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Mount Huascarán
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Mount Huascarán Mount Huascarán, Peru Nevado Huascarán
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Nevado Huascarán
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Mount Huascarán
Mount Huascarán Mount Huascarán, west-central Peru.

Mount Huascarán

mountain, Peru
Also known as: Nevado Huascarán
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Mount Huascarán, Peru
Mount Huascarán, Peru

Mount Huascarán, mountain peak of the Andes of west-central Peru. The snowcapped peak rises to 22,205 feet (6,768 meters) above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca, east of the Peruvian town of Yungay. It is the highest mountain in Peru and is a favorite of mountaineers and tourists. In 1962 a thaw caused a portion of the sheer north summit to break off, resulting in an avalanche that destroyed several villages and killed about 3,500 persons. In 1970 a severe earthquake caused landslides that buried 10 villages and most of Yungay; tens of thousands of people were killed in one of the worst natural disasters of the 20th century.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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