SOUTH AMERICA

The continent South America also known as Latin America

is a geographic region shared by Brazil which was
influenced by Portuguese and the other countries formerly
under the Spanish crown. It has a 14 countries, the fourth
largest continent with a14% total landmass on the earth.

Christopher Columbus, while on his third voyage to the

New World in 1492, was the first European explorer to
sight the coast of South America. But the first explorer to
recognize the Western Hemisphere as a separate
continent from Asia was the Italian Amerigo Vespucci,
for whom the Americans are named.

This continent stretches for

about 7,400 km from north
to south and about 5,150
km from east to west,
covering more than 17.8
million sq. km. It is
bounded by Atlantic Ocean
on the east and the Pacific
Ocean on the west. Central
America and the Caribbean
Sea are found on the north.
The Drake passage
separates South America
from Antarctica to the
south. Offshore areas
considered part of South
America include Easter
Island, Falkland Islands,
Galapagos Islands, and

Landforms

ANDES
is a mountain chain
to the South America
to the Panama, the
Andes has much
edge that reach over
20,000 ft. and
include the highest
mountain
Aconcagua a
mountain of 6,960 m.
that is located in
Argentina.

AMAZON
BASIN
The largest tropical
rain forest in the
world, his heart is the
Amazon river that
has more than 1,000
tributaries. The
length is about 1,000
miles. The Amazon
covers one-third of
south America.

ATACAMA
DESERT
Atacama Desert run
into the Andes, the
desert is
approximately 100
miles width and 625
miles long.

BRAZILIAN
HIGHLAND
This region is about
800 miles in length.
This run through the
Brazilian State of Sao
Paolo, Goias, Bahia
and Minas Gerais.
The landscape in
included ranges
those are Serra
Geral, Serra De
Mantiquiera and
Serra do
Paranapiataba. The
Pao de Asucar is

GUIANA
HIGHLAND
His length is about
1,000 miles. The
highland extend from
the southern
Venezuela thought
the northern edge of
south America to the
top of Brazil.
The Angel falls the
highest falls in the
world is found in here.

LLAINOS
A grassy inland plain
located between the
Andes mountains of
Columbia and the
Guiana Highlands.
Approximately
582,000sq. Km.

PAMPAS
Is famous by his
cattle ranches, his
large plain in central
Argentina, is
extended 1.600km
and covers
761,460sq km. the
landforms is the
Uruguay Rivers.

PATAGONIA
Is found in the Andes
and the Atlantic
Ocean, and his length
is about 1.600km,
this place extend
from the Rio Negro in
the southern
Argentina and
straight of Magellan
Tierra de Fuego.

Climate

The climatic conditions of South America are affected by many factors.

One the most significant of these factors is Latitude. Topicality is the
dominant feature of South Americas climate, and much of the
continent remains frost-free throughout the year. Altitude is a second
factor, for the most part moderating the hot, tropical temperatures.
The proximity of the ocean combined with prevailing winds affects the
amount and distribution of rainfall throughout the continent.

Several coastal areas receive annual rainfall in excess of 2,540 mm.

These are the southeast coast of Brazil, the region from Guyana to the
mouth of the Amazon, the Pacific coast of Colombia, and southern
Chile.

TheAmazon river basinhas the typical hot and wet climate suitable
for the growth of rain forests. There, climate turns hot and humid with temperatures in the range of 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The less wet season in the jungle roughly corresponds to the dry

No rainfall has ever been recorded at Atacama Desert in

Calama, Chile. Arid and Semiarid climates dominate the
coast of Peru and northern Chile. Aridity also
characterizes a small area in northeast Brazil and a
Diagonal strip crossing Argentina from northeast to
southwest.

River Systems

Amazon
River
the longest river in
South America. It
originates in the
Peruvian Andes, and
flows approximately
6,450 km to its
mouth in the Atlantic
Ocean. It's the
second longest river
in the world.

Parana
River
is one of the three
major river systems
in Central South
America. It runs
through Paraguay
and Argentina for
about 1, 600 miles.
The length of river
increases to about
2,484 miles if the
headwaters of river
in Brazil is counted.
It's second in size to
the Amazon River in
South America

Magdalena
River
is principal river of
Colombia, running
about 1,540 km from
South to North
through the western
half of the country. It
is navigable through
much of its lower
reaches

Orinoco
River
Mainly in Venezuela,
flowing for more than
1500 miles north to
the Atlantic Ocean. At
the mouth of the
river a delta is
formed, which
branches off into
hundreds of rivers
and waterways
through swarmy

Rio Sao
Francisco
River
A river in Brazil,
which originates in
the state of Minas
Gerais. It usually runs
north behind the
coastal range, with a
length of 3,160
kilometers.

Madeira
River
A Brazilian River in
South America. one
of the world's longest
tributaries and the
Amazon's River
longest tributary, it
joins the Amazon
River, 1,400 km by
river above Para, and
almost rivals it in the
volume of its waters.

Paraguay
River
One of the major
rivers in South
America that runs
through Brazil and
Argentina and
Paraguay. The river
forms a border
between Brazil and
Bolivia and Paraguay
and Argentina. It runs
over a course of
approximately 2,549
km from Brazilian
province of Mato
Grosso to its
confluence with the

Rio
Tocantins
the central fluvial
artery of Brazil.
Running from south
to north for a
distance of about
1,500 miles, it is not
really a branch of the
Amazon River

Negro River
is the largest left
tributary of the
Amazon, the largest
black water river in
the world, and one of
the world's ten
largest rivers in
average discharge.
With a length of
2,230 kilometers

Ucayali
River
The river rises
approximately 70
miles north of Lake
Titicaca in South
America, was first
called San Miguel.
Torres explored it and
estimated its length
approximately 186
miles from the mouth
of the Pachitea to
intersection of the
Tambo and
Urubamba.

Xingu River
The easternmost
river leading into
Amazon. It is also
known as Rio Xingu.
Its length is
approximately 1, 230
miles that is located
in northern Brazil.
The river is a
tributary of the
Amazon from the
southeast.

Soil and
Vegetation

There are two major categories of soil in the continent. Azonal

soils, poorly developed and immature, may be subdivided into the
thin, stony lithosol or mountain soil and the thick, rich regosol or
alluvial soil, recently deposited on river flood plains. Well stratified
Zonal soils are much more widespread and important than azonal
soils. Azonal Soil haswelldefinedfeaturesthatarecharacterizedbytheweatheritisexpos
edtoand thevegetationthatgrowsthere.

Most of the rainy tropical and subtropical lowland regions of South

America have lateritic Soils often underlain with a hardpan layer.
Dark-colored grassland soils, also zonal in nature, are among the
most fertile known. Argentina and Uruguay are fortunate because
these countries contain broad areas of these rich grassland soils.

Natural vegetation , on the other hand, is often referred to

as the mirror of climate because specific plant types are
usually found in association with particular climates. The
rainiest parts of tropical South America are covered with
tropical rain forests.

In southern Brazil and in central and southern Chile, midlatitude forest with mixed stands of trees are common.

Desert shrub vegetation is related to arid climates, whereas

in the mountains, plants are arranged into zones based on
elevation.

Tierra Caliente or zone

of tropical crops

Tierra Templeda or
zone of coffee

Tierra Fria or zone of grains

Zone of uncleared
forest

Zone of Alpine
Meadows

Wildlife

Despite having extensive areas of tropical grassland, South

America has no large game animals are associated with
the plains of Africa. Nevertheless, the continent offers a
tremendous variety of wildlife, and as in Africa some
species are endangered.

The electric eel and the flesh-eating piranha can be

found in South American waters.

 One of the most distinctive animals of south

American tropical forest and grassland is the Tapir.

Another distinctive animal is the Rhea.

Some endangered species is the Condor.

Other animals can be found only in south America, the

Anaconda

Capybara

Giant Otter

Spectacled Bear

Mineral
Resources

South America has diverse mineral resources, many of which

have not been extensively exploited. Mineral deposits are
widely distributed, but certain areas of the continent are
particularly renowned for their wealth. Andes placer gold has
been worked in various areas since before the colonial era. The
mountains between central Peru and southern Bolivia produced
silver and mercury in the colonial era, and industrial minerals
such as copper, tin, lead, and zinc today. Copper is worked
at large deposits in northern and central Chile and in central
and southern Peru. A highly mineralized area containing
bauxite, iron ore, and gold lies between Ciudad Bolivar and
northern Suriname, near the northern margin of the Guiana
Highlands. In east central Brazil rich gold and diamond strikes
occurred in the colonial era, some of these mines are still
producing.

Although South America is a major producer of rare metals,

the large reserves of high-grade iron ore and smaller
reserves of bauxite are more important to the emerging
industrial power of the continent. Coal is found in scattered
and relatively small deposits in the Andes and in southern
Brazil. Coal has been an important fuel for industry and
transportation primarily in Chile, Colombia, and Brazil.
Petroleum, however, is widely distributed. Most of the
continent's reserves of petroleum and natural gas lie in
structural basins located mostly along the eastern margins
of and in the Andes, from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego.
The largest known fields are in the Lake Maracaibo area of
Venezuela. Other deposits occur in northern Colombia,
Ecuador and Peru, south of the Andes in eastern and
central Venezuela, and just east of the mountains in
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.

People

The racial heritage of South America stems predominantly from three basic
sources: Caucasian, African, and Indian.
1.

Caucasian - is said to be the white race. Argentina, Uruguay, and

southern Brazil are inhabited primarily by pure Caucasian.

2.

African due to labor shortages in several areas, the Europeans

imported thousands of black slaves from Africa, with the largest number
brought to Brazil and Colombia. African women slaves intermarried with
their masters, creating a new racial type known as Mulatto (a person
with one white and one black parent). Blacks and mulattoes are
dominant in several parts of Brazil and Colombia.

3.

Indian they arrived about 11,000 to 14,000 years ago, they are the
first hunters and gatherers. Indians are concentrated in Andean
highlands and in the wet tropical lowlands. Indian women intermarried
with the European conquerors, and from union a new race was born the
Mestizo or Mamejuco. Elsewhere, Mestizos are in the majority.

 Spanish

is the official language of nine countries in

South America. In Brazil, Portuguese is spoken. English
and Dutch are used in Guyana and Surinam,
respectively. French is the language of French Guiana.

Roman

Catholicism is found throughout South America;

only Guyana is predominantly Protestant. Argentina has
the largest Jewish population.

South

America population is about 387.5million (2011).

Most people live in clusters around the periphery of the
continent.

Countries of
South America

Name
Argentina

Capital
Buenos Aires

Currency

Official language

Peso(ARS)

Spanish

Bolivia

Sucre (official)

Boliviano (BOB)

Spanish
Quechua
Aymara

Brazil

Braslia

Real(BRL)

Portuguese

Chile

Santiago

Peso(CLP)

Spanish

Colombia

Bogot

Peso(COP)

Spanish

Ecuador

Quito

United States dollar(USD)

Spanish

Falkland Islands

Stanley

Falklands pound(FKP)

English

French Guiana

Cayenne

Euro(Eur)

French

Guyana

Georgetown

Guyanese dollar(GYD)

English

Paraguay

Asuncin

Guaran(PYG)

Spanish
Guaran

Peru

Lima

Nuevo sol(PEN)

Spanish

Suriname

Paramaribo

Surinamese dollar(SRD)

Dutch

Uruguay

Montevideo

Uruguayan peso(UYU)

Spanish

Venezuela

Caracas

Bolvar fuerte (VEF)

Spanish