The Andes are a long chain of high mountains along the west side of South America. They are not a country. They run through several countries, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, and they are among the highest mountains in the world outside Asia. People say “the Andes” the way they say “the Alps” — with the, as a name for the whole range. You will see it in geography class, in nature films, and in travel writing. Though actually, “the Andes” covers many different landscapes: high dry plains, volcanoes, glaciers, and wet cloud forest. If someone says they walked in the Andes, you still need to ask where, because Peru and southern Chile are not the same mountain world.