Andes case study

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  • Created by: Mimipotte
  • Created on: 04-05-15 14:22
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  • Fold Mountains case study
    • The Andes and its people
      • It is a long range of young fold mountains formed aprox 65 million years ago
      • 7,000km long - the longest in the world
      • Around 300km wide and have an average height of 4,000m
    • Farming
      • In Bolivia subsistence farmers grow crops like potatoes
        • Using terraces offers flat land and this also allows more water to be retained in areas which recieves little rain
          • Terraces also limit the downwards movement of soil in areas where soil is very thin
        • Most crops are grown in the lower valleys and a patchwork of fields can be seen indicating the range of crops grown e.g. soybeans, rice and cotton
      • Llamas have been used in the Andes for hundreds of years
        • They are used to carry materials for irrigation and buildings into inhospitable and inaccessible areas
        • The ancient settlement of Machu Picchu relied on llamas to transport materials and goods
    • Mining
      • The andes have a range of important minerals - Tin, nickel, silver and Gold
        • Over half of Peru's exports are from mining
          • The Yanacocha Gold mine is the largest in the world
            • It is joint owned between 2 peruvian and american mining companys
            • It is an open pit and the gold bearing rock is loosened by daily dynamic blasts. The rock is then sprayed with cyanide and the gold is extracted
            • The nearby town of Cajamarca has grown from 30,000 inhabitants to 240,000 in 2005 - because of job opportunities.
              • However this growth also brings many problems including lack of services and an increased crime rate
    • HEP
      • Steep slopes and narrow valleys provide an advantage for HEP, They can be more easily dammed than wide valleys and the relief encourages the rapid fall of water needed to ensure the generation of electricity
      • The yuncan project dams the Paucartambo and Huachon rivers in the north east Peru while the el patinal project is due to begin construction in 2011. This will be the second largest in peru and will dam the canete River
    • Tourism
      • There are many natural attractions like the glacier, volcanoes, lakes and mountains.
      • Some tourist attractions show how people settled in these inhospitable areas such as the remains of early sttlement such as Machu Pichu which can be seen on the Inca trail

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