The Andes: South America's Spine—But Not the Full Length

The Andes Mountains are the longest continental mountain range on Earth (~7,000 km / 4,300 mi), running north–south along the western edge of South America. However, they do not extend the full length of the continent.

Extent

• Northern terminus: Caribbean coast of Venezuela/Colombia (Serranía del Perijá, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta)—not the continental tip (Punta Gallinas).
• Southern terminus: Tierra del Fuego (Chile/Argentina)—but the main chain ends at the Strait of Magellan; the island chain continues as the Antarctandes (submerged/emergent).

Why Not Full Length?

• The continent tapers north into the Isthmus of Panama (Central America)—geologically distinct.
• South of the Strait of Magellan, the Andes continue as a submarine ridge into the Scotia Arc and Antarctic Peninsula—not the South American continental plate.

So while the Andes define South America's western backbone, they stop short of its absolute northern and southern geographic extremes.