Cordillera Negra

a section of the Cordillera Occidental of the Peruvian Andes, situated to the west of the Santa Valley (between its lower course and Chiquián). The range is about 180 km long and reaches an elevation of 4,500 m. It is composed of Mesozoic-Cenozoic intrusive rock in the west and of Neocene effusive rock in the east. The region is highly seismic. The range derives its name from its dark volcanic rock and its exposed slopes, devoid of vegetation and having a desert climate.