Figure 1.-- The Andes rise out of the Pacific Ocean to towering snow-covered peaks even at the equator. These are the only moutanous region that gave rise to a grreat civillization. And one that developed a plant that could produce high caloric yields in a wide range of climatic conditions and which profoundly impacted both Europe and Asia. The Andes located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and were prone to devestatinb earthquakes. Here the press caption describing this scene in Latacunga, Ecuador read read, "Alive and Praying: This group of people, mainly youngsters, are shown praying in a steet in earthquake-ridden Latacunga. The statue in the bacground is still standing though ,ost of the buildings around it were destroyedin thw quake that struck last Friday. It is believed that at least 4,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 were home;ess. in the fifty cities and villages empacted in the quake area." The photograph was dated August 9, 1949.

The most detinctive region in Latin Amerivca is the Andes region which dominates the western or Pacific coast. The Andes is one of the great mountain rages of the earth with the second highest peaks. They are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and the result of plate convergence. Earthquakes occur regularly along with devestaing coastal flooding. The Andes played a role in the development of Darwin's theory of Evolution when he found thhe shells of sea creatures high in the Andes. The Andes chain streach from central Venezuela along the Caribbean to the Pacific coast of the Continent (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile) south to Tierra del Fuego. The Andes is one of the great mountain ranges of the earth with towering snow covered peaks even at the equator. It gave rise to the Inca Empire a great civilization that rose not in river vallys, but amist great mountains. The Inca would conquer much, but not all of the Andes. The Inca achieved impressive crop yields in the Andes. Within their zone of control was the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. The Andes became core of Spanish or Hispanic influence. The Andes was heavily populated when the Spanish arrived. European diseases caused a population collapse. As a result, the Andean population today is alargely mestizo people. The Bolivian Altiplano is part of the Andes and unlike the rest of the Andes extends into the interior further than any other part of the Andes. The region also includes a narrow Pacific coastal strip which in areas is very arid. While small this strip, especially in northern Peru for a largely unknown reason played a major role in the development of Native American civilization. Not only did the Conquistadores find Inca gold in the Andes, but later Spanish colonists would find a mountain virtually made of silver in Bolivia whivh would have a major impact on the world economy. It would fund the entire Spanish Empire and make Spain for a time an European superpower. Copper would play a major role in Chile and Peru. The Andes is particulatly pertiment to Americans. The Americam Left cinstantly blames the problems of Central America on yhe Inited States, ignoring over three centuries of Spanish colonjioal rule. The problem with this narrative is that the problems of Central America are essentially the same as the problems of the Andean countries where the United States has had very little impact.

Created: 8:46 AM 8/26/2014
Last updated: 8:46 AM 8/26/2014