The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world, running along the western edge of South America.
The range stretches for about 7,000 kilometres through seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Its width varies considerably, and the Andes contain high plateaus, volcanoes, glaciers, deserts, and fertile valleys.
The mountains formed largely through the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. That ongoing tectonic process causes earthquakes and volcanic activity and continues to raise parts of the range. The Andes are part of the larger American Cordillera, a mountain system extending along the western side of the Americas.
Aconcagua, in Argentina, is the highest peak in both the Andes and the Western Hemisphere, rising to about 6,961 metres. The Himalayas are higher, containing Mount Everest, but they are shorter as a continuous continental range. The Andes have also shaped major civilizations, including the Inca Empire.