas of high plateaux, where Ralph expects to come across some of his relatives.

Answer: Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego

South of the Straits of Magellan are a number of islands, including all of those listed in the question. The archipelago is called Tierra del Fuego, and the largest island is Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. On it, specifically in the western part of the island belonging to Chile, is found the very southernmost part of the Andes range. Mount Darwin, named after Charles Darwin by the captain of the Beagle on the occasion of Darwin's 25th birthday, is sometimes identified as the highest point on the island, but another peak (Mount Shipton) is considered by some to be slightly higher. Mount Darwin is part of the Cordillera Darwin, located just north of the Beagle Channel, which is linked to the Pacific Ocean by Darwin Sound. Ralph is sensing a pattern to some of these place names.

Answer: Volcanic

Nevado Ojos del Salado is often called the world's highest active volcano, although there is some debate as to how active it is. Some geologists feel that the most recent definite activity dates to around 1300 years ago, but there are signs of active vulcanism on its slopes, and some think an ash eruption was detected in 1993, which would definitely make it active. Because it is close to the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on the planet, Ojos del Salado is not permanently snowcapped despite its height.

A crater lake located on its eastern slope is (probably) the highest lake anywhere in the world, at a height of 6,390 m (20,960 ft).

Answer: Argentina

The border with Chile lies 15 km to the west of the summit of Aconcagua. The mountain's name comes from a Quechua word which means "stone sentinel" - it certainly does resemble a sentinel standing guard over the valleys that surround it! Aconcagua was first climbed in 1897 by Matias Zurbriggen.

It is considered by mountaineers to be the highest non-technical mountain in the world when tackled by way of the northern slope, meaning that it can be done without the use of equipment such as ropes and ice axes.

However, it is a dangerous ascent, since the thin air can produce altitude sickness, and it is extremely cold. Ralph is happy with his picture from the entrance to Aconcagua Regional Park.

Answer: Salt flat

Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, with an area of over 10,000 square kilometers (4,000 square miles). This makes it bigger than the US states of Delaware and Rhode Island, and the island of Cyprus! The salt crust, which is several metres thick, is composed mostly of halite and gypsum, while the salt water underneath it is estimated to contain around two thirds of the world's lithium, which is being commercially mined.

The flatness of the area (over the entire region, the height difference is less than a metre) makes it very useful for calibration of the altimeters in satellites. Ralph plans to visit again in November, when he will be able to see the beautiful flamingoes which congregate here to breed.

Answer: Uros

The Uros originally built these floating islands as a form of defense against their aggressive neighbours, especially the Incas. Made out of totora reeds which grow abundantly in the area, the islands are effectively large rafts, which can be moved away when danger looms. Because the reeds break and rot, they must be replaced at regular intervals, so tourists can see residents in the process of island building.

The Uros people helped Thor Heyerdahl with the construction of some of his exploratory reed rafts. Most Uros now line on the lake shore, but there are still a few hundred inhabiting the floating islands.

Answer: Incas

Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire, and the Urubamba Valley is also called the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The valley is at the foot of the mountain ridge on which Machu Picchu, often called the Lost City of the Incas, was located. The Urubamba River, which flows through the valley, is also known in Quecha as Willkamayu, a name meaning "sacred river". The valley was important to the Incas both as a source of minerals and as a place for growing maize.

The other three civilizations were located well north of Cusco.

Answer: Chimborazo

Although Mount Everest (to use its English name) is the highest peak above sea level, it is only fifth highest when measured from the centre of the Earth. This is because the Earth is not a perfect sphere- its rotation causes a bulge around the equator, so mountains there start further away from the centre.

The world's highest mountains using this measurement are Chimborazo (6,384.4 km from the Earth's centre), Huascaran (located in Peru, and only a few metres below Chimborazo), Cotopaxi in Ecuador, the Kibo peak of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and then Everest, 2,168 m closer to the centre of the Earth.

Answer: Colombia

The two peaks are very close in height, and the official measurements are constantly being revised; one of them is the highest point in Colombia, if they do not need to share the title. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria National Natural Park (established in 1964) is home to an amazing range of animals, including seven kinds of hummingbird, as well as another 37 of Colombia's 340 endemic species.

Answer: Cordillera de Merida

As can be judged from the photo in the question, the Andes become much lower and less rugged as they approach the Caribbean coast. Pico Bolivar can be reached by taking the world's highest cable car (when it is running) from Merida to Pico Espejo, from which it is possible to climb to the highest point in Venezuela, where you will find three small and shrinking glaciers. It is expected that Venezuela will become the first Andean country without glaciers, possibly as soon as 2020.

The other ranges listed can be found in Spain.