A cordillera is a chain or network of mountain ranges, such as those in the west coast of the Americas. The term is borrowed from Spanish, where the word comes from cordilla, a diminutive of cuerda ('rope').
cordillera, (from old Spanish cordilla, “cord,” or “little rope”), a system of mountain ranges that often consist of a number of more or less parallel chains. Cordilleras are an extensive feature in the Americas and Eurasia.
A cordillera distinguishes itself from a solitary mountain range by its sheer scale and the complex arrangement of its components. It represents an interconnected network of mountain chains, often displaying a general linearity that extends for thousands of kilometers.
The meaning of CORDILLERA is a system of mountain ranges often consisting of a number of more or less parallel chains.
Derived from the Spanish word “cordilla,” meaning “little rope,” a cordillera refers to a vast system of interconnected mountain ranges. These geological formations are characterized by their complex structure, often resulting from folding, faulting, and volcanic activity.
cordillera (ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərə) n (Physical Geography) a series of parallel ranges of mountains, esp in the northwestern US [C18: from Spanish, from cordilla, literally: a little cord, from cuerda mountain range, cord]
cordillera A Spanish word meaning ‘little cord’. 1. A broad assemblage of mountain ranges belonging to orogenic belts (see orogeny) of different ages, which formed originally at destructive plate margins. 2. A system of mountain ranges, together with their related plateaux and intermontane basins.
In South America, the major mountain ranges are the Andes, the Eastern Cordillera, and the Western Cordillera. In Asia, the major mountain ranges are the Himalayas, the Karakoram Range, the Hindu Kush Range, and the Tien Shan Range.