long and in most places are no wider than
200 miles (320 kilometers).
Many Andean peaks are higher than any
mountains in North America. At 22,831
feet (6,959 meters), Argentinas Mount
Aconcagua is the highest mountain anywhere
in the world outside Asia.
Plants and Animals
Plant and animal life in the Andes varies
based on height and climate. The highest
peaks and some very dry places have
very few plants. But rainy parts of the
eastern Andes have lush tropical forests.
Animals of the Andes include pumas,
chinchillas, and several relatives of the
camel, including llamas, guanacos, and
alpacas. The Andean condor is a vulture
that is one of the worlds largest flying
birds.
People
Humans first settled in the Andes more
than 10,000 years ago. Indian peoples
such as the Inca established cities in high
valleys and built roads through mountain
passes. Most people in the Andean
region even today have at least some
Indian ancestors.
Most of the people of the mountains are
involved in farming. Most crops are
grown for use within the region, but
some are exported. Increasing numbers
of people have also become involved in
mining. The Andean region is one of the
worlds richest sources of minerals. Copper,
iron ore, tin, lead, zinc, silver, gold,
platinum, and emeralds are all produced
in the Andes, especially in the south.
#More to explore
Inca Mountain South America
Mount Fitzroy, or El Chalten, is part of the southern Andes Mountains. It rises above a
plain in the Patagonia region of Argentina.
118 Andes BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Andorra
The European country of Andorra is
one of the smallest in the world. The
capital is Andorra la Vella.
Geography
Andorra lies in the southern Pyrenees
Mountains between Spain and France.
The Valira River runs through its valleys.
Andorra has a number of natural
sources of hot water called thermal
springs.
The climate of Andorra is generally dry.
It has cold, snowy winters and warm
summers.
Plants and Animals
Pines and firs grow in Andorras mountains,
where chamois (goatlike animals)
and birds of prey also live. Andorra has
reintroduced several threatened animals,
including species of trout and deer, to
their former habitats.Wild boars and
weasels are other native animals.
People
Most Andorrans are of Spanish origin
and Roman Catholic. Catalan, a language
of eastern Spain, is the official
language. Andorrans also speak Spanish
and French. Only about one third of the
people are Andorran citizens. The rest
are mostly citizens of Spain, France, or
Portugal.
Economy
Tourism, banking, trade, and construction
are the most important parts of
Andorras economy. Some tourists visit
the medieval churches, castles, and
bridges. Others come for skiing and
other winter sports.
Manufacturers in Andorra make electrical
equipment, cars and car parts, newspapers,
and clothes. A few farmers raise
tobacco, hay, potatoes, and sheep.
History
The emperor Charlemagne captured
Andorra from the Muslims in AD 803. It
later passed to the Spanish bishops of
the town of Urgel. In the late 1200s
Andorra became a coprincipality, a land
governed by two princes: the bishop of
Urgel and the leader of France. In 1993
Andorrans voted for a new constitution
that gave more power to their legislature,
the General Council.
..More to explore
Andorra la Vella Charlemagne France
Pyrenees Spain
Facts About
ANDORRA
Population
(2008 estimate)
84,100
Area
179 sq mi (464
sq km)
Capital
Andorra la Vella
Form of
government
Parliamentary
coprincipality
Major urban
areas
Andorra la Vella,
Les Escaldes-
Engordany,
Encamp
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Andorra 119
Andorra la Vella
Population
(2008 estimate)
24,574
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the tiny
western European country of Andorra.
The town lies in a valley of the Pyrenees
Mountains.
Andorra la Vella is popular with tourists
because of its scenic beauty and winter
sports areas. It is also a retail shopping
center for goods from Asia and other
parts of Europe.
Andorra la Vella was long isolated from
the outside world. Roads built in the
1930s helped make it more modern. In
the second half of the 1900s the towns
population grew along with its industries.
AngkorWat
A temple dating back to the 1100s,
AngkorWat is located in Cambodia. It
is the worlds largest religious structure.
Physical Features
AngkorWat is about 5,100 feet (1,554
meters) long and 4,498 feet (1,371
meters) wide. It is surrounded by a wall
and a moat. Of its original nine towers,
five still stand.
The temple was originally dedicated to
the Hindu god Vishnu. Carvings illustrate
Hindu legends and glorify the king
who ordered the temple built. Sculptures
portray him as Vishnu or show
him performing kingly functions. Many
Hindu images were later replaced by
Buddhist art.
History
From the 800s to the 1400s the city of
Angkor was the capital of a powerful
Cambodian kingdom called the Khmer
Empire. AngkorWat is the most famous
of the citys temples. The Khmer started
building the temple during the reign of
King Suryavarman II, which lasted from
about 1113 to 1150. It was not finished
until after his death. In 1177 Angkor
was looted by invaders. The next king
decided that the Hindu gods had failed.
He made AngkorWat a Buddhist
shrine.
The city of Angkor was abandoned in
the 1400s. However, AngkorWat itself
was maintained by Buddhist monks as a
Andorra la Vella sits in a mountain valley.
One of the main tourist sites in the city is the
Casa de la Vall. It is where Andorras legislature
meets.
120 Andorra la Vella BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
pilgrimage site. Even so, parts of it were
damaged by plant roots or worn away by
water.
#More to explore
Buddhism Cambodia Hinduism
Monk Pilgrimage
Anglo-Saxon
Hundreds of years ago people known as
the Anglo-Saxons lived in and ruled
England. They were descendants of
three different peoples. The Angles and
Saxons came from different parts of
what is now Germany, and the Jutes
came from Jutland, a part of Denmark.
In the 400s the Celtic Britons who were
living in England asked the Angles, Saxons,
and Jutes to protect them from
fierce tribes in the north. In return for
their services the Angles, Saxons, and
Jutes were given land. Gradually they
became more powerful and pushed the
Britons aside. They became the rulers of
the land.
Eventually the name Anglo-Saxon came
to be used for all people living in
England, as the Angles, Saxons, and
Jutes mixed with other invaders and the
original Britons. The Anglo-Saxons
spoke an early form of English that is
now called Old English. They lived in
houses made of wood, thatch (straw),
and twigs woven together and covered
with mud or clay. When the mud or clay
hardened it made a solid roof or wall.
Anglo-Saxons fed themselves by farming.
They harvested grains, fruits, and
vegetables and raised livestock.
Anglo-Saxon rule ended in 1066. In that