The Rocky Mountains form North America’s largest mountain system and the eastern edge of the continent’s Cordillera, stretching about 3,000 miles from western Canada to northern New Mexico. Rather than a single wall, they consist of many subranges, basins, and tablelands, and include some of central North America’s highest peaks, such as Mount Elbert and Mount Robson. The Continental Divide follows the range, separating major watersheds. Formed mainly during the Laramide orogeny and later shaped by erosion and glaciation, the Rockies have been inhabited since the end of the last ice age and have long influenced exploration, resource use, ecology, recreation, and the identity of western North America.