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South America
South America Geographical Facts
1. South America is the 4th largest continent,
covering about 12% of the earth’s total land
area.
2. South America is the 5th most populous
continent, with a population of around 387
million.
South America’s Physical Geography
1. Physically, South America is dominated by
two physical features:
1. The Andes Mountains
2. The Amazon River Basin
The Andes Mountains
1. The Andes Mountains run down the western
side of South America and provide important
mineral resources for the countries they run
through.
2. The Andes are volcanic in origin so earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions are problems for the
area.
3. Mt. Aconcagua, at 22,831 feet above sea level,
is the tallest mountain of the Andes and also the
highest point in the Western Hemisphere.
The Andes
Mt. Aconcagua
The Amazon River Basin
1. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world
and the second longest, at 4,100 miles long.
2. The Amazon River’s drainage basin covers around
2.7 million square miles, which is about 40% of all
of South America.
3. During the rainy season, the Amazon can be up to
60 miles wide in places.
4. The Amazon discharges more than 50 billion
gallons of water per second into the Atlantic
Ocean.
Amazon River
Amazon Drainage Basin
Lake Maracaibo
1. Lake Maracaibo is S.
America’s largest lake
and one of the oldest
bodies of water in the
world.
2. It is brackish – a
mixture of fresh and
salt water.
3. It’s a major oil
producing region of
Venezuela.
Lake Maracaibo
Lake Titicaca
1. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, it is South
America’s largest fresh-water lake.
2. It is also the world’s highest navigable lake (13,000
feet above sea level).
Rio de la Plata
1. The Rio de la Plata is one
of the world’s largest
estuaries.
2. An estuary is an inland
arm of the sea that
meets the mouth of a
river.
3. The Rio de la Plata is
actually a confluence,
which is where two or
more rivers run together
(Paraguay and Parana
Rivers).
Angel Falls
1. Located in Venezuela,
Angel Falls is the
world’s highest
waterfall (3,212 feet).
Iguacu Falls
1. Located on the border
of Brazil and
Argentina, Iguacu Falls
is the world’s widest
waterfall during South
America’s rainy
season.
2. Its two falls flow
together and are over
two miles wide.
Cape Horn
1. A cape is a strip of land that juts out into a
large body of water.
2. Cape Horn is actually an island that is part of
the Tierra del’ Fuego archipelago.
3. The Strait of Magellan is the channel that
runs just north of the islands of Tierra del’
Fuego (its 331 miles long and between 2 to
15 miles wide).
4. The Strait is difficult to maneuver but much
safer for ships than the waters off Cape Horn.
Cape Horn
Tierra del’ Fuego
Strait of Magellan
South America’s Climate
1. The northern region of South America has a
tropical climate, except in the highland areas,
where the climate is more temperate, or
mild.
2. The central region of South America has a
more temperate climate.
3. The southern region of South America is
much cooler – the weather at Cape Horn is
below freezing year round.
South America’s Population
1. The majority of South America’s population
lives within 500 miles of the coast due to the
difficulty in getting to the interior of the
continent.
2. Culturally, most of South America was colonized
by Spain or Portugal.
3. The predominant language is Spanish and the
predominant religion is Catholicism.
4. Historically, South American countries have
faced poverty and political instability.
South American Regions
1. South American can be broken into four
regions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Northern Countries
Central Andean Countries
Southern Cone Countries
Brazil
Northern Countries
Northern Countries
1. The Northern Countries of South America are
Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French
Guiana.
2. The western portion of this region is covered by the
Andes, where mining is an important economic activity
– Venezuela is the largest producer of oil in S.A.
3. East of the Andes are the llanos, which are grass plains
suitable for agriculture and raising livestock.
4. East of the llanos are the Guiana Highlands, a heavily
forested plateau region.
5. A plateau is wide area of level, elevated land.
6. The eastern portion of the region is covered with
tropical rainforests.
The Llanos
The Guiana Highlands
South American Rain Forests
South American Rain Forests
1. The Amazon is the world’s largest, most
famous rain forest region.
2. The Amazon River Basin is home to more
species of plants and animals than any other
ecosystem in the world - an estimated 30% of
the world’s species.
3. The region has a large, tribal population
known as Amerindians.
4. The rain forests are being cleared for farming,
logging and livestock.
Slash and Burn Agriculture
1. In the rain forest regions of South America,
farmers use a technique known as shifting
agriculture or slash and burn agriculture.
2. Farmers will clear a part of the rain forest and
farm it until the soil wears out.
3. After the soil wears out, they abandon the
land and clear another portion of the rain
forest.
Slash and Burn Agriculture
Central Andean Countries
Central Andean Countries
1. The Central Andean Countries are Peru, Bolivia
and Ecuador.
2. Mining is important in this region because of the
rich mineral resources of the Andes.
3. Agriculture is also important in the region.
4. They farm the area using terraces, which are flat
areas cut into the mountain sides.
5. The interior of these countries have always been
sparsely populated but it has increased because of
the discovery of oil in the region.
6. Tourism is important in this area – people visit the
sites of the ancient Incas.
Mining in the Andes
Farming in the Andes
Machu Picchu
Southern Cone Countries
Southern Cone Countries
1. The Southern Cone Countries are Chile,
Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
2. The northern part of the region is covered by the
Pampas, which are grass-covered plains that are
excellent for agriculture and raising livestock.
3. The southern part of the region is the plateau area
of Patagonia.
4. The Patagonia region is very cold and also very dry
because it is in the rain shadow of the Andes.
5. The main economic activity of the Patagonia
region is raising sheep.
The Pampas
Patagonia
Brazil
Brazil
1. Brazil is the largest, most populous country in
South America and the 5th largest country in the
world.
2. Over half of South America’s population lives in
Brazil.
3. In the 1950’s, Brazil decided to develop the
interior of the country by:
1. Building the a new capital, Brasilia, and a new high
system to make trade and transportation easier.
2. Giving away mining rights and land for farming and
raising livestock.
3. This led to the destruction of more of Brazil’s rain
forests and the destruction of the natural habitat of
the native tribes of Brazil.
Brasilia
Native Tribes of Brazil