278 SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



II. 



Physical Features — Orographic Nomenclature. 



In ordinary language, the terms " Andes " and " Cordillera " are used indif- 

 ferently for the whole mountain system which forms the backbone of South 

 America ; all the ranges are even collectively comprised under the general 

 designation of "Cordillera of the Andes." But in the special geography of 

 Peru the word "Andes" is applied to a particular range quite distinct from 

 the other cordilleras. It is employed, in fact, in its original Quichua sense, to 

 designate the mountains of the Quichua country, that is to say, of Ecuador, 

 Peru and Bolivia, by which the border plateau of South America is bounded on 

 the east side. 



But whatever be the origin of the word itself, whether derived from the Antis 

 people of the eastern slopes, or a shortened form of Antasuya, "Metal" or 

 " Copper " Mountain, the Andes, properly so called, constitute the eastern escarp- 

 ment of the great plateau between the Pasto group in south Colombia and that of 

 Cochabamba in south Bolivia. To the western or coast range is more especially 

 applied the term " Cordillera " ; that is, the long " cord " sldrting the continent 

 from north to south, as viewed by the Spaniards arriving from the sea. All the 

 other ridges of the orographic system are also so many " cordilleras," to which 

 are given special names according to the regions which they dominate, or the 

 cities rising in the valleys or on their flanks. 



The Peruvian Andes begin with the single range of Loja in south Ecuador, 

 which soon after entering Peruvian territory breaks into numerous ridges 

 running parallel with the coast, and disposed somewhat uniformly, so as to form 

 between the Pacific and the Amazons a serits of natural regions, all trending 

 north-west and south-east. The Cuesta, or coast zone, which rises gradually 

 towards the foot of the Cordillera, also presents a number of distinct ridges, for 

 the most part disposed in the same direction as the main range, though not 

 usually regarded as belonging to the Sierra, that is, to the orographic system 

 taken as a whole. 



This word Sierra is not applied to any particular cordillera, although it may 

 embrace several. Thus it indicates the region between the altitudes of 5,000 and 

 11,500 feet, which corresponds to the temperate lands of Mexico and Colombia, 

 and in which the white race thrives best in a cultivated environment like that of 

 Europe. Above the Sierra, the cold, but still cultivable regions between 11,500 

 and 13,800 or even 14,800 feet, take the name of Fiom, a term synonymous 

 with the Colombian paramo. It forms a narrow zone of terraces and passes 

 exposed to gales and snowstorms, where the shepherd tending his flocks and 

 the traveller crossing the mountains have to struggle hard to preserve the vital 

 heat. 



Still higher up the rugged cliffs, the snow-clad slopes and isolated crags, which 

 till recently no Alpine climber ventured to scale^ are comprised under the general 



