South America

South America Description

South America, the planet's 4th largest continent, includes (12) independent countries and (3) major
territories; the Falkland Islands, Galapagos Islands and French Guiana. With a population of
379,500,000 (2009 est), it is the fifth most populous continent falling below Asia, Africa, Europe and
North America.
The continent contains the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela; the largest river (by
volume), theAmazon River; the longest mountain range, the Andes, and the driest place on earth,
the Atacama Desert in Chile.

In addition, it includes the largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest; the highest capital city, La Paz,
Bolivia; the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca; and, excluding research
stations in Antarctica, the world's southernmost permanently inhabited community, Puerto Toro, Chile.

Country Capital
Argentina Buenos Aires
Bolivia La Paz - seat of government
Sucre - legal capital and seat of
judiciary
Brazil Brasilia
Chile Santiago
Colombia Bogot
Ecuador Quito
Falkland Islands / Stanley
Islas Malvinas
French Guiana Cayenne
Guyana Georgetown
Paraguay Asuncin
Peru Lima
Suriname Paramaribo
Uruguay Montevideo
Venezuela Caracas

http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/sageography/l/blcountrycity.htm

History of South America

The history of South America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories,
and traditions, passed down from generation to generation on the continent of South America. South
America has a history that has a wide range of human cultural and civilizational forms. While
millennia of independent development were interrupted by the Portugueseand Spanish colonization
drive of the late 15th century and the demographic collapse that followed, the continent's mestizo
and indigenous cultures remain quite distinct from those of their colonizers. Through the trans-
Atlantic slave trade, South America (especially Brazil) became the home of millions of people in
the African diaspora. The mixing of races led to new social structures. The tensions between colonial
countries in Europe, indigenous peoples and escaped slaves shaped South America from the 16th
through the 19th centuries. With the revolution for independence from the Spanish crown during the
19th century, South America underwent yet more social and political changes among them nation
building projects, European immigration waves, increased trade, colonization of hinterlands, and
wars about territory ownership and power balance, the reorganization of Indian rights and duties,
liberal-conservative conflicts among the ruling class, and the subjugation of Indians living in the
states' frontiers, that lasted until the early 1900s.

Prehistory

In the Paleozoic era, South America and Africa were connected. By the end of the Mesozoic, South
America was a massive, biologically rich island. Over millions of years, the type of life living in South
America became radically different than that of the rest of the world.[citation needed]

Later on, South America connected with North America. This caused several migrations of
tougher, North American mammal carnivores. The result was that hundreds of South American
species became extinct. However, some species were able to adapt and spread into North America.
These species include the giant sloths and the terror
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_America

http://www.realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/South_America.htm

South America
3500BC - 2500BC

Over the past thousand years, on the Pacific coast of Peru and Ecuador, improvements in farming have led to
increases in population and the spread of permanent farming villages. These developments have been accompanied
by the appearance of pottery, the invention of loom weaving and the beginnings of a more class-based society. The
largest villages house up to 4000 people. Here, large temple-mounds are starting to be built, evidence for the
development of a priestly elite able to control the labour of the rest of the population. This is also apparent in the
irrigation systems now being developed.

Elsewhere, the shift to farming has been much slower. However, in Amazonia, proto-agricultural villages are
beginning to appear, and pottery is spreading throughout the region.

Changes are also taking place in the high Andes, where the hunter-gatherer way of life is giving way to llama- and
alpaca-herding. A growing network of trade routes links the high mountain regions with the villages of the Pacific
coast.
http://www.timemaps.com/history/south-america-2500bc\
geographical feature
South America, the fourth-largest continent, extends from the Gulf of Darin in the northwest to
the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in the south.

South Americas physical geography, environment andresources, and human geography can be
considered separately.

South America can be divided into three physical regions:mountains and highlands, river basins,
and coastal plains. Mountains and coastal plains generally run in a north-south direction, while
highlands and river basins generally run in an east-west direction.

South Americas extreme geographic variation contributes to the continents large number of biomes.
A biome is a community of animals and plants that spreads over an area with a relatively
uniform climate.

Within a few hundred kilometers, South Americas coastal plains dry desert biome rises to the
rugged alpine biome of the Andes mountains. One of the continents river basins (the Amazon) is
defined by dense, tropical rain forest, while the other (Paran) is made up of vastgrasslands.

With an unparalleled number of plant and animal species, South Americas rich biodiversity is unique
among the worlds continents.

Mountains & Highlands

South Americas primary mountain system, the Andes, is also the worlds longest. The range covers
about 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles). Situated on the far western edge of the continent, the Andes
stretch from the southern tip to the northernmost coast of South America. There are hundreds of
peaks more than 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) tall, many of which are volcanic.
Aconcagua

The highest peak in the Andes, Aconcagua, stands at 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) and straddles the
Argentina-Chile border. Aconcagua is the tallest mountain outside Asia.

High plateaus are also a feature of the Andes. Thealtiplano of Peru and Bolivia, for example, has an
elevation of about 3,700 meters (12,300 feet). The Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile consists
of lower-elevation plateaus and rugged glaciers.

Most plants in the alpine biome are small, and their leaves are stiff and strong to protect them from
frost and drought. The largest herb in the world, Puya raimondii, is known as the Queen of the
Andes. A Puya raimondii can live for 100 years and can grow to more than 9 meters (30 feet) tall.
The leaves of this endangered species all grow from one woody stem, allowing moisture to run down
the leaves to the base of the plant.
Brazilian Highlands

Outside the Andes, South America has two principal highland areas: the Brazilian Highlands and the
Guiana Highlands. Located south of the Amazon River in Brazil, the Brazilian Highlands are made
up of low mountains and plateaus that rise to an average elevation of 1,006 meters (3,300 feet). The
Guiana Highlands are located between the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. The heavily forested
plateau of the Guiana Highlands covers southern Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, northern
Brazil, and a portion of southeastern Colombia.

River Basins

South America has three important river basins: the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraguay/Paran.
the Amazon
Orinoco

Paraguay/Paran.

The Amazon River basin has an area of almost 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square
miles), making it the largest watershed in the world. The basin, which covers most of northern South
America, is fed by tributaries from the glaciers of the Andes. Every second, the Amazon River
empties 209,000 cubic meters (7,381,000 cubic feet) of freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Amazon River is the life force of the equally vast Amazon rain forest, which makes up about half
of the rain forest of the entire planet. This tropical biome has as many as 100 different tree species
on a single acre, including the rubber tree, silk cotton tree, and Brazil nut tree. Other important plant
species include palms, ferns, and ropelike vines known as lianas that network throughout the rain
forests dense canopy.

The diversity of animal life in the Amazon rain forest is unsurpassed in the rest of the world. The rain
forest is perfectly suited for arboreal, or tree-living, animals. More than 2 million species of insects
are native to the region, including hundreds of spiders and butterflies. Primates are abundant
howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and capuchin monkeysalong with sloths, snakes, and iguanas.
Thousands of native birds include brightly colored macaws, parrots, toucans, and parakeets.
The Orinoco River flows north of the Amazon. The Orinoco flows in a giant arc for more than 2,736
kilometers (1,700 miles), originating in the Guiana Highlands of northern Brazil and discharging in
the Atlantic Ocean in Venezuela. The Orinoco River basin covers an area of about 948,000 square
kilometers (366,000 square miles) and encompasses approximately 80 percent of Venezuela and 25
percent of Colombia.

A vast savanna or grassland region, known as the Llanos, is the primary biome of the Orinoco River
basin. The Llanos is primarily made up of grasses. Swamp grasses,sedges, and bunchgrass are
found in wet, low-lying areas. Carpet grass is found in the higher and drier elevations.

Like most grassland biomes, the Llanos is the perfect habitat for many bird species, including the
scarlet ibis, bellbird, and umbrellabird. Important river species include the piranha, electric eel, and
the Orinoco crocodile, which can reach a length of more than 6 meters (20 feet).

The Paraguay/Paran River basin covers almost 2.8 million square kilometers (1,081,000 square
miles), which is much of southeastern Brazil and Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The
Paran River includes Iguazu Falls, a massive series of waterfalls that extend for 2.7 kilometers (1.7
miles).

Along with the Uruguay River, the Paran River empties into the Rio de la Plata estuary between
Argentina and Uruguay. The Rio de la Plata is the most populated region of both countries. The
capital cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, practically face each other
across the estuary.

The Paraguay/Paran River basin supplies water to theplains biome, or Pampas, of South America.
The Pampas have rich, fertile soil and predictable rainfall patterns. They are the most important
grazing and cropland areas on the continent.

Coastal Plains

A coastal plain is an area of low, flat land next to a seacoast. South American coastal plains are
found on the northeastern coast of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean, and the western, Pacific coast of
Peru and Chile. The coastal plains of northeastern Brazil are extremely dry. The Brazilian Highlands
act as a wedge that pushes moist sea winds away from the coastal plains.

The western coastal plains are also extremely dry. They are trapped between the cold Peru Current
to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. The Peru Currentbrings cold water to the Pacific
coast of Peru and Chile. This cold surface water results in thermal inversion: cold air at sea level and
stable, warmer air higher up. Thermal inversion produces a thick layer of clouds at low altitudes.
These low-lying clouds blanket much of the Pacific coast of South America. They do not
allow precipitation to form.
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is part of the western coastal plain. The Atacama is considered the driest
region in the world. The average rainfall is about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) a year, and some parts of
the Atacama have never had rain in recorded history.

Very few plants grow in this desert. Even bacteria, insects, and fungi are scarce. Larger animal
species are also rare, and include the grey fox, a type of deer called the huemul, and the viscacha
the largest member of the chinchilla family. Ocean birds, such as penguins, cormorants, and
pelicans, are found on the desert coast. While Atacama lacks flora and fauna, it is a rich source
of copper and a chief source of revenue for the Chilean economy.

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famous landmarks

Argentina Famous Landmarks

Christ the Redeemer of the Andes

Christ the Redeemer

Photo by: David W, Creative Commons
The statue of Christ the Redeemer of the Andes is a monument erected to celebrate the
peaceful resolution of a border dispute between Argentina and Chile. It is located at the La
Cumbre pass, which is the highest point on the road between Santiago de Chile and
Mendoza in Argentina. La Cumbre pass is also called Iglesia Pass on the Chilean side while
in Argentina it is referred to as Bermejo Pass.

Iguazu Falls
Devils Throat at Iguazu Falls in Argentina
Photo by: Luca Galuzzi, Creative Commons

Iguazu Falls, also known as Iguassu or Iguau Falls, are situated on the border of Argentina
and Brazil. They touch the Parana region in Brazil and the Misione region from Argentina.
The falls separate the river into upper and lower Iguassu. The first person to discover the
place was a Spanish conquistador named Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541. It was
rediscovered by Boselie during the end of the 19th century.

Lake District of Argentina

Lake District of Argentina

Photo by: Brian Holsclaw , Creative Commons
The Lake District of Argentina stretches from the town of Junin de los Andes in the north to
Cholila in the south. As the name suggests, this region has around twenty lakes where the
largest is Nahuel Huapi on the shores of Bariloche.
Los Glaciares National Park

Los Glaciares National Park

Photo by:
Ricardo Martins , Creative Commons
Los Glaciares National Park is the second largest national park in Argentina. Declared a
national park in 1937, its also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Its name is
derived from the giant ice cap in the Andes mountain range. This ice cap is the largest in the
world excluding the ones found in Antarctica and Greenland. There are two lakes situated in
the park Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma. These lakes feed into the Santa Cruz River,
which in turn flow into the Puerto Santa Cruz on the Atlantic.

Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Photo by: nestor galina, Creative Commons
Tierra del Fuego got its name from the campfires tended by one of its early settlers, the
Yamana tribesmen, which was visible to the ships passing by. Hard to reach and isolated, it
is no wonder that early explorers such as Ferdinand Magellan and Charles Darwin refer to it
as the end of the world. Magellan was actually the one who first used the name Tierra del
Fuego, thinking that the fires meant that the Indians where waiting to ambush his armada.
Exploration into this archipelago continues up to this day with adventure seeking travelers.
Tierra del Fuego can offer many activities for its adventurous visitors.

Bolivia Famous Landmarks

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca, Peru

Photo by: Phil-mc, Creative Commons
Lake Titicaca is located right between Bolivia and Peru in South America. It is one of the
most captivating lakes in the planet, and a trip to Titicaca will leave an unforgettable
memory on any visitor. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake on earth, which is more
than 3,800 meters above sea level. It is 196 kilometers long, extending from western Bolivia
to southeastern Peru.

Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni Tourist Guide
Photo by: funkz, Creative Commons
Salar de Uyuni provides tons of surreal and amazing views that you can see for yourself
through several days and nights of touring in Bolivia. You will surely be amazed to witness
for yourself the largest salt flat in the world that is actually blinding during the daytime.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku, Bolivia
Photo by: Marcalandavis , Creative Commons
Tiwanaku or Tiahuanaco, which is located in Bolivia Lake Titicacas southern shore, holds
the magnificent culture of the pre-Inca civilization which covered the period between 500
and 900 AD. The cultures enormous remains include a pyramid, several temples,
monoliths, symbolic gates and mystifying carvings of strange faces.

Amazon Rainforest
View of the Amazon Rainforest
Photo by: markg6, Creative Commons
The Amazon Rainforest, also known as the Amazon Jungle, is located in South America in
an area known as the Amazon River basin. While the forest covers several countries, the
largest percentage can be found in Brazil and Peru. Smaller portions exist in countries like
Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, and Suriname. The
Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and makes up about half of the
planets rainforest space. It is also home to the greatest river in terms of drainage and
discharge.

Christ The Redeemer Statue

Statue of Christ The Redeemer With The World As Background

Photo by: Wili Hybrid, Creative Commons
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue is 120 ft
tall and weighs 635 tons. It is now a part of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. It is
located on Corcovado Mountain at its peak 700 meters, or 2,300 feet high in the Tujuca
Forest National Park overlooking the city. The statue is made of concrete and soapstone. As
a symbol of Christianity, it has become an important icon of Brazil, with Jesus Christ
appearing to open his arms wide to embrace the entire city below.

Easter Island in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean

Stone Statues (Moai) at Easter Island

Photo from: Ian Sewell, Creative Commons
Easter Island is located 2,180 miles (3510 km) west of Santiago, Chile. This Island is full of
charm and beauty and has a fascinating history. The island is popularly known for its
monumental structures. Generations after generations of people lived here and left their
distinctive mark on this Island.
 Famous Landmarks of South America

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is a statue of Jesus of Nazareth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is 130
feet tall and was built in 1922. A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the statue has become an icon for Rio de
Janeiro and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone
The ruins of Machu Picchu, in Peru. 7,000 feet above sea level and nestled on a small hilltop between the
Andean Mountain Range, the majestic city soars above the Urabamba Valley below. The Incan built structure
has been deemed the Lost Cities, unknown until its relatively recent discovery in 1911.
Archaeologists estimate that approximately 1200 people could have lived in the area, though many theorize
it was most likely a retreat for Incan rulers.

Chichen Itza Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico; an estimated 1.2 million
tourists visit the ruins every year. Chichen Itza is located in the eastern portion of Yucatn state in Mexico.
Chichen-Itza which known as El Castillo (the castle), is one of
the new seven wonders of the world elected in 07.07.2007. Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city
built by the Maya civilization. Chichen Itza was said to have been built around 600 AD. Most of the building
was done from the 7th through 10th centuries.
Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. It located in Rapa Nui National Park, Polynesian
island. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the
early Rapanui people.

http://famouswonders.com/south-america/chile/