Download File - Things of the World

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South America is a continent located in
the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the
Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively
small portion in the Northern Hemisphere.
The continent is also considered a
subcontinent of the Americas
 Traditionally, South America also includes some nearby
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islands. Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad, Tobago, and the
federal dependencies of Venezuela sit on the northerly South
American continental shelf and are often considered part of
the continent. Geo-politically, the island states and overseas
territories of the Caribbean are generally grouped as a part
or subregion of North America, since they are more distant on
the Caribbean Plate, even though San Andres and
Providencia are politically part of Colombia and Aves Island
is controlled by Venezuela.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/southamerica/videos/galapagos-islands-ecuador$ltvAA2CAA4B3CAE7F53
 Brazil is the largest country in South America,
encompassing around half of the continent's land
area and population. The remaining countries and
territories are divided among three regions: The
Andean States, the Guianas and the Southern
Cone
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cAc9Fg7uC0
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AKA Amazon Rainforest
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also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most
of the Amazon Basin of South America. This basin encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7
billion acres), of which five and a half million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres) are covered by the
rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained
within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor
amounts in, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. States or
departments in four nations contain "Amazonas" in their names. The Amazon represents over half of
the planet's remaining rainforests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical
rainforest in the world.
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Rio,[2] is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second
largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and
agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million
people within the city proper,[3][4] making it the 6th largest in the
Americas, and 26th in the world
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This video shows culture of Brazil every area is different
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Rio+De+Janeiro+Carnival+F
estivities&view=detail&mid=E940F8328DA91F5B83EAE940F8328DA91F
5B83EA&first=0&qpvt=Rio+De+Janeiro+Carnival+Festivities
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Nationwide, in both colloquial and educated speech) is the federal capital
of Brazil and the seat of government of the Federal District. The name is
commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city is located in the Federal District,
and is in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as
Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,562,963 (3,716,996 in the
metropolitan area) as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the fourth largest
city in Brazil. However, as a metropolitan area, it ranks lower at sixth. It is listed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Brasilia is the largest city in the world that
did not exist at the beginning of the 20th century
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http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=brasilia+brazil&view=detail&mid=89
900B9A6811BB5DE7D889900B9A6811BB5DE7D8&first=0
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Peruvian territory was home to ancient cultures spanning from the
Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, to the Inca
Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish
Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a
Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies.
After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods
of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and
economic upswing
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Lima /ˈliːmə/ is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the
Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast
overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a
contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a population
approaching 9 million, Lima is the fourth largest city in the Americas (as defined by "city
proper"), behind São Paulo, Mexico City, and New York City. Lima is home to one of the
largest financial hubs in Latin America. It has been defined as a beta world city by
GaWC international ranking.
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http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lima+peru&view=detail&mid=90B0D5DB7861EB
2E73D190B0D5DB7861EB2E73D1&first=0
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Machu Picchu (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmatʃu ˈpiktʃu], Quechua:
Machu Picchu [ˈmɑtʃu ˈpixtʃu], "Old Peak") is a pre-Columbian 15thcentury Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level.[1][2]
Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco Region of Peru, South
America. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba
Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and
through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists
believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca
emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "City of the
Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.
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http://vimeo.com/25278016
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http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=inca+indians+history&view=
detail&mid=B9365DBF2BC278D103ADB9365DBF2BC278D103AD&first=
0
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officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile [reˈpuβlika ðe
ˈtʃile] ( listen)), is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow strip of
land between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the
west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the
east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. Chilean territory includes the
Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter
Island. Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of
Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.
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http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chile&view=detail&mid=0DE0DCA0
786B044E67820DE0DCA0786B044E6782&first=0
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Recently, an intergovernmental entity has been formed which aims
to merge the two existing customs unions: Mercosur and the
Andean Community, thus forming the third-largest trade bloc in the
world.[20] This new political organization known as Union of South
American Nations seeks to establish free movement of people,
economic development, a common defense policy and the
elimination of tariffs
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officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]),
is a country in South America, bordered by Chile to the west and south, Bolivia and
Paraguay to the north, and Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast. Argentina claims
sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The country is a federation of 23 provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, its
capital and largest city. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the
largest among Spanish-speaking nations. Argentina is a founding member of the United
Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of IberoAmerican States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one
of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.
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Patagonia is a region located at the southern end of South America, territory
shared by Argentina and Chile, boasting some of the most dramatic
landscapes on Earth. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes
mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of
the mountain range to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River
towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean. To the west, it includes
the territory of Valdivia through Tierra del Fuego archipelago
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http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=patagonia+south+america&view=d
etail&mid=D59475ED3EB581F81BE1D59475ED3EB581F81BE1&first=0
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officially the Republic of Ecuador (Spanish: República del Ecuador
[reˈpuβlika ðel ekwaˈðor], which literally translates as "Republic of
the Equator") is a representative democratic republic in South
America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and
south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two
countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a
border with Brazil. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in
the Pacific
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Ecuador is governed by a
democratically elected President, for a
four year term
Capitol
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are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the
Pacific Ocean, 972 km (525 nmi) west of continental Ecuador, of which they
are a part.
The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian
province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal
language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of slightly
over 25,000.[1]
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=galapagos+islands+&view=detail&mid=92AB8B63634BCC3D3A7592AB8B63
634BCC3D3A75&first=0
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Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent
and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during
glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas
(known as shelf seas) and gulfs, and was almost similarly submerged
during other interglacial periods. **** Note: Tnere are tons in the
world but only one lies of the coast of South America!****
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Traditionally, South America also includes some nearby islands.
Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad, Tobago, and the federal
dependencies of Venezuela sit on the northerly South American
continental shelf and are often considered part of the continent.
Geo-politically, the island states and overseas territories of the
Caribbean are generally grouped as a part or subregion of North
America, since they are more distant on the Caribbean Plate, even
though San Andres and Providencia are politically part of Colombia
and Aves Island is controlled by Venezuela
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Easter Island
is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point
of the Polynesian Triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter
Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early
Rapanui people. It is a World Heritage Site (as determined by UNESCO) with much of the
island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. In recent times the island has served as
a warning of the cultural and environmental dangers of overexploitation. Ethnographers
and archaeologists also blame diseases carried by European colonizers and slave
raiding of the 1860s for devastating the local peoples.[3]
Easter Island is claimed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=easter+island&view=detail&mid=5B345491612D
34439F2C5B345491612D34439F2C&first=0
Angel Falls "the fall from the highest point is a waterfall in Venezuela.
It is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979
m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). The waterfall drops
over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National
Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World
Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State. The height
figure 979 m (3,212 ft) mostly consists of the main plunge but also
includes about 400 m (0.25 mi) of sloped cascades and rapids
below the drop and a 30-metre (98 ft) high plunge downstream of
the talus rapids. As seen in movies like “Up.”
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http://vimeo.com/11017773
 http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Angel+Falls&view=detail&
mid=A7433DD7EBD616F66A40A7433DD7EBD616F66A40&first=0
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The Andes are a Cenozoic mountain range formed (and still forming) by the continuing
convergence of the American and Pacific tectonic plates. In their northern and central
reaches the Andes are quite wide and contain extensive plateau such as the Altiplano
and a number of major valleys such as the Rio Magdalena. These contain three of the
world's highest capitals: Bogotá, Quito and highest of all, La Paz, Bolivia. The southern
Andes have been eroded by the Patagonian Ice Sheet and are much lower and
narrower. There are a number of large glaciers in the northern part, but from latitude
19°S to 28°S the climate is so arid that no permanent ice can form even on the highest
peaks. Permafrost, however, is widespread in this section of the Altiplano and
continuous above 5,600 metres (18,373 ft).
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The Pacific and Atlantic subtropical high: These are semi-permanent high pressure systems caused by descending sectors of the equatorial Hadley cells.
The air masses are relatively warm and dry, and move in an anticyclonic circulation pattern over the sub-tropical oceans. The Pacific High is generally
stable, whereas the Atlantic High moves throughout the year. During the summer, it covers most of the midlatitude and subtropical Atlantic Ocean.
During winter, it is smaller and moves to the east.
The Gran Chaco thermal low: A semi-permanent thermal-orographic depression located over the slope extending from Chaco to the Los Andes mountain
range in the Argentine Northwest. It can be considered, together with the Bolivian High, as the regional response of the tropospheric circulation to the
strong convective heating over the Amazon–central Brazil. The Andes effect reinforces the strength of the Chaco Low as an orographic barrier.[30] It is
present throughout the year, but is more intense during the summer, with a strong thermal component caused by the combination of high insolation and
dry surface conditions. The resulting pressure gradient between the south Atlantic subtropical high and the Chaco low forces the easterly winds over the
Amazon basin to turn southward, being channelled between the eastern slope of the Andes and the Brazilian Plateau.[31][32]
The South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ): The SACZ controls rainfall in the southern subtropics and extends southeastward from the large continental
convective zone of tropical South America. It is generated by moisture convergence between the South Atlantic high pressure zone and the continental
thermal low pressure zone. The location of the SACZ is influenced by the topography in central-east Brazil Vera et al. (2006). The intensity of the SACZ is
highest in austral summer, in phase with intensifying continental heating and convection. Weak SACZ is accompanied by enhanced rainfall over northern
Argentina and southern Brazil. These positive rainfall anomalies are supported by a strong southward moisture flux at about 35°S–60°W that shifts eastward
to about 40°W for the opposite phase of the seesaw, in accordance with an eastward displacement of the Atlantic high. An intensified SACZ is
associated with enhanced streamflows to the north and diminished flows to the south.[33] This north–south separation is probably related to the
anomalously warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic that strengthens the low-level meridional temperature
gradient, intensifying the South Atlantic High and consequently the trade-winds.
Polar outbreaks: Polar outbreaks occur when cold dense polar air masses pass beneath warmer tropical air masses, significantly cooling subtropical South
America. They occur as a result of anticyclogenesis in the Pacific subtropical high, which is constrained at a low level by the southern extent of the Andes
mountain range. This leads to the formation of a slow-moving long wave that creates mountain-parallel, ageostrophic flow, causing incursions of highlatitude cold air. They generate an important drop in temperature and increase in pressure, resulting in regional precipitation for southern South America.
These surges occur mainly during the winter but their impact on the precipitation is even greater during summer. [34]
Low Level Jet (LLJ): LLJs originate in a low pressure area over the northern Andes and provide moisture for subtropical latitudes. During summer, they
operate as localised wind maximum within the lower 1–2 km of the atmosphere, channelled by the Andes, terminating in southeastern South America.
They area controlled by Amazonian wind patterns, which are in influenced by controlled by patterns of insolation. They transport large amounts of
moisture from the Amazon basin to the monsoonal anitcyclone over Bolivia. A suppressed SACZ and increased convection in the sub-tropical plains is
associated with a strengthening of the LLJ. These phases are linked to short-term extreme precipitation events in the plains of central Argentina. When the
LLJ is weak, there is enhanced SACZ and suppressed convection to the south and extreme heat waves over the sub-tropical regions.[29] It also generates
turbulence through shear and participates actively as trigging mechanism for the formation of severe storm and Mesoscale Convective Systems over
Paraguay, Northern Argentina and South of Brazil.[35]
Westerlies: South America experiences westerly winds in the middle latitudes, caused by the Coriolis force and associated geostrophic circulation
patterns. They are more intense than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts due to the lack of continental landmass in the Southern Hemisphere. They
reach their maximum speed in the troposphere, where they form jetstreams. In particular, over the southern tip of South America and the adjacent south
Pacific, the westerlies are strongest during austral summer, peaking between 45° and 55°S. During the austral winter, the jetstream moves into subtropical
latitudes (its axis is at about 30°S) and the low-level westerlies expand equatorward but weaken, particularly at ~50°S.[32] The pressure gradients between
the polar low-pressure belt and the Pacific high-pressure cell, combined with these westerlies, results in permanent anticyclogenesis. Northward
penetration of atmospheric perturbations from the westerlies is possible when the southeast Pacific anticyclone is weakened or moves equatorward,
allowing penetration of westerly storm tracks to latitudes as far north as 31◦S. In the Andes, winter rains reach further north. During summer, the Pacific
anticyclone shifts southward, impeding the northward migration of the westerlies.[23]
The Bolivian High: large anticyclonic circulation centred near 15°S, 65°W. It has been explained as the response of diabatic local heating in the Amazon
region.[29] The SACZ has a strong influence on the position and intensity of the Bolivian High[30]
The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): The MJO is characterized by an eastward progression of large regions of both enhanced and suppressed tropical
rainfall, observed mainly over the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It is a source of intra-seasonal variability affecting South America that seems to be
related to a combination tropical circulation changes and midlatitude Rossby wave trains that propagate into South America.
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Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion (over 80% in
Hispanic countries, some 65%-70% in Brazil). French Guiana
also has a large number of Protestants. Guyana and
Suriname are exceptions, with three major religions:
Christianity in general, Hinduism, and Islam. In lowland South
America, as well as the Andes, animism and shamanism are
common, as noted among the Urarina of Peruvian Amazonia.
Note not all this is in the power point**
 http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz
/samericaquiz.html
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