The Andes: A Geographical Portrait

Abstract

Our book is not a mere geography of the Andean countries. It focuses on the mountain area of the Andes, but also takes in the multiple interdependencies between the cordilleras and the adjacent lowlands. The first chapter conveys an overview; therefore it contains only a few references and maps. The following, more detailed, chapters are complemented with a number of text boxes on specific themes or regions. These are either based on our own studies or on other sources. These are referenced in the extensive multidisciplinary and international bibliography, which exceeds a mere list of references and should be a rich source for further studies. In a conventional way, we have decided to portray first the natural environment, followed by the cultural realm. As both these spaces are closely connected, a number of feedbacks to natural factors and processes had to be included in the treatment of the human parameters.