Cordillera
Encyclopedia
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountain
s or mountain range
s, that runs along a coastline (e.g. the Andes). It comes from the Spanish
word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord". This term may be encountered in various scientific fields, but it has historically been used particularly in the field of physical geography
.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s or mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s, that runs along a coastline (e.g. the Andes). It comes from the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord". This term may be encountered in various scientific fields, but it has historically been used particularly in the field of physical geography
Physical geography
Physical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
.
Notable cordilleras
- Arctic CordilleraArctic CordilleraThe Arctic Cordillera is a vast, deeply dissected chain of mountain ranges extending along the northeastern flank of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from Ellesmere Island to the northeasternmost part of the Labrador Peninsula in northern Labrador and northern Quebec, Canada...
, the mountain ranges along northeastern edge of the Arctic Archipelago and the northeasternmost part of the Ungava PeninsulaUngava PeninsulaThe Ungava Peninsula of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, Hudson Strait to the north, and Ungava Bay to the east. The Ungava Peninsula is part of the Labrador Peninsula and covers about 252,000 km²...
in Labrador and Quebec, Canada - American CordilleraAmerican cordilleraThe American Cordillera is a cordillera that consists of an essentially continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central America, South America and Antarctica. From north to south, this sequence of overlapping and parallel ranges begins with the...
, the mountain ranges forming the western backbone of North America and South America - Annamese Cordillera (Annamite RangeAnnamite RangeThe Annamite Range or the Annamese Mountains is a mountain range of eastern Indochina, which extends approximately through Laos, Vietnam, and a small area in northeast Cambodia. It is known in Vietnamese as Dãy Trường Sơn, in Lao as Xai Phou Luang , and in French as the Chaîne Annamitique...
), Laos and eastern Vietnam - Baetic CordilleraBaetic CordilleraThe Baetic System is the main system of mountain ranges in Spain. Located in southern and eastern Spain, it is also known as the Baetic Cordillera, Baetic Ranges or Baetic Mountains...
, Spain - Central Cordillera (New Guinea HighlandsNew Guinea HighlandsThe New Guinea Highlands, also known as the Central Range or Central Cordillera, are a chain of mountain ranges and intermountain river valleys, many of which support thriving agricultural communities, on the large island of New Guinea, which lies to the north of Australia...
) - Cordillera Cantábrica, AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and CantabriaCantabriaCantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
(including the Picos de EuropaPicos de EuropaThe Picos de Europa is a range of mountains 20 km inland from the northern coast of Spain, located in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León, forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains...
) - Cordillera CentralCordillera CentralThe Cordillera Central, meaning central range in Spanish, is used to refer to several mountain ranges around the world:* Cordillera Central, Andes , several mountain ranges in South America** Cordillera Central, Colombia...
, several mountain ranges - Cordillera Occidental, Andes, Colombia and Ecuador
- Cordillera Occidental, Peru
- Cordillera OrientalCordillera OrientalCordillera Oriental from the Spanish language meaning "Eastern range" may refer to:* Cordillera Oriental * Cordillera Oriental * Cordillera Oriental * Cordillera Oriental -See also:...
, several mountain ranges - Pacific CordilleraPacific CordilleraThe Pacific Cordillera is a top-level physiographic region of Canada. This cordillera is part of the Western Cordillera of North America. The mountain ranges in this region were covered during the Pleistocene by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet...
, an alternate name for the Western Cordillera in North America, usually used in Canada. This term is sometimes also mis-used for the Pacific Coast RangesPacific Coast RangesThe Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
. - Mexican Cordillera, consisting of the Juarez Segment, the Huayacocotla Segment, the Victoria Segment, and the Nuevoleones Cordillera
- Cordillera Administrative RegionCordillera Administrative RegionThe Cordillera Administrative Region is a region in the Philippines composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, as well as Baguio City, the regional center. The Cordillera Administrative Region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera...
(CAR), encompassing the Cordillera Central mountains of the Philippines - Cordillera de los AndesAndesThe Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, South America - Cordillera de la Costa (Chilean Coast RangeChilean Coast RangeThe Chilean Coastal Range is a mountain range that runs from north to south along the Pacific coast of South America parallel to the Andean Mountains, extending from Morro de Arica in the north to Taitao Peninsula, where it ends at the Chile Triple Junction, in the south. The range has a strong...
) - Cordillera de la Costa (Venezuelan Coastal RangeVenezuelan Coastal RangeThe Venezuelan Coastal Range is a mountain range that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coast...
) - Cordillera de MéridaCordillera de MéridaThe Cordillera de Mérida is a series of mountain ranges, or massif, in northwestern Venezuela. The Cordillera de Mérida is a northeastern extension of the Andes Mountains. The ranges run southwest–northeast between the Venezuelan–Colombian border and the Venezuelan coastal range...
, Venezuela - Gran Cordillera Region (Northern Philippines)
- East Australian Cordillera
- Southern Pacific Cordillera, Mindanao, Philippines
Other uses
- Cordillera (1964 film), a 1964 Filipino film.
- Cordillera DepartmentCordillera Department-History:During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries this area of the country was going through a serious crisis due to population bellicosity of the Indians from Chaco. The villagers from Tobatí located north of the river Pirapo then called, had to migrate south for the continue attacks by...
, a district of ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. - Cordillera Province (Bolivia)Cordillera Province (Bolivia)Cordillera is a province in the Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Lagunillas.- Geography :This area of the Santa Cruz Chaco occupies the southern part of the department, is the largest province of the country, geographically defined as the Gran Chaco and that extends to the departments...
, of the Santa Cruz department in Bolivia. - Cordillera, ColoradoCordillera, ColoradoCordillera is an unincorporated community in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The U.S. Post Office at Edwards serves Cordillera postal addresses.-Geography:Cordillera is located at .-External links:* *...
, an unincorporated community in the United States. - Cordillera, a fictional South American country in the novel High Citadel by Desmond BagleyDesmond BagleyDesmond Bagley , was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers...
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