Transcription: The Andes Mountains stretch unbroken along the west coast of South America for over 4,500 miles. Their rugged peaks act as a natural border between the long thin country of Chile on the Pacific coast and Argentina in the east. Further north, the range branches in two to form the Altiplano, a bleak windswept plateau containing Lake Titicaca, the world's highest lake. Successive civilizations have cultivated the fertile slopes of the northern Andes and exploited its natural resources of oil and precious metals. Perhaps the most far-reaching impact of the mountains is seen in Brazil. Rain from th ...