What are andes?

Andes are mountains, just like the ones you might see on a big map or in a picture book, but they’re very big and have some cool features.

Imagine climbing up a really tall staircase made of rocks. That's kind of what it’s like to walk through the Andes. These mountains run all the way from Chile to Argentina, which are two countries far away in South America. They're not just one mountain, but many, like a long line of big hills stacked on top of each other.

The Andes were created by earthquakes and movements deep inside the Earth, kind of like when you push your hands together really hard and make a small hill appear. This process is called plate tectonics, it's how the Earth moves and changes over time, just like when you shift your toys around on the floor.

The Andes are home to lots of animals and people. You can find llamas, which are like really big sheep, and sometimes even alpacas or condors flying high above the mountains. People also live in the Andes, they grow crops on the sides of the hills, just like you might plant seeds in your garden.

The Andes are a special place where nature did something amazing, and it's still changing today!