The Andean States are a group of nations in South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 that are defined by sharing a common geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 (Andes

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 mountain range

Mountain range

A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...

) or culture such as the Quechua language and Andean cuisine

Andean cuisine

Andean cuisine is the cuisine that originated in ancient cultures in the Andes and is now widespread in the Andean states . Accounts of pre-Hispanic cuisine in the Andes dates back to the first horticulturists from the valley of Lauricocha; archaeologists have suggested that they domesticated...

 which was primarily spread during the times of the Inca Empire

Inca Empire

The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...

, but also before and after it.

Politically speaking, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 and Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 are usually not considered part of the Andean States as they lack a strong native Andean heritage and are culturaly more oriented towards Europe and they are not a members of the Andean Community of Nations

Andean Community of Nations

The Andean Community is a customs union comprising the South American countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The trade bloc was called the Andean Pact until 1996 and came into existence with the signing of the Cartagena Agreement in 1969...

 (which Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

 is in the process of leaving).

The Andes occupy the western part of South America, stretching through the following countries:
(not considered to be -geopolitically- an Andean State) (not considered to be -geopolitically- an Andean State)

When grouped as "the Andean states", the emphasis is, of course, on the mountainous regions of these countries. For example, the Argentine pampas are not part of the Andean region, but western Argentina is part of the Andean region, and has cultural continuities with its Andean neighbors. Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia are part of the Andean Community (a trade grouping), and each contains Amazon Rainforest

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...

 and Amazonian indigenous people as well as Andean mountains.

See also

• Eastern South America – Brazil
  Brazil
  Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
  
  
• Northern South America
  Northern South America
  Northern South America is a region in the continent South America. This region has a rich range of natural resources exploited by European explorers over the past couple of centuries. Most of the most populous cities, such as Bogotá, are located temperate conditions of the Andes...
  
  
• Southern Cone
  Southern Cone
  Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Although geographically this includes part of Southern and Southeast of Brazil, in terms of political geography the Southern cone has traditionally comprised Argentina,...