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Show or another, spelt magic or terrorf with the columns of lava or smoke given forth by their incandescent incan-descent cones. Poas, in Costa Rica, has the unusual honor of being visible from both the Caribbean Car-ibbean and the Pacific. Emerging into South America proper, the cordillera "fingers out into three distinct ranges in Colombia," Co-lombia," Bogota the capital, being be-ing placed on one of these, 9,000 feet above the sea. As far as altitude alti-tude is concerned, the capitals of some of the countries of Western South America can make Believe-it-or-not-Ripley happy. Quito, in Ecuador, rises 11,800 feet high not far from Mount Chimborazo's 20,700 feet' while La Paz, in Bolivia, Bo-livia, the highest capital on earth, lies 12,700 feet above sea level. Other "highest in the world" are de Pasco in Peru, Cotopaxi (19,-the (19,-the railroad from Lima to Cerro 613 feet) highest active volcano, and Aconcagua "the mightiest peak in all the New World" whose 23,613 feet are surpassed only by the summits of the Himalayas in Asia. Of the ten countries of South America, all except three Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are "touched" in one way or another by the Andes, Argentina and Venezuela Ven-ezuela being of these the least in contact -ith "the giant who is at once a generous friend and an implacable im-placable foe. As a friend, the cordillera has, through its inexhaustible inex-haustible mining treasures been a source of wealth for centuries. The word "Andes" is said to have come from the Indian word anta, meaning copper or metal in gen- eral. "Fabulously rich mines of gold, silver and copper were worked by the Incas and the Aztecs Az-tecs as well as by their Spanish conquerors." It was the lure for these riches that lead the Spaniards' Span-iards' colonization on. Even today, to-day, deposits of lead, iron, platinum, plati-num, quicksilver and tin have been powerful incentives for the difficult feats of engineering that have made the mountains accessible. acces-sible. Their presence has also altered al-tered considerably, and most always al-ways favorably, the climatic conditions con-ditions of the countries it crosses. As a foe, the cordiellra has proved to be for centuries, an almost un-crossable un-crossable barrier hindering civilization civili-zation ard even friendship between nations, but the advent of aviation avia-tion has, in a couple of decades, brought that barrier definitely down. Much more friends than foe, the cordillera is, undoubtedly, one of the outstanding geographical features of the Western Hemis- phere, one which has played and will play an important part in its climatic, historical and economic background. KNOW YOUR 4 CJa r NEIGHBOR RA.U. It has been said that, in spite of many striking contrasts, North, South and Central America have some features in common. Outstanding Out-standing among these is the mountainous system of South America, a continuation in some sort of the cordillera that extends along the Pacific coast of North America. From the border of the United States down to the southernmost south-ernmost tip of Chile, the mighty peaks of one of the most important import-ant ranges in the world, guard the western seaboard of the continent. Closely bound to the history of Latin America, this mountainous system has influenced its past and will undoubtedly be responsible responsi-ble in some fashion for its future. "The epic history of the Spanish conquest is recorded in valleys, peaks, canyons and highlands. Defying De-fying the heights, towns and cities began to rise, marking each a new successful strike in the relentless quest for the coveted mineral riches of the ranges. The colorful pageant of the colony moved for centuries through the passes and defiles of the Cordilleras, and when 'the torch of liberty was lighted in the new world, the colonist! battled bat-tled for their independence among the giants of the sierras, fighting some of the decisive encounters in the very heart of the great ranges." ran-ges." According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: "The continent of South America is divided from West to East into three longitudinal longitudi-nal zones the Cordilleras of the Andes, the lowland belt and the plateaux of Guiana and Brazil, the last being interrupted by the narrowing of the continent and the opening of the lowland belt to the Atlantic coast." The Andes are but a part of the series of mountains that nearly encircles the Pacific, but they form in themselves the longest mountain system on earth, extending from the Isthmus of Panama to Tierra del Fuego, a distance of 4500 miles. Before reaching the Andes however, as soon as we pass the Rio Grande, we find that, in Mexico, Mex-ico, the capital city lies on a plateau plat-eau 7,400 feet above sea level surrounded by the two arms of the Cordilleras. Like a mighty, winding wind-ing serpent, the range passes through Central America "literally "liter-ally bristling with hundreds of volcanoes towering over lakes and valleys of arresting beauty." At-itlan, At-itlan, Izalco, Omotepec are among the names that have, at one time |