Which one was the first nation to break through european exploration and exploitation but was quickly surpassed by other nations

describe a little more.

the andes or andean mountains (spanish: cordillera de los andes) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of south america. this range is about 7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, about 200 to 700 km (120 to 430 mi) wide (widest between 18° south and 20° south latitude), and of an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft). the andes extend from north to south through seven south american countries: venezuela, colombia, ecuador, peru, bolivia, chile and argentina.

from wikipedia

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