The Cordillera Central is a

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

that divides the three river basins in the country and also has the second highest peaks in Bolivia. It is rich in minerals and starts in the north with Chawpi Urqu and the three Palumanis that were in the south up to

Zapaleri Zapaleri is a volcano whose summit is the tripoint of the borders of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. A number of railways are in the area. It is part of Potosí Department (Bolivia), Jujuy Province (Argentina), and Antofagasta Region (Chile). The ...

, forming a border with

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. The Cordillera Central is divided into three sections: * The northern section or Cordillera Real, with Chawpi Urqu and

Palumani Palomani (possibly from Aymara, ''urpi, paluma'' dove, "the one with a dove (or doves)") is a mountain in the Apolobamba mountain range on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It reaches a height of about . On the Bolivian side it is located in the ...

, also taking into account the most significant of Bolivia that you find near

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

Illimani Illimani (Aymara) is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real (part of the Cordillera Oriental, a subrange of the Andes) of western Bolivia. It lies near the cities of El Alto and La Paz at the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is the secon ...

Illampu Illampu is the fourth highest mountain in Bolivia. It is located in the northern section of the Cordillera Real, part of the Andes, east of Lake Titicaca. It lies just north of the slightly higher Janq'u Uma, near the town of Sorata. Laguna ...

Janq'u Uma Ancohuma or Janq'u Uma (Aymara ''janq'u'' white, ''uma'' water, "white water", also spelled Janq'uma, other spellings, ''Jankho Uma'', ''Jankhouma'') is the third highest mountain in Bolivia (after Sajama and Illimani). It is located in the no ...

Mururata Mururata is a mountain in the Cordillera Real of Bolivia. Approximately 35 km East of La Paz, the Mururata lies to the North of the Illimani. The Mururata offers accessible climbing, as its shape does not contain difficult obstacles. Loca ...

, and

Huayna Potosí Huayna Potosí is a mountain in Bolivia, located near El Alto and about 25 km north of La Paz in the Cordillera Real. Huayna Potosí is the closest high mountain to La Paz. Surrounded by high mountains, it is roughly 15 miles due ...

, all of which are more than 6,000 meters high. This section is famous because the highest meteorological observatory in the world can be found on

Chacaltaya Chacaltaya ( Mollo language for "''bridge of winds''" or "''winds meeting point''", Aymara for "cold road") is a mountain in the Cordillera Real, one of the mountain ranges of the Cordillera Oriental, itself a range of the Bolivian Andes. Its ...

. Some of the highest

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...

slopes in the world can be found here also. * The central section contains Sumaq Urqu, with the

Potosí mountain range The Potosí mountain range in Bolivia is situated east and southeast of the city of Potosí. It is at least 25 km long stretching from north to south. Its highest mountain is Khunurana (Anaruyu) rising up to 5,071 m (16,637 ft). ...

and the ''Paso de Condor'' rail station, both situated at an elevation of 4,288 meters. * The southern section is characterized by its high rate of mineralization and large deposits of tin. Its highest summit is

on the border with Chile and Argentina. *Cordillera Central can also be found between Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Oriental

See also