The area of ​​South America is . Countries of South America: features of the continent

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere of our Planet. It is crossed by the Equator line and divides this continent into two parts. One part (largest) belongs to the Southern Hemisphere, and the second (smallest) belongs to the Northern Hemisphere.

The mainland ranks 4th among the continents in terms of its area - 17,840,000 km². On its territory, which includes the adjacent islands, there are 15 states, three of which are dependent. By clicking on the link, you can see a detailed list of countries South America in the table with capitals and characteristics. The population is approximately 400 million people.

In the west, the continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north by the Caribbean Sea, which is the boundary between North America and South America.

Extreme points of mainland South America

The northern point - Cape Gallinas is located in Colombia on the Caribbean Sea.

The southern (mainland) point - Cape Frouard is located in Chile on the Brunswick Peninsula on the coast of the Strait of Magellan.

The southern (island) point - Diego - Ramirez - is the southernmost point of America and Chile, which consists of a group of islands covering an area of ​​just over one square kilometer.

The western point - Cape Parinas is located in Peru.

Eastern point - Cape Cabo - Branco, located in Brazil.

Relief of South America

The mainland of South America is divided by relief into the Mountainous West and the Plain East.

The Atacama Desert is located in Chile and is the driest place on Earth. There are places in the desert where it rains once every few decades. Here is the lowest humidity. Of the vegetation, only cacti and acacias are found.

The western part of the mainland consists of the Andes mountain system, stretching through the seven states of South America, and the eastern part of the plains. In the North is the Guiana Plateau, 1930 km long and 300 - 1000 m high.

In the east of the mainland, the Brazilian Highlands are located, with an area of ​​​​about 4 million km2. 95% of the Brazilian population lives here. highest point of this upland is the mountain - Bandeira. Its height is 2897 meters. Due to the huge natural diversity, the Brazilian Highlands are divided into three parts: the Atlantic, Central and Southern Plateaus.

South of the Brazilian Highlands is the Laplata Lowland, on the territory of which such states as Paraguay and Uruguay, the northern part of Argentina, the southern part of Brazil and the southeast of Bolivia are located. The area of ​​the lowland is more than 3 million km2.

The Amazonian lowland is a lowland covering an area of ​​over 5 million km2. It is the largest lowland on our planet.

Climate of South America

There are 6 climatic zones in South America: Northern and Southern subequatorial belt, Equatorial, Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate zone.

The climate of South America in most of its subequatorial and tropical, in which dry and wet seasons are clearly defined. Equatorial humid climate characteristic only of the Amazonian lowland. In the south of the continent, a subtropical and temperate climate prevails. In the northern plains, the temperature is 20-28 degrees all year round. In the Andes, temperatures decrease with altitude. There may even be frost. On the Brazilian plateau, the temperature in winter can drop to 10 degrees, and on the Patagonian plateau to zero degrees.

River systems of South America.

The following river systems are located on the mainland: Parana, Orinoco, Amazon, Paraguay, Uruguay.

The Amazon is the world's largest river in terms of basin area (7180 thousand km²), formed by the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers. Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Brazil owns most of the basin. It flows mainly through the Amazonian lowland and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Parana is the second longest river on this continent, flowing in the southern part of the continent. It flows through the territory of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay. Just like the Amazon flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Paraguay - a river, is the right tributary of the Parana. It divides the Republic of Paraguay into Northern and Southern Paraguay, and in its southern part is the state border between Paraguay and Argentina.

Uruguay is a river originating in Brazil and formed by the confluence of the Canoas and Pelotas rivers. It is the border between Brazil and Uruguay. Its river system is the country's main source of water supply. The country's largest hydroelectric power station is also located here.

Orinoco is a river that flows through Venezuela and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its feature is the bifurcation of the river. The Casiquiare River separates from it, which flows into the Rio Negro River. In this river there is a white river dolphin or Amazonian and one of the largest - the Orinoco crocodile.

Lakes of South America

Maracaibo (translated as "Land of Mary") is a large brackish water lake located in Venezuela. The depth of this lake differs significantly in its southern and northern parts. The northern one is shallow, and the southern reaches (according to various sources) from 50 - 250 meters. This lake is also one of the oldest lakes.

Titicaca (titi - puma, kaka - rock) is the largest lake in terms of fresh water reserves and the second largest after Maracaibo. More than three hundred rivers flow into this lake. It is navigable. Archaeological studies show that the city of Wanaku is located at the bottom of the lake.

Patos is a lake located on the coast in Brazil. It is 280 km long and 70 km wide. It is separated from the ocean by a sandy spit 8 km wide. It has large hydroelectric power stations. Salt, fish and oil are mined here.

Flora of South America

Due to the warm climate and the huge amount of rainfall, the plant world in South America is very diverse. For each climate zone characteristic flora. A large area is occupied by the jungle, which is located in the tropical zone. Here grow: chocolate and melon tree - papaya, rubber trees, various palm trees, orchids.

To the south of the jungle, deciduous and evergreen plants grow in the equatorial forests. Here grows such a tree as a quebracho, which has a very durable wood. In the subtropical zone, you can find vines and cacti. Further, moving south, there is a steppe zone where feather grass and various herbs grow. Behind this zone, deserts and semi-deserts begin, where dry shrubs grow.

Fauna of South America

The fauna of the mainland is as diverse as the flora. Monkeys, sloths, jaguars, anteaters, parrots, hummingbirds, toucans and many other animals live in the tropics. Crocodiles, anacondas, piranhas, a rodent - a kopibaru, are found in the Amazonian selva, river dolphins. Only here you can meet a wild cat - an ocelot, similar to a leopard. In the savannah live: armadillos, peccary pigs, spectacled bear, ostriches, cougars, fox and maned wolf. In the plains zone live: deer, llamas, pampas cat. Only in South America can you find deer - pudu, only 30-40 cm high. Huge turtles live on the Galapagos Islands, which belong to South America.

Striking, mysterious, incredible, fantastic - countless epithets can be picked up when describing South America. You can talk about it endlessly without telling even a millionth part. So let's take a look at this amazing continent as if through a hole in the theater curtain of Time, trying to capture facts, events, forests, mountains, rivers, smells, colors, animals and people - as far as the view allows ...

(Spanish América del Sur, Sudamérica, Suramérica; port América do Sul; English South America; Dutch Zuid-Amerika; French Amérique du Sud; Quechua Urin Awya Yala, Urin Amerika) - the southern continent located in 3- hemispheres of the Earth: for the most part - in the Western and Southern, partially - in the Northern. The continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic - in the east, (Spanish: Mar Caribe) - in the north. The Caribbean Sea acts as a natural border between the two Americas, North and South. Countries located in the northern part southern mainland, washed by the Caribbean Sea (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Panama), are part of the Caribbean South America formation (Spanish: Caribe Sur America).

Discovery of South America by Europeans

The discovery of America was one of major events in the history of mankind.

There is a hypothesis that long before Columbus, the mysterious continent was discovered by ancient navigators (Phoenicians), and also in the middle of the 1st millennium AD. - Chinese and Vikings (Normans).

South America was discovered by Europeans only in the 15th century. Control of the South Atlantic at that time belonged to the Portuguese. The Spanish monarchy sought to establish contacts with the countries of the East, so a research expedition was organized under the leadership of the Genoese navigator (1492-1493). Subsequently, Columbus made 3 more trips to unknown shores (1493-1504).

The real discovery of South America as a new continent took place in the 16th century. Italian navigator (1500-1502).

Vespucci called the discovered and described lands the New World, later the continent was christened in his honor - this is how “America” appeared. However, the name of Columbus was also immortalized - one of the countries of South America, Colombia, was named after the legendary navigator.

The era of the Conquista

Having learned about the discovery of the New World, a stream of adventurers poured onto the mainland, dreaming of taking possession of the innumerable treasures of unknown lands. These invaders from Portugal or Spain (period from the end of the 15th - 16th centuries) were called conquistadors(Spanish Conquistador - "conqueror").

The conquerors were interested in the natural wealth of the open lands: gold, silver, precious stones and gems, which were exported in large quantities to Europe.

When the Spanish conquistadors landed on the mainland in 1531, it was inhabited by numerous isolated cultures at various stages of development. While the powerful Inca Empire flourished in the Central Andes, numerous peoples lived in the Orinoco and Amazon river basins (, Caribs, etc.), whose worldview was typical of primitive man: their world was inhabited by spirits, and life was sanctified by myths.

Overwhelmed by a thirst for enrichment, the conquistadors ruthlessly destroyed local residents, plundered settlements, devastated the occupied territories. However, along with barbarism in the XV-XVI centuries. new lands were explored, maps of the coast and the inland part were created, detailed descriptions of nature and relief were compiled.

Closer to the middle of the XVI century. began an active seizure of the interior lands of the continent. One stream of colonization moved east: in 1524-1538. units of the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo de Quesada(Spanish Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada) conquered the Chibcha Muisca tribes, captured the river valley (Spanish Río Madalena) and the upper reaches of the Orinoco, belonging to the territory of present-day Colombia; the southern coast of the Caribbean Sea (modern Venezuela) was occupied by the Germans (in 1545 these lands were ceded to Spanish possessions). In 1530, the Portuguese began the colonization of modern Brazil.

Almost in the same period (1524-1531), Spanish navigators under the command of (Spanish Francisco Pizarro y González) and Gonzalo de Quesada (Spanish Diego de Almagro) captured the northwestern coast of the New World to Guayaquil Bay (Spanish Golfo de Guayaquil; Ecuador), and in 1532-1534. defeated the mighty Inca Empire.

The third stream of colonization advanced from the Southeast. Back in 1516 Juan de Solis(Spanish Juan Díaz de Solís) in search of a southern passage to the Pacific Ocean discovered the "Silver River" (Spanish Río de la Plata; modern Parana). In 1536, Spanish conquistadors led by (Spanish Pedro de Mendoza) founded a city at the mouth of the river (Spanish Buenos Aires, lit. "good winds"). In 1537, the Spaniards entered the basin (Spanish Río Paraguay - the right tributary of the Parana), where they founded the city (Spanish Asuncion - "Ascension"), but soon they had to retreat under pressure from local Indian tribes. Only in 1540 did the conquistador (Spanish: Cabeza de Vaca) manage to finally gain a foothold at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata.

In the 1540s. conquistadors led by (Spanish Pedro de Valdivia; the first Spanish governor of Chile) conquered most of Chile, breaking the fierce resistance of the warlike Araucans.

In 1541, the Spanish navigator, conquistador (Spanish: Francisco de Orellana) reached the headwaters of the Amazon and went downstream to the very mouth.

The coast of South America between the rivers Orinoco and Oyapoki (modern Guiana) became the object of the expansion of England, Holland and France. In the early 1580s, the Dutch made an attempt to settle in Central Guiana (Suriname); in 1604, the French began the development of Eastern Guiana, and Western and Central Guiana in the 17th century. turned into an arena of struggle between the British and Dutch colonialists.

It is noteworthy that all the conquests in the New World were made by small detachments of several hundred people. The ease with which the Europeans managed to conquer peoples is explained by the internal weakness of the captured states. A significant role here was played by the admiration of the Indians for the "white-faced", whom they considered the messengers of the White God, who taught people agriculture and crafts. Suppressing the resistance of the Indians, the Spaniards killed them by the thousands; those left alive were turned into slaves, forced to work on plantations, in quarries, mines or in hot shops. Preferring death to captivity, the Indians committed group suicides.

The mass death of indigenous people from overwork, unbearable living conditions and diseases brought by aliens (smallpox, plague, diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, typhus and tuberculosis) led to the largest demographic catastrophe on the planet: over 100 years of the conquest, the number of indigenous people of the New World decreased by according to various estimates by 10-15 times (from 17-25 million to 1.5 million). As a result, some regions became completely depopulated; many South American Indian tribes have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. For labor on plantations and in mines, the colonialists began to import black slaves in huge quantities.

Fight for independence

In the XVIII century. contradictions between the colonies and the mother country became extremely aggravated. Disagreements among the ruling class also began to worsen: between the noble Spaniards (large landowners who made up the ruling elite), and the Creoles (Creoles are the first descendants of the Spanish conquistadors born in South America from local residents) - merchants, owners of plantations and mines. The Creoles demanded socio-economic freedoms, the abolition of restrictions on trade in the foreign market, and the provision of self-government up to autonomy.

The movement for liberation from the colonial oppression of the South American countries was greatly influenced by the liberation war of the British colonies, which ended with the recognition by England of the independence of the United States.

Exacerbation of class contradictions in the 1780s. caused revolutionary movements in Peru and in the Spanish viceroyalty (Spanish Nueva Granada; image in 1718), which included the territories of modern Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador.

In 1781 in the town Socorro(Spanish Socorro; present-day Colombia) riots against the abuses of officials flared up more and more often, which grew into a large-scale uprising against Spanish rule. In addition to the Creoles, the ranks of the rebels were joined by Indians, blacks and mestizos. The movement was defeated due to lack of organization. In the same years, unrest became more frequent in Chile.

At the next stage of the war of independence, the Creoles created rebel organizations (juntas) in the largest cities of Spanish America. In 1810-1815. the movement intensified in (Spanish: La Plata; Argentina). On May 25, 1810, a provisional government of the province of Rio de la Plata was created, which led the liberation struggle, and in 1813 the Republic of Paraguay seceded from La Plata.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Back in the 2nd half of the 19th century. the most developed countries of South America - Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil - entered the phase of the industrial revolution and by the beginning of the 20th century. laid the foundation of their industrial potential and actively integrated into a single world economic system.

The gaining of independence by countries, the fall of military dictatorial regimes, the liberalization of the economy and foreign trade intensified the development of integration processes in South America: the formation of regional production associations, the strengthening of mutual economic ties, the conclusion of free trade agreements, etc. Thus, in 1978, Bolivia, Brazil , Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and Ecuador have concluded Amazon pact(Spanish: El Pacto Amazonico) on cooperation in the development of the resource-rich Amazon basin and the preservation of the ecological balance of the region.

In August 1986, the Argentine-Brazilian Consolidation was formed (later Uruguay joined it), the purpose of the organization was to unite the economic efforts of the largest states of South America and strengthen their leading role in the region.

In March 1991, the heads of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay signed an agreement on the creation of the Common Market of South American Countries (Spanish: Mercado Común del Sur; Port: Mercado Comum do Sul; Mercosur). On January 1, 1995, it became the first customs union on the continent.

Population

A distinctive feature of the formation of the population of South America is its relative "youth" - only a few centuries.

Indigenous tribes

Before the arrival of Europeans in South America (the end of the 15th century), indigenous peoples and tribes who spoke languages, etc., lived here. With the “light hand” of Christopher Columbus, the indigenous peoples of America began to be called Indians - the legendary navigator who discovered the New World was sure that reached the longed-for shores of India. Most of the peoples of South America lived at the level of the tribal system. Tribes from generation to generation lived in complete harmony with nature, fed on hunting, fishing and gathering.

When the foot of a European first set foot on the land of the continent (1492), this was the beginning of the end for most of its indigenous inhabitants. Already 30 years later, on the very first islands discovered by the Spaniards, the local population was completely exterminated. The colonialists brought another problem to the mainland - European diseases. It is still unknown what turned out to be more destructive for the "forest people": Spanish swords and arquebuses or deadly viruses, to which the Indians had no immunity.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Changes in the ethnic structure of the population

The invasion of the Portuguese and Spanish conquerors led to fundamental changes in the ethnic structure of the continent. Racial mixing in the countries of South America moved at a rapid pace.

The ethnic composition of South America began to change seriously after the importation of a large number of African slaves. In the XVI century. representatives of 3 large races converged on the continent, between which there was a gradual mixing.

Another leap in the development of the ethnic structure occurred after the countries of South America gained independence. During this period, there were dramatic changes in the composition of the population of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay due to the massive influx of immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe. Significant ethnic changes in Guyana and Suriname were the result of an influx of refugees from India and China.

Chile received a wave of emigration from Spain, Germany, England, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Greece and Croatia during the 18th and early 20th centuries. Settlers arrived mainly in the uninhabited southern regions of the country, abundant in natural resources. German immigration continued after World Wars I and II, with the result that today about 500,000 Chileans are of German origin.

In the XIX - XX centuries. Germans immigrated to Brazil, mainly because of the difficult political and social situation in their homeland. As a result, now ok. 18 million Brazilians (10%) have German roots.

Racial composition

The racial composition of the South American population is very complex and diverse: today the continent is inhabited by more than 250 peoples and nationalities.

Representatives of 3 major races live on the territory of modern South America:

• equatorial (indigenous population - Indians);
• Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from European countries);
• Negroid (descendants of black slaves brought from Africa).

In addition to pure races, several mixed groups live on the mainland:

• mestizos - descendants from marriages of Europeans with Indians;
• mulattos - descendants from marriages of Europeans with Africans;
• sambo - descendants of marriages of Indians with Africans.

Mulattos have dark skin and combine the features of both Europeans and Africans. Mestizos are inhabited primarily by the northern part of the continent - Venezuela and Colombia.

There are not very many purebred Indians in South America. Despite the great mixture of nationalities, in some countries, the original Indian peoples still survived, who managed to preserve racial purity: Quechua, Aymara, Araucans. And in the depths of the Amazonian selva, to this day, small tribes live who do not want to make contact with civilization. Periodically, researchers manage to discover new "wild" tribes, but their study is almost impossible.

Ethnic minorities on the continent are also represented by Arabs and Japanese (Brazil), Chinese (Peru) and Indians (Guyana).

population

The average population density on the continent ranges from 10-25 people per 1 km². However, due to the natural and climatic features of South America, the population of the regions of the mainland is extremely uneven. For example, in Argentina there are more than 100 people per 1 km², and in Patagonia this figure is much lower - only 1 person per 1 km².

Most people live in large metropolitan areas. The least inhabited are the interior regions of the continent - the vast forests of the Amazon and some mountainous areas (some of these territories are completely deserted).

Languages

From the 16th century the Spaniards and the Portuguese, step by step, mastered new lands, founding new settlements, which later grew into large cities. It is because of the world domination of Spain and Portugal in those days that today the population of South America mainly speaks these 2 languages. In most South American countries, Spanish is the official language, it is spoken by about 240-250 million people. Portuguese is the official language in the continent's largest country, Brazil, which has a population of almost 50% of South Americans.

In French Guiana, the official language is French, in Guyana - English, in Suriname - Dutch. In the Republics of Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru, along with Spanish, Indian languages ​​are also considered official: Quechua, Aymara, Guarani, etc.

The few indigenous tribes that have survived in South America speak the dialects of their ancestors.

Religion

Together with the colonialists, South America "invaded" and christian religion, which began to gradually crowd out local beliefs.

Today, most of the South American believers profess Catholicism (one of the 3 directions of Christianity). The Indian tribes have preserved remnants of pre-Christian religions, and among the descendants of African slaves there are ancient cults of the Black Continent. There are also Orthodox, Protestants and adherents of some non-Christian religions (Muslims, Hindus).

Art, culture of the twentieth century

The culture of South America was significantly influenced by historical ties with European monarchies, especially with Spain and Portugal.

Therefore, the art of South American countries is characterized by both Western features and elements of traditional Indian cultures.

The culture of the region "reached the world level" relatively recently - in the 20th century. Today it is difficult to imagine the world without South American architecture, literature, music and painting, which have preserved an amazing naive purity and original perception of life.

The musical art of South America has rich traditions dating back to folkloric origins. At the dawn of the last century, popular “Latin American” musical styles became the property of world culture: cumbia"(Spanish Cumbia) from Colombia; " samba" (port. Samba) and " bossa nova"(port. Bossanova) from Brazil; " tango"(Spanish Tango) from Argentina and Uruguay. Also well known in the world is the folk genre " Nueva Canción”(Spanish NuevaCanción -“ New Song ”) is a musical direction based in Argentina and Chile. At the end of the XX century. influenced by British and American pop rock, Spanish rock emerged. Brazil was characterized by Portuguese pop-rock.

The literature of South America gained recognition all over the world, especially during the era of the Latin American Boom (1960-1970) and after the appearance of such masters as (Spanish Jorge Luis Borges - Argentine prose writer, poet; 1899-1986), (Spanish Pablo Neruda - Chilean poet; 1904-1973), Ernesto Sabato(Spanish Ernesto Sábato - Argentine prose writer, artist; 1911-2011), (Spanish Julio Cortazar - Argentine writer and poet; 1914-1984), (Spanish Adolfo Bioy Casares - Argentine writer, science fiction realist; 1914-1999) , (Spanish Gabriel García Márquez - Colombian writer; 1927-2014), (Spanish Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa - Peruvian prose writer; g / r 1936), etc.

Sport

Sports in the countries of South America are given great attention. The most popular sport on the continent is football. Other popular sports are basketball, volleyball, baseball, swimming, tennis, golf, beach volleyball, cycling and motorcycling.

In some countries there are national views sports, such as "pato" (Spanish Pato) in Argentina, "teho" (Spanish Teho) - in Colombia, "Chilean Rodeo" (Spanish Rodeochileno) - in Chile.

Since 1973, the stages of the Grand Prix of the Formula 1 World Championship have been held in Brazil.

In 2016, South America held its first Olympic Games that took place in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Football

Football, elevated almost to the rank of religion on the continent, is represented at the professional level by the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL), which is part of FIFA and organizes tournaments, the main of which are the America's Cup (Spanish: Copa América) and the Libertadores Cup ( Spanish Copa Libertadores). The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

Basketball

Basketball championships began to be held on the continent even before the formation of FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation).

Basketball is most popular in Argentina. Today, Argentine basketball players play for the strongest European and American clubs. The Argentine national basketball team won the first ever world basketball championship (1950), it is also an Olympic champion (2004) and the owner of the FIBA ​​Diamond Ball.

South America is the most amazing continent

South America is considered a continent of contrasts, geographical records and a place where the "most-most" striking natural attractions are located:

The amazing mirror effect of the Salar de Uyuni salt marsh

In addition, South America is literally “stuffed” with amazing sights created by human hands: the ruins of ancient civilizations (and other cities of the Incas), world-class metropolises (Bogota, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo , Santiago, etc.), cities with outstanding modern architecture (Brazilia, Buenos Aires), beautiful cities built in the Andean highlands (Caracas, Quito, Santiago).

An integral part of the kaleidoscopically diverse continent are some enchanting festivals, such as, for example, the annual (port. Carnaval do Rio), religious Siriu di Nazaré Festival(port. Festival Siriude Nazare) in Brazilian, the World Stage Tango Championship in Buenos Aires, the Festival de la Vendimia wine festival in Peru, etc.

Famous Natives of South America

The paradoxical continent, discovered by the great Columbus, but given its name in honor of the Florentine Amerigo Vespucci, gave the world many talented, successful, beautiful, selfless people. South American history is replete with outstanding personalities, ranging from outstanding Inca leaders (Pachacutec, Tupac Yupanqui,), conquistador pioneers (Pizarro and Alvorado), legendary fighters for independence (Francisco Miranda, Simoa Bolivar, José San Martin), to such controversial people, as a general who was called the "bloody dictator", and one of the most famous drug lords in world history, the head of the Colombian -.

In the modern world, there are a whole galaxy of bright personalities who come from South America.

Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio(Spanish Jorge Mario Bergoglio; born December 17, 1936, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine clergyman, since 2013 Pope Francis I (Italian FrancescoI).

In 2001, Pope John Paul II (Italian Giovanni Paulo II) elevated Archbishop Bergoglio to the cardinals, and on March 13, 2013, Catholics around the world received the news that from now on their pastor will be a priest from South America.

Nobel Laureates

South America is rich in talented people, many of them have been awarded the prestigious international award - the Nobel Prize in various categories.

• Carlos Saavedra Lamas(Spanish Carlos SaavedraLamas; 1878-1959) - Argentine statesman, lawyer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina (1932-1938), author of a series of works on domestic politics and international law; awarded the Nobel Prize (1936) for his peacekeeping role in the Bolivian-Paraguayan conflict.
• (Spanish Gabriela Mistral; 1889-1957), real name Godoy Alcayaga (Spanish Godoy Alcayaga) - Chilean poetess, diplomat, ardent fighter for women's rights; laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1945).
• Bernardo Alberto Usai(Spanish Bernardo Alberto Houssay; 1887-1971) - Argentine physician, biologist and physiologist, awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
• Pablo Neruda (Spanish Pablo Neruda; 1904-1973) - the great Chilean poet, diplomat, politician, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Chile; laureate of the National Literary Prize of Chile, the International Stalin Prize "For the strengthening of peace between peoples" and the Nobel Prize in Literature (1971).
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez(Spanish Gabriel García Márquez; 1927-2014) - Colombian writer, journalist, politician; in 1982 he received the Nobel Prize for works in which "fantasy and reality, combined, reflect the life and conflicts of an entire continent."
• Vargas Llosa Mario(Spanish Jorge Mario PedroVargasLlosa; b. 1936) - Peruvian prose writer, playwright and politician; recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2010

businessmen

The economic development of the countries of South America is different - there are rich countries, there are poor ones. But in each of them there are talented entrepreneurs, owners of significant fortunes.

• Sebastian Piñera(Spanish: Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera; b. 1949) Chilean economist, politician and billionaire businessman; President of Chile from 2010 to 2014, took over for the second time as President of the country on March 11, 2018. According to Forbes, in 2017 Piñer's fortune was $ 2.7 billion.
• Carlos Ghosn(port. Carlos Ghosn; born in 1954) is a manager from Brazil, a talented manager in the automotive industry. Forbes called him "the hardest working person in the global ... auto business." The Japanese media dubbed Ghosn "Seven-Eleven" ("Seven-Eleven") due to the fact that the working day of the Brazilian "workaholic" lasts from early morning until late at night.
• Eike Batista(port. Eike Batista; born in 1957) is the richest citizen of Brazil, whose fortune is estimated at $ 30 billion. Its main areas of activity are mining and timber harvesting. In addition, Batista owns shipbuilding, logistics, energy, entertainment and tourism companies. Listed the richest people world, which is published annually by Forbes, Batista is in the top ten.
• Georges Paulo Lehmann(port. Jorge Paulo Lemann; born in 1939) is a billionaire, the richest Brazilian in 2015 (with a fortune of $ 25 billion). Lehmann created one of the most famous investment banks in the country and one of the largest beer concerns in the world. In Bev products are world famous and sold in more than 130 countries.

Artists

In the countries of South America, various types of arts are developed. Many talented South American artists, writers, musicians, actors, architects are known all over the world.

• Carlos Paez Vilaro(Spanish Carlos Páez Vilaró; 1923-2014) - Uruguayan painter, sculptor, muralist, architect, writer, composer and traveler.
• (Spanish Fernando Botero Angulo; b. 1932) - Colombian artist, representative of grotesque painting; one of the most titled sculptors and icon painters of our time. Botero is one of the few masters whose genius was recognized during his lifetime.
• (Spanish Haydee Mercedes Sosa; 1935-2009) - the greatest Argentine singer, known as "the voice Latin America».
• Natalia Oreiro(Spanish Natalia Marisa Oreiro Iglesias; born in 1977) - super popular Uruguayan actress, singer, model, designer; since 2011 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
• Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (Spanish: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll; b. 1977), known as Shakira is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, music producer, and model.

South American beauties

It is not at all surprising that South America is famous for its beauties, and the winners of world beauty contests are often natives of the "new world" - beautiful people are born on a beautiful land. Here is some of them:

• (Spanish María Eva Duartede Peron; 1919–1952) or simply Evita (Spanish Evita) is the first lady of Argentina, wife (Spanish Juan Domingo Peron; President of Argentina in 1946-1955 and 1973-1974), popular favorite and recognized gorgeous.
• Diana Mendoza(Spanish Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada; born in 1986) is a Venezuelan model, winner of the titles "Miss Venezuela - 2007" and "Miss Universe - 2008".
• Stefania Fernandez(Spanish: Stefanía Fernández Krupij; born in 1990) is a fashion model from Venezuela, Miss Venezuela 2008, Miss Universe 2009.
• Maria Gabriela Isler(Spanish María Gabriela Isler; b. 1988) is a model from Venezuela, Miss Universe 2013 (Isler became the seventh Venezuelan to win the Miss Universe crown).

Curious facts

• The settlement of the South American continent by man occurred later than other continents - only 12-15 thousand years ago.
• South America is the wettest continent on the planet.
• The Amazonian lowland is the largest lowland in the world.
• Paracas raincoats, which have stood the test of Time, are recognized as the best textile products of the ancient cultures of the Earth.
• There were no starving people in the Inca Empire; those who for some reason could not work, the state provided the necessary minimum.
• In South America, there are no rail links between countries, with the exception of Argentina and Chile. Train routes within a particular country are quite limited, for example, in Brazil Railway connects regional capitals and. In addition, many tourist trains run through picturesque places, for example, the Quito- (Spanish Quito - Guayaquil; 445 km) route in Ecuador.
• Francis I became the 266th Pope, the first ever New World Pope and the first non-European Pope (in over 1200 years).
• South America gave humanity many cultivated plants, such as potatoes, tomatoes, cocoa, beans, pineapple, peanuts, hevea, tobacco, etc.
• On the "green continent" is concentrated ¼ of the planet's forests.
• The tropical rainforests of South America are home to almost ²⁄3 of all species of flora and fauna on the planet.
• Bananas are not palms or trees at all; in fact, it is a type of one of the tallest grasses in the world, similar in properties to bamboo.
• Recently, the views of the leading manufacturers of the Russian automotive industry turned to South America. For example, GAZ plans to assemble Gazelle there, and VAZ plans to assemble its cars in Venezuela and Brazil.
• The official national sport of Argentina is not football, but pato ("duck game"). In 1941, the first pato championship was held in the country.
• Mirikins are broad-nosed monkeys that live in the mountain forests of South America. These small animals (about 30 cm tall) lead an owl lifestyle: they sleep during the day and hunt at night. They can also imitate various sounds: barking like a dog, meowing, growling like jaguars, chirping and chirping like a bird.
• In the period 1991-2004. the territories occupied by the Amazonian forest decreased by 415 thousand km². The main reason for this is the clearing of the territory for settlements and agricultural land. But since 2011, deforestation in the Amazon has dropped significantly.
• The forests of the Amazon are called the "green lungs of the Earth": the Amazonian rainforest produces almost 50% of the planet's oxygen.
• The Amazonian jungle is the world's largest rainforest, covering 5.5 million km², which is almost ¹⁄2 of the total rainforest area on Earth.
• Every 10th described species of an animal or plant common on the planet is found in the Amazon jungle.
• Brazil is the country with the largest number of ethnic Ukrainians on the continent (more than 1 million), many of whom, in particular, live in the city.

The border between the Americas runs along the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea.

South America also includes various islands, most of which belong to the countries of the continent. The islands in the Caribbean belong to North America. South American countries that border the Caribbean - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Panama - are known as Caribbean South America.

The word "America" ​​in the name of this continent was first used by Martin Waldseemuller, putting on his map the Latin version of the name Amerigo Vespucci, who, in turn, first suggested that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were not related to India, but were the New World, before Europeans unknown.

Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, is located in South America. On the mainland, there is also the most powerful waterfall - Iguazu.

South America is the wettest continent on Earth.

Rivers

• Amazon
• Paraná
• Paraguay
• Uruguay
• Orinoco

lakes

• Titicaca
• maracaibo
• Patus

extreme points

• Northern - Cape Galinas 12°27′ N. sh. 71°39′ W d. (G) (O)
• Southern (mainland) - Cape Froward 53°54′ S sh. 71°18′ W d. (G) (O)
• Southern (island) - Diego Ramirez 56°30′ S sh. 68°43′ W d. (G) (O)
• Western - Cape Parinas 4 ° 40′ S sh. 81°20′ W d. (G) (O)
• Eastern - Cape Cabo Branco 7°10′ S sh. 34°47′ W d. (G) (O)

Political division of South America

• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have no permanent population.
• The islands belong to Great Britain and are part of the overseas self-governing territory of the Falkland Islands.
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are considered part of Antarctica.

Politics

In the political arena, the beginning of the 21st century in South America is marked by the arrival of left-wing forces, with socialist leaders elected in countries such as Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela. Against this background, in South America, the development of a market economy and international cooperation is everywhere noticeable, for example, the organizations MERCOSUR and the Andean Community were created, the purpose of which is the free movement of citizens, economic development, the removal of customs duties and the policy of common defense.

Since 2004, the Union of South American Nations, also known as UNASUR, has existed and developed - an organization that unites almost all the countries of South America, created on the model of the European Union. Within the framework of the union, a consultative South American Defense Council has been created, it is planned to create a common parliament, as well as the creation of a single market and the elimination of customs tariffs between the participating countries.

Demography

ethnic groups

At the ethnic level, the population of South America can be divided into three types: Indians, whites and blacks. In countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela, mestizos (descendants of the marriages of the Spaniards and the native population) predominate in demographic terms. Only in two countries (Peru and Bolivia) do Indians form a majority. Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela have significant populations of African descent. In such states as Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, the majority of the population is of European origin, of which in the first two the majority of the population are descendants of immigrants from Spain and Italy. Descendants of the Portuguese, Germans, Italians and Spaniards live in the south and southeast of Brazil.

Chile received a wave of emigration from Spain, Germany, England, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Greece and Croatia throughout the 18th and early 20th centuries. According to various sources, from 1,600,000 (10% of the population) to 4,500,000 (27%) people from the Basque country live in this country. 1848 was the year of mass immigration of Germans (also Austrians and Swiss) and, in part, French, mainly to the southern regions of the country, hitherto completely uninhabited, but rich in nature and minerals. This immigration of Germans continued after the first and second world wars in such a way that today about 500,000 Chileans are of German origin. In addition, about 5% of the Chilean population are descendants of Christian immigrants from the Middle East (Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, Armenians). Also, about 3% of the population of Chile are genetic Croats. The descendants of the Greeks make up about 100,000 people, most of them live in Santiago and Antofagasta. About 5% of the population is of French origin. From 600,000 to 800,000 - Italian. Germans immigrated to Brazil mainly during the 19th and 20th centuries in connection with the political and social events in their homeland. Today, about 10% of Brazilians (18 million) are of German origin. In addition, Brazil is a Latin American country with the largest number of ethnic Ukrainians (1 million). Ethnic minorities in South America are also represented by Arabs and Japanese in Brazil, Chinese in Peru, and Indians in Guyana.

Economy of South America

In the post-crisis years of 2010-2011, the economies of Latin America showed significant growth rates ahead of the world average: in 2010 growth was 6%, while the forecast for 2011 is 4.7%. Due to historically high inflation in almost all countries in South America, interest rates remain high, typically double those in the United States. For example, the interest rate is about 22% in Venezuela and 23% in Suriname. The exception is Chile, which pursued a free market economic policy with the establishment of a military dictatorship in 1973 and has been actively increasing social spending since the restoration of democratic rule in the early 1990s. This has resulted in economic stability and low interest rates.

South America relies on the export of goods and natural resources. Brazil (the seventh largest economy in the world and the second largest in the Americas) leads in total exports of $137.8 billion, followed by Chile with $58.12 billion and Argentina with $46.46 billion.

The economic gap between rich and poor in most South American countries is considered larger than in most other continents. In Venezuela, Paraguay, Bolivia and many other countries in South America, the richest 20% own more than 60% of the country's wealth, while the poorest 20% own less than 5%. Such a wide gap can be seen in many large South American cities, where makeshift shacks and slums stand next to skyscrapers and luxury apartments.

Tourism

Tourism is becoming an increasingly important source of income for many countries in South America. Historical monuments, architectural and natural wonders, a diverse range of food and culture, picturesque cities, and stunning landscapes attract millions of tourists every year to South America. Some of the most visited places in the region: Machu Picchu, rainforests Amazon, Rio de Janeiro, El Salvador, Margarita Island, Natal, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Angel Falls, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Patagonia, Cartagena and the Galapagos Islands.

Culture of South America

The culture of South Americans was influenced by historical ties with Europe, especially with Spain and Portugal, as well as - Mass culture from the United States of America. South American countries have a rich tradition of music. The most famous genres are cumbia from Colombia, samba, bossa nova from Brazil, and tango from Argentina and Uruguay. Also well known is the non-commercial folk genre Nueva Canción, a musical movement that was founded in Argentina and Chile and quickly spread to the rest of Latin America. People on the Peruvian coast created excellent duets and trios on guitar and cajon in a mixed style of South American rhythms, such as Marinera (Marinera) in Lima, Tondero (Tondero) in Piure, Creole waltz or Peruvian waltz was popular in the 19th century, soulful Arequipan Yaravi and, at the beginning of the 20th century, Paraguayan Guarania. At the end of the 20th century, Spanish rock appeared under the influence of British and American pop rock. Brazil was characterized by Portuguese pop-rock.

South American literature became popular all over the world, especially during the Latin American Boom in the 1960s and 1970s, and after the emergence of authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Luis Borges.

Due to the wide ethnic ties, South American cuisine has taken a lot from African, American Indian, Asian and European peoples. For example, the cuisine in Bahia, Brazil is well known for its West African roots. Argentines, Chileans, Uruguayans, Brazilians and Venezuelans regularly consume wine, while Argentina along with Paraguay, Uruguay, and people living in southern Chile and Brazil prefer mate or the Paraguayan version of this drink - terrere, which differs from other themes that it is served cold. Pisco is a distilled grape liqueur produced in Peru and Chile, however, there are constant disputes between these countries regarding its origin. Peruvian cuisine mixes elements of Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, African and Andean cuisines.

Languages

The most widely spoken languages ​​in South America are Portuguese and Spanish. Portuguese is spoken by Brazil, whose population is about 50% of the population of this continent. Spanish is the official language of most countries on this continent. Other languages ​​are also spoken in South America: in Suriname they speak Dutch, in Guyana they speak English, and in French Guiana they speak French respectively. You can often hear the native languages ​​​​of the Indians: Quechua (Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru), Guarani (Paraguay and Bolivia), Aymara (Bolivia and Peru) and Araucanian (southern Chile and Argentina). All of them (except the last one) have an official status in the countries of their linguistic area. Since a significant proportion of the population of South America are from Europe, many of them still retain their own language, the most common of which are Italian and German in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela and Chile. The most popular foreign languages ​​studied in South America are English, French, German and Italian.

Sport

Sports play an important role in South America. The most popular sport is football, professionally represented by the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL), which is part of FIFA and organizes tournaments, the main of which are the America's Cup (international tournament) and the Copa Libertadores (competition between clubs). In Uruguay, the country of South America, the first World Cup was held in 1930, and in the entire history of the competition, the countries of South America have won 9 times out of 19 (Brazil 5 times, Argentina and Uruguay 2 times each). Other popular sports are basketball, swimming and volleyball. Some countries have national sports such as pato in Argentina, tejo in Colombia, and rodeo in Chile. As for other sports, the popularity of rugby, polo and hockey in Argentina, motorsports in Brazil and cycling in Colombia can be highlighted. Argentina, Chile and Brazil have become Grand Slam tennis champions.

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South America is a continent crossed by the equator with an area of ​​18.13 million km², most of which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It was connected to North America very recently (in a geological sense) in the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. The Andes, a relatively young and seismically unstable chain of mountains, extends along the western border of the continent; the lands to the east of the Andes are occupied mainly by tropical forests, the vast basin of the Amazon River.

South America ranks fourth in area, after Eurasia, Africa and North America. It ranks fifth in terms of population, after Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

It is believed that human settlement occurred through the Bering Isthmus, now the Bering Strait, and there is also an assumption about migration from the South Pacific.

From the 1530s, the local population of South America was enslaved by European invaders, first from Spain, later from Portugal, who divided it into colonies. During the 19th century, these colonies gained independence.

South America also includes various islands, most of which belong to the countries of the continent. Caribbean territories belong to North America. The South American countries that border the Caribbean - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana - are known as Caribbean South America.

The largest country in South America by area and population is Brazil. The regions of South America include the Andean States, the Guyanese Highlands, the Southern Cone and Eastern South America.

Climate

The climate is mostly subequatorial and tropical, in the Amazon - equatorial, constantly humid, in the south - subtropical and temperate. The entire northern plain part of South America up to the southern tropic has average monthly temperatures of 20-28 °C. In summer, they decrease to the south to 10 ° C, in winter on the Brazilian plateau to 12 ° C, in Pampa to 6 ° C, on the Patagonian plateau to 1 ° C and below. The greatest amount of precipitation per year is received by the windward slopes of the Andes in Colombia and South of Chile, Western Amazonia and the adjacent slopes of the Andes, the eastern slopes of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus, in the rest of the east up to 35 ° S. sh. falls annually 1-2 thousand mm. Arid areas west of the Pampas, Patagonia, south Center. Andes and especially the Pacific slope between 5-27 °S. sh.

natural areas

Equatorial forests (selva) are located on both sides of the equator, occupying almost the entire Amazonian lowland, the slopes of the Andes and the north of the Pacific coast.

Along the Atlantic coast, tropical rainforests are common, close to a typical hylaea. The soils are red ferralitic. Trees reach 80 m (ceiba), melon tree, cocoa, rubber hevea grow. The plants are entwined with vines, there are many orchids, in the Amazon - Victoria regia.

The animal world is associated with numerous tree tiers, there are few terrestrial animals. By the water - tapir, capybara, gavial crocodiles in the rivers, in the crowns - howler monkeys, sloths, from birds - macaw parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, boas are characteristic, including anaconda. There is an anteater, from predatory - jaguar, puma, ocelot.

The savannahs occupy the Orinok Lowland and most of the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands. The soils are red ferralitic and red-brown. In the northern hemisphere, among the tall grasses (llanos), there are tree-like spurges, cacti, mimosa, bottle trees. In the south (campos) it is much drier, there are more cacti. There are no large ungulates, but there are peccaries, armadillos, anteaters, rhea ostriches, cougars, and jaguars.

The steppes of South America (pampas) have fertile reddish-black soils, cereals predominate. Typical are fast pampas deer, pampas cat, several types of llamas, and rhea ostriches.

Deserts and semi-deserts are located in the temperate zone in Patagonia. The soils are brown and gray-brown, dry grasses, cushion-shaped shrubs. The animal world is similar to the pampas (nutria, small armadillos).

Regions of altitudinal zonation. The most complete set of belts around the equator.

On the mainland, two large regions are distinguished - the East and the Andes. In the East, the Amazon, the Brazilian Highlands, the Orinoco plains, and Patagonia are distinguished.

Inland waters

Rivers have huge river systems. The food is rain, most of the rivers belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin.

Discovery history

Europeans became reliably aware of the existence of South America after the voyage of Columbus in 1498, who discovered the islands of Trinidad and Margarita, explored the coastline from the Orinoco River Delta to the Paria Peninsula. In the 15-16 centuries. The greatest contribution to the exploration of the continent was made by Spanish expeditions. In 1499-1500, the Spanish conquistador Ojeda led an expedition to the northern coast of South America, which reached the coast in the region of modern Guiana and, following in a northwesterly direction, explored the coast from 5-6 ° S. sh. to the Gulf of Venezuela. Later, Ojeda explored the north coast of Colombia and built a fortress there, marking the beginning of the Spanish conquests on this continent. The survey of the northern coast of South America was completed by the Spanish traveler Bastidas, who in 1501 explored the mouth of the Magdalena River and reached the Gulf of Uraba. Expeditions of Pinson and Lepe, continuing to move south along Atlantic coast South America, in 1500 they discovered one of the branches of the Amazon delta, explored the Brazilian coast to 10 ° S. sh. Solis moved further south (up to 35°S) and discovered La Plata Bay, the lower reaches of the major rivers Uruguay and Parana. In 1520, Magellan explored the Patagonian coast, then passed into the Pacific Ocean through the strait, later named after him, completing the study of the Atlantic coast.

In 1522-58. explored the Pacific coast of South America. Pizarro walked along the coast of the Pacific Ocean to 8 ° S. sh., in 1531-33. he conquered Peru, plundering and destroying the Inca state and founding the City of the Kings (later called Lima). Later - in 1535-52. - The Spanish conquistadors Almagro and Valdivia descended along the coast to 40 ° S. sh.

Exploration of the inland regions was stimulated by legends about the hypothetical "country of gold" - Eldorado, in search of which the Spanish expeditions of Ordaz, Heredia and others in 1529-46 crossed the Northwestern Andes in different directions, traced the currents of many rivers. The agents of the German bankers Ehinger, Federman and others surveyed mainly the northeast of the continent, the upper reaches of the Orinoco River. In 1541, Orellana's detachment crossed the mainland for the first time in its widest part, tracing the middle and lower reaches of the Amazon River; Cabot, Mendoza, and others in 1527-48 passed along the major rivers of the Parana-Paraguay basin.

The extreme southern point of the continent - Cape Horn - was discovered by the Dutch navigators Lemaire and Schouten in 1616. The English navigator Davis discovered the "Land of the Virgin" in 1592, suggesting that it was a single land; only in 1690 Strong proved that it consists of many islands and gave them the name Falkland Islands.

In the 16-18 centuries. detachments of the Portuguese mestizo-Mamiluks, who made aggressive campaigns in search of gold and jewelry, repeatedly crossed the Brazilian Plateau and traced the course of many tributaries of the Amazon. Jesuit missionaries also took part in the study of these areas.

To test the hypothesis of the spheroidal shape of the Earth, the Paris Academy of Sciences sent an Equatorial Expedition to Peru in 1736-43 to measure the meridian arc, led by Bouguer and Condamine, which confirmed the validity of this assumption. In 1781-1801, the Spanish topographer Azara carried out comprehensive studies of the La Plata Bay, as well as the basins of the Parana and Paraguay rivers. Humboldt explored the Orinoco river basin, the plateau of Quito, visited the city of Lima, presenting the results of his research in the book Journey to the Equinox Regions of the New World in 1799-1804. The English hydrographer and meteorologist Fitzroy in 1828-30 (on the expedition of F. King) surveyed the southern coast of South America, and later led the famous round-the-world trip on the Beagle ship, in which Darwin also took part. The Amazon and the Brazilian Plateau adjacent to it from the south were explored by the German scientist Eschwege (1811-14), the French biologist Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire (1816-22), the Russian expedition led by Langsdorf (1822-28), the English naturalist A. Wallace (1848- 52), French scientist Coudros (1895-98). German and French scientists studied the Orinoco River basin and the Guiana Plateau, American and Argentinean - the lower reaches of the Parana and Uruguay rivers in the La Plata region. A great contribution to the study of this continent was made by Russian scientists Albov, who in 1895-96 studied Tierra del Fuego, Manizer (1914-15), Vavilov (1930, 1932-33).

South America: geographical location. Two continents - South and North America - form a single part of the world under the common name America. These continents are interconnected by the Isthmus of Panama, through which in 1920 the navigable Panama Canal was dug, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. South America is located in the Western Hemisphere and is washed by the waters of the Pacific (in the west) and Atlantic (in the north and east) oceans. Mainland area approx. 18 million sq. km. In its shape, South America is similar to a triangle, tapering to the south. The length of South America from north to south along 70 degrees W. — 7350 km, and from west to east along the 10th degree north latitude. — 4655 km.

Extreme points of South America:

• Northern - Cape Galinas 12°25′ N, 71°39′ W
• Western - Cape Parinas 4°40′ S, 81°20′ W
• Eastern - Cape Cabo Branco 7°10′ S, 34°47′ W
• South - Cape Froward 53°54′ S, 71°18′ W

In the east, the mainland is washed by the waters Pacific Ocean, in the north and west - Atlantic. The coastline is very poorly indented. Only in the southeast there are several not very large bays: La Plata, San Matias, San Jorge and Baia Grande. To the north is the only Caribbean Sea.

Relief and geological structure.

The relief of South America is represented by plains and plateaus in the east and mountain ranges in the west of the mainland. The relief of the eastern part is based on the ancient South American platform. Large low-lying plains formed on it - the Amazonian, Orinokskaya, La Platskaya, composed of strata of marine and continental sediments. The Brazilian and Guiana Highlands, 500 to 2500 m high, are confined to the shields (raised sections of the platform).

In the west of the mainland, the Andes, or Andean Cordillera, stretch for 9000 km from north to south, separating the rest of the continent from the Pacific Ocean. This is a folded region of Alpine age; is a continuation of the North American Cordillera and consists of parallel ranges. Between the ridges are the Central Andean highlands and plateaus. The mountain-building processes in the Andes have not ended, so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent here.

The largest peaks : Aconcagua – 6960m(Argentina), Ojos del Salado- 6880m (Chile), Tupungato- 6800m (Argentina-Chile), Huascaran - 6768m (Peru), Ankouma - 6550m (Bolivia), Illimani - 6402m (Bolivia).
The largest volcanoes : Lullaillaco – 6723m(Argentina-Chile), Sajama- 6520m (Bolivia), Koropuna- 6425m (Peru), San Pedro - 5974m (Chile).

Climate.

The geographic location and configuration of the mainland determine how much heat it receives throughout the year. South America - the wettest continent on the ground. A lot of moisture is brought from the Atlantic Ocean trade winds. The Andes block the way for air masses from the Pacific Ocean.

South America is located in equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and moderate climatic zones.

Most of the Amazonian lowland and the northeast coast of the mainland are located in equatorial belt. The air temperature during the year is +25-28 °C. The amount of precipitation is from 1500 to 3500 mm, in the foothills of the Andes - up to 7000 mm.

subequatorial belt The northern and southern hemispheres are connected on the east coast, fringing the equatorial climatic zone. There is a seasonality in the distribution of precipitation. A large number of them - 2000 mm - falls in the summer. The rainy season in the Northern Hemisphere is from May to December, in the Southern Hemisphere from December to May. Air temperature +25 °С. Winter comes with the advent of tropical continental air. Precipitation is practically non-existent; air temperature +20 °C.

Tropical climate zone.

Located only in the Southern Hemisphere. Air temperature +20 °С. It is divided into two types of climate. Humid tropical climate formed in the east and southeast of the Brazilian Highlands under the influence of trade winds that bring moisture. Precipitation is less than in the subequatorial zone. To the west, precipitation decreases and forms dry tropical climate. Big influence here has a cold Peruvian current. There is an inversion of temperatures: the air is saturated with moisture, but it is very cold, as a result of which precipitation does not fall. Here is the coastal desert Atacama.

subtropical belt located south of 30º S. sh., within its limits three types of climate are formed. On the west coast subtropical mediterranean climate with dry, cool summers (+20 °С) and humid warm winter(+10 °С, cloudy rainy weather prevails). As we move deeper into the mainland, the climate becomes continental subtropical. Precipitation falls only 500 mm. Formed on the east coast subtropical humid climate: summer temperature in January +25 °С, and winter temperature in July +10 °С, precipitation falls up to 2000 mm per year.

temperate climate zone located south of 40º S. Formed on the west coast maritime temperate type climate: warm humid winter (+5 °С), humid cool summer (+15 °С); precipitation - up to 2000 mm and more. In the eastern part of the belt - temperate continental type climate: winter is colder (0 °С), summer is warm (+20 °С). Precipitation - 300 mm.

formed in the Andes mountain type climate. Here climatic zones replace each other according to the law of vertical zoning. At the foot of the mountains, the climate does not differ from the surrounding areas. As you rise, the temperature and precipitation change.

Land waters.

South America is rich inland waters. Most of the rivers are fed by rain, some get water from the melting of snow and ice in the mountains. The largest river Earth Amazon(6400 km). The area of ​​its river basin is 7 million km2- This is almost 40% of the mainland. Being in a zone of high humidity, the river is full of water all year round. The river floods twice a year: in May during rains in the Southern Hemisphere and in October-November in the Northern Hemisphere.

Unlike the Amazon River Orinoco(2730 km) and Paraná(4380 km) have a pronounced seasonal runoff. The flood period on the rivers falls on the summer wet season. Flowing down from the Andes rivers in the upper reaches form waterfalls. On one of the tributaries of the Orinoco is the highest waterfall in the world - Angel (1054 m); On one of the tributaries of the Parana is the Iguazu Falls.

Of the large lakes of South America, the most famous are: lake maracaibo, which is a desalinated lagoon, near the Caribbean Sea. Lake Titicaca located in the Andes at an altitude of 3800 m - the largest alpine lake in the world.

Minerals of South America

On the plateau East there are deposits of iron, manganese ores, nickel, bauxite deposits containing aluminum. Oil, natural gas, and coal have been found in the depressions and troughs of the platform.

Andes especially rich in non-ferrous and rare metals. Magma intrusion into sedimentary rocks led to the formation of the world's largest deposits of copper ores, as well as molybdenum, tin, silver, etc. The name of the mountains comes from the word "anta", in the Inca language - "copper".

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