South America

A continent of Extremes

PHYSICAL FEATURES
Land Area:
17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi)

Population:
more than 371,090,000 (2005)

Location:
A subcontinent of the Americas, located in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere

PHYSICAL FEATURES
As a continent:
4th largest in area, 5th in population

approximately 12% of the Earth's land and 3.5% of the Earth's surface. East is lower than west (Andes range).

It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest.

PHYSICAL FEATURES
12 Sovereign States:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela .

French Guiana - overseas region of France Falkland Islands - British Overseas Territory.

PHYSICAL FEATURES
South America can be divided into three physical regions: mountains and highlands, river basins, and coastal plains. Mountains and coastal plains

generally run in a north-south

direction, while highlands and river basins generally run in an east-west direction.

CLIMATE
Desert Grassland Deciduous forest Rainforest Savanna Mediterranean Alpine/mountain Spring September, October, November Summer December, January, February Autumn March, April, May Winter June, July, August

CLIMATE MAP of KOPPEN GEIGER SYSTEM

Mountains and Highlands

ANDES MOUNTAIN RANGE worlds longest

Volcanoes of South America

A Holocene volcano is a volcano that is made up of several different particles of holocene (Chemical gases) that come from basaltic silica or granitic silica. Pleistocene volcanoes that were active in the Pleistocene epoch (1.8 million years ago to approximately 11,700 years ago). Many volcanoes from this time may still be active today, as a great many volcanoes active or dormant today first formed during the Pleistocene.

Mountains and Highlands

Mt. Aconcagua Andes highest peak

Mountains and Highlands

Altiplano, high plateau in Bolivia, Peru, Chile

Mountains and Highlands

Patagonia Region, Argentina and Peru

Mountains and Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Mountains and Highlands

Guiana Highlands

Coastal Plain - Atacama Desert

North Chile, worlds driest desert

Coastal Plain - Pampas

North Argentina, fertile plains, home to rodents

River Basins

Orinoco River, flows north of Amazon

River Basins

Parana/Paraguay River, Pampas water supply

Iguazu Falls

A massive, 2.7 km. series of waterfalls

Angel Falls

At 979 meters (3230 feet) with an uninterrupted drop of 807 meters (2663 ft)

Venezuela, 16 times the height of Niagara

Lake Titicaca

Cradle of Incan Civilization, Largest in S.America

People and Languages

Argentina
PEOPLE:
Argentinian, Argentine

LANGUAGE:
Spanish*, English, Italian, German,

French

Bolivia
PEOPLE:
Bolivian

LANGUAGE:
Spanish*, Quechua, Aymara,

Guarani

Brazil
PEOPLE:
Brazilian

LANGUAGE:
Portuguese

Chile
PEOPLE:
Chilean

LANGUAGE:
Spanish

Columbia
PEOPLE:
Columbian

LANGUAGE:
Spanish

Ecuador
PEOPLE:
Ecuadorian

LANGUAGE:
Spanish*, Quechua

Guyana
PEOPLE:
Guyanese

LANGUAGE:
English

Paraguay
PEOPLE:
Paraguayan

LANGUAGE:
Spanish*, Guarani

Peru
PEOPLE:
Peruvian

LANGUAGE:
Spanish*, Quechua*, Aymara

Suriname
PEOPLE:
Surinamese

LANGUAGE:
Dutch*, Surinamese, English

Uruguay
PEOPLE:
Uruguayan

LANGUAGE:
Spanish

Venezuela
PEOPLE:
Venezulean

LANGUAGE:
Spanish

Culture and Tribes

South Americans are culturally influenced by its indigenous peoples, the historic connection with Iberian Peninsula and Africa, and the impact of mass culture from the United States of America, alongside waves of immigrants from around the globe.

Indigenous People
In many places indigenous people still practice a traditional lifestyle based on subsistence agriculture or as hunter-gatherers. There are still some uncontacted tribes residing in the Amazon Rainforest. Aguarunas Alacalufe Arawaks Ashanincas Atacameos Aw Aymara Banawa Caaris Caiapos Chibcha Cocama Chayahuita Kuna Enxet G Guaran Mapuche Matss Pehuenche Quechuas Selknam Shipibo Shuar Tupi Urarina Wai-Wai Wayuu Xucuru Yaghan Yagua Ynomam Zaparos

Religions
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
Dominant religion, over 80% in Hispanic countries, some 65%-70% in Brazil

Religions
PROTESTANTISM
In French Guiana

Religions
CHRISTIANITY
One of the major religions in Guyana and Suriname

Religions
HINDUISM
One of the major religions in Guyana and Suriname

Religions
ISLAM
One of the major religions in Guyana and Suriname

Religions
ANIMISM
In South America Lowlands and Andes

Religions

SHAMANISM
In South America Lowlands and Andes

Exploring SOUTH AMERICA

Amazonia: Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and the Guianas

Angel Falls: Venezuela

Buenos Aires: Argentina

Easter Island: Chile

Galapagos Archipelago: Ecuador

Iguazu Falls: Argentina and Brazil

Lake Titicaca: Between Bolivia and Peru

Machu Picchu: Peru

Nazca Lines: Peru

Patagonia: Argentina and Chile

Santiago: Chile

Tierra del Fuego

Lake Maracaibo of Venezuela

Inlet of Carribean Sea, largest lake in S.A.

Andes: Chile

Atacama Desert: Chile

Salar de Uyuni: Bolivia

Worlds Largest Salt Flat