Map of the Andes
The whole Andes on real terrain, from our satellite elevation model — the full arc masked to the range’s mapped boundary, with 8 of its great peaks pinned (each labelled with its surveyed height). Aconcagua tops them all at 22,838 ft (6,961 m). Drag to spin it (two-finger to orbit on mobile).
Where are the Andes?
The Andes lie across 7 countries. By area the range is dominated by Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia — together about 78% of it — with the remainder in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Each share below is this page’s own measurement: the range boundary intersected with each country’s outline, by true (geodesic) area.
| Country | Share of range | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | 30.9% | 231,518 mi² (599,629 km²) |
| Chile | 18.1% | 135,708 mi² (351,483 km²) |
| Argentina | 14.8% | 110,746 mi² (286,831 km²) |
| Bolivia | 14.3% | 107,335 mi² (277,996 km²) |
| Colombia | 14.1% | 105,879 mi² (274,225 km²) |
| Ecuador | 5.5% | 41,262 mi² (106,868 km²) |
| Venezuela | 2.2% | 16,573 mi² (42,923 km²) |
Range boundary: GMBA Mountain Inventory v2.0 (standard extent). Country outlines: geoBoundaries ADM0. Computed range area 1,969,538 km² — within about 1% of GMBA’s published 1,979,006 km².
The highest peak: Aconcagua
The highest point of the Andes is Aconcagua, at 22,838 ft (6,961 m) — the highest peak in the Andes and the highest point outside Asia.
Zooming to the roof of the range — a fine ~61 m model of the Aconcagua massif.
Great peaks of the Andes
The highest summit plus national high points down the range — a selection, not the tallest by count. Each is pinned on the map above; the heights here are the surveyed figures.
| Peak | Elevation | Country | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aconcaguahighest | 22,838 ft (6,961 m) | Argentina | Highest in the Andes and the Americas |
| Ojos del Salado | 22,615 ft (6,893 m) | Argentina / Chile | Highest volcano on Earth; highest in Chile |
| Huascarán | 22,205 ft (6,768 m) | Peru | Highest in Peru |
| Nevado Sajama | 21,463 ft (6,542 m) | Bolivia | Highest in Bolivia |
| Illimani | 21,122 ft (6,438 m) | Bolivia | Iconic peak above La Paz |
| Chimborazo | 20,548 ft (6,263 m) | Ecuador | Highest in Ecuador; farthest point from Earth’s center |
| Cotopaxi | 19,347 ft (5,897 m) | Ecuador | Iconic active volcano |
| Pico Bolívar | 16,332 ft (4,978 m) | Venezuela | Highest in Venezuela |
Relief and elevation range
Across the mapped range the land runs from about 0 ft (0 m) on the valley floors to 21,316 ft (6,497 m) at the highest ground — a vertical range of 21,316 ft (6,497 m), which puts the Andes in the extreme-relief class. The mean elevation is 7,575 ft (2,309 m) and the median 6,844 ft (2,086 m); the two sitting close together says the height is spread broadly across the range, not concentrated in a few peaks over otherwise low ground.
The distribution above is the share of the range’s area at each elevation, computed from the same satellite model as the maps. It reads the Andes as a true massif — a large area held high — rather than a thin crest.
Andes FAQ
- How many countries do the Andes cross?
- The range has a substantial footprint in 7 countries — Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia hold the largest shares, with Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela making up most of the rest.
- How long are the Andes?
- The Andes arc roughly 7,000 km down the western edge of South America, from Venezuela to the southern tip of the continent. The map above shows that whole arc masked to the range’s mapped boundary.
- How were the Andes formed?
- The Andes were raised by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate — an ongoing process that folds and uplifts the continent’s western edge and feeds its chain of volcanoes.
- Is Aconcagua the highest peak in the Andes?
- Yes. Aconcagua, at 22,838 ft (6,961 m), is the highest point anywhere in the Andes. The next-highest of the peaks pinned here, Ojos del Salado, is about 223 ft (68 m) lower.
Related ranges
More of the world’s mountains, rendered the same way — explore other ranges in 3D.
- Rockies↑ Mount Elbert, 14,439 ft (4,401 m)
- Sierra Nevada↑ Mount Whitney, 14,505 ft (4,421 m)
- Cascades↑ Mount Rainier, 14,409 ft (4,392 m)
- Appalachians↑ Mount Mitchell, 6,683 ft (2,037 m)
- Himalayas↑ Mount Everest, 29,032 ft (8,848.86 m)
- Alps↑ Mont Blanc, 15,766 ft (4,805.59 m)
Elevation from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA), sampled over the range and masked to its boundary. The range boundary is the GMBA Mountain Inventory v2.0 (standard extent; Snethlage et al. 2022, CC BY 4.0). Country outlines from geoBoundaries. Every figure on this page is computed from these sources; the surveyed Aconcagua height is the one exception, cited above. See the methodology. Data as of 2026-08-21.