The Andes are a belt of mountains along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of volcanic and earthquake activity that encompasses the Pacific rim of the Americas as well as the Asia-Pacific region. The Andes are the result of plate tectonics processes, caused by the subduction of oceanic crust beneath the South American plate. The main cause of the rise of the Andes is the compression of western rim of the South American Plate due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate and the Antarctic Plate. This results in numerous earthquakes in the Andes.The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. This range is about 4,300 miles long with an average height of about 13,000 ft. The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
The Andes range is also the world's highest mountain range outside of Asia. The highest peak, Mount Aconcagua, rises to an elevation of about 22,841 ft above sea level.
The Andes mountains host large ore and salt deposits. In the forelands of the Atacama desert some of the largest porphyry copper mineralizations occurs making Chile and Peru the first and second largest exporters of copper in the world.
