Cordillera Occidental

mountains, Ecuador

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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The Cordillera Occidental is a mountain range in Ecuador that forms part of the larger Andes Mountains. It is characterized by a line of 19 volcanoes, seven of which exceed 15,000 feet in elevation. This range runs along the western side of Ecuador's central plateau, which is divided into basins by lava flows from these volcanoes. These basins and their slopes are heavily cultivated and are home to a significant portion of Ecuador's population. The Cordillera Occidental is geologically recent and relatively low compared to the eastern Cordillera Central.1

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Andes Mountains
Physiography of the Northern Andes
…geologically recent and relatively low Cordillera Occidental, stands a line of 19 volcanoes, 7 of them exceeding 15,000 feet in elevation. The eastern border is the higher and older Cordillera Central, capped by a line of 20 volcanoes; some of these, such as Chimborazu Volcano (20,702 feet), have permanent snowcaps.
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…geologically recent and relatively low Cordillera Occidental, stands a line of 19 volcanoes, 7 of them exceeding 15,000 feet in elevation. The eastern border is the higher and older Cordillera Central, capped by a line of 20 volcanoes; some of these, such as Chimborazu Volcano (20,702 feet), have permanent snowcaps.
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