plateau

The term plateau, also referred to as plateau, refers to a plateau that is at a very high height and that is characterized by having an important extension. Typically, the plateau is located between two not-so-old mountain ranges, taking into account geological eras.

The highlands have their origin from the non-simultaneous appearance of two mountain ranges that are parallel. Between both chains, once they rise, plateaus are generated through the accumulation of sediments or from volcanic-type materials. These plateaus are the highlands.

The Andean highlands, for example, it develops between the Peruvian south, the Chilean north, the Bolivian west and the Argentine northwest. With an average altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level, this plateau has a significant historical point of view because it was the place of settlement of important cultures pre-Columbian.

In the Andean highlands there are several regions protected by natural relevance. The Lake Titicaca National Reserve and the Sajama National Park on Bolivia and the national parks of Llullaillaco Y Lauca on chili are between those spaces. If we focus on the Bolivian altiplano, we can say that there are about sixty municipalities of the departments of Potosi, Oruro Y Peace.

The Las Vicuñas National Reserve, the Isluga Volcano National Park or the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve are other of the most significant enclaves of this Andean Altiplano. An enclave in which, among other curiosities, we can emphasize that the birth of the Tiahuanaco culture, the domestic cultivation of potatoes and even the domestication of animals such as the llama were allowed.

It is precisely this animal that predominates in this enclave, where the most significant fauna is also made up of the field mouse, the suri, the fox, the Andean flamingo, the quirquincho or the condor.

The largest city in the Andean Altiplano is none other than El Alto, which is located in Bolivian territory and has approximately 1,180,000 inhabitants. It belongs to the department of La Paz and is located about 4,150 meters above sea level.

The Armenian highlands, for its part, spans several regions from Turkey, Iran Y Azerbaijan, in addition to the entire surface of Armenia. Its surface is around 400,000 square kilometers.

In Spain there is the so-called Altiplano de Granada, which houses what are the regions of Baza and Huéscar. It has important plateaus with more than 1,000 meters above sea level as well as a remarkable practically desert plain. In this territory they take special relevance from towns such as Benamaurel to landscape spaces of great value such as the Sierra de Castril Natural Park and the Sierra de Baza Natural Park.

It is considered that one of the first men to inhabit Europe lived millions of years ago in this plateau and it also has the peculiarity of maintaining caves that were the residence of Andalusian individuals. Caves that today have been converted into tourist accommodation.