The Altaids, one of the largest and long-lived accretionary orogens in the world, developed from ca. 600 Ma to 250 Ma by the multiple accretions of terranes of different origin, chiefly microcontinents and island arcs. Considerable geological information supported by geochemical, radiometric and isotopic data suggest that modern geodynamic processes such as seamounts/plateau accretion, ridge-trench interaction, the formation of supra-subduction ridges and back-arc basins, arc-arc collisions and oroclinal bending were responsible for the evolution of the Altaid archipelagos. Because of the paucity of palaeomagnetic and radiogenic data it is still not possible to present a definitive palaeo-reconstruction of the Altaids. Nevertheless, considering the voluminous literature appearing today on the Altaids, it is timely and appropriate to present a review of current understanding of the many inherent tectonic problems, some of which are controversial.