The Cordillera Central is a Bolivian

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, 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, also taking into account the most significant of Bolivia that you find near La Paz, Illimani, Illampu, Janq'u Uma,

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

See also