Aconcagua

Aconcagua, at 22,834 feet, the highest mountain of the Western Hemisphere. It is located in the Andes of western Argentina at 33 degrees south latitude. The Aconcagua River springs at its foot and flows in an 84-mile course into the Pacific Ocean. Considered the beginning of historical Central Chile, the well-irrigated valley was settled by Indians and Spaniards. Wine, fruits, tobacco, flax, and vegetables are grown for domestic consumption and export. Major centers in the valley are San Felipe, Los Andes, and Quillota. Not far from the river's mouth, in Chile, are the sister cities of Valparaíso and Viña Del Mar, both of which are connected with Mendoza (Argentina) by an electric railway and a paved road.

See alsoArgentina, Geography .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

César N. Caviedes, Geomorfología del Cuaternario del valle del Aconcagua, Chile Central (1972).

Additional Bibliography

Aldunate del Solar, Carlos, and Luis Cornejo B. In the Footsteps of the Inka in Chile. Santiago: Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, 2001.

                                    CÉsar N. Caviedes

Aconcagua Mountain in the Andes range on the border between Argentina and Chile.

An extinct volcano, it is the highest peak outside Asia, at 6960m (22,834ft). The w slopes are in Chile, but the summit lies in Argentina. The River Aconcagua rises at its nw foot and enters the Pacific n of Valparaiso.