The Southern Andes
High, roughly carved, reddish-brown, arid mountains run the length of the borders of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. Many, such as Mt. Licanacur and Mt. Llullaillaco are holy mountains, with Inca ruins at or near their summits where sacrificial offerings used to be made to the spirits believed to inhabit the mountains. Cerro Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the New World, is part of this range.
In the middle elevations of this range, in an area known as the Gran Chaco, or "great hunting area" are cactus forests. Unlike the cold, high Andes, in this region game such as guanaco (a wooly four-footed animal related to the llama), rhea (a large flightless bird), and smaller animals were found. The indigenous inhabitants of this region traditionally were hunters and gatherers. Known as the Chaco Indians, they lived in small nomadic bands and travelled after game on foot, until the Spaniards introduced horses into the region.
At the base of the range are many places where there is water from local rivers and the land is suitable for cultivation. Today there are also vineyards that produce good quality Chilean wine which is exported to the countries of Europe and the Americas.
In the north is the arid Atacama Plateau which has some villages that have never recorded even a single drop of rain. Here is the Valley of the Moon, where the desert landscape closely resembles the lunar surface. The geological strata are colorful, and here and there are rocks displaying weird shapes. It is hard to believe that this land was once on the ocean bottom. Inhabited formerly by the Atacameno Indians, as the arid climate precluded farming, they lived by herding llama and produced woolen textiles, baskets, and pottery for trade.
Nancy Lutkehaus
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