Chile is a country of high mountains, dry deserts, and wet areas. The nation is located west of Argentina and Bolivia, and south of Peru. The country is home to the second tallest mountain in the Americas and the tallest active volcano in the world, Ojos del Salado which is just under 23,000 feet. One of the longest mountain chains in the world is the Andes, which take up one third of Chile. These mountains have allowed for very little communication to the outside. The far south consists of the Patagonia region which is grasslands that are cold and humid. In some parts of the south it rains up to 200 inches a year. The Patagonia region also has storms and fjords and is not very populated. North is the Atacama desert, one of the longest deserts in the world and in some places has never rained because of the rain shadow. Prior to World War One 3,000,000 tons of nitrate were extracted and the taxes from that equated to half of the government’s revenue. Chile’s mountains and deserts alone bring tourists from all around the world.