Introduction
Map/Still:The South American colony of British Guiana gained independence as Guyana in 1966. Dutch Guiana …
* The South American colony of British Guiana gained independence as Guyana in 1966. Dutch Guiana …
The continent of South America is part of a vast cultural region known as Latin America. This area also includes the countries of Central America and the Caribbean Sea. For the most part the people in these countries speak Romance languages that developed from Latin. The term usually applies specifically to those places where the people speak Spanish or Portuguese. The Spanish were the first Europeans to see this region, and they soon took control of a large portion of what they called the New World. Although they eventually gave up that control, their influence continues.
Land
South America has a total area of 6,878,000 square miles (17,814,000 square kilometers), making it the fourth largest of the continents. The continent is shaped like a triangle and is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the north by the Caribbean Sea. It is connected to North America by a thin strip of land known as the Isthmus of Panama.
Mountains
Most of the continent is covered by rugged mountains and plateaus, which are high, flat lands. In the north are the Guiana Highlands. This area includes the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls, with a drop of 3,212 feet (979 meters). The Brazilian Highlands, another group of mountains and plateaus, covers more than half of Brazil (about a quarter of the continent).
The Andes Mountains, along the western edge of the continent, constitute one of the most impressive ranges in the world. (They are also much higher on average than either the Rocky Mountains of North America or the Alps of Europe.) The highest point of the South American continent—Mount Aconcagua in Argentina—is 22,831 feet (6,959 meters) above sea-level. In eastern Peru and western Bolivia is a great plateau called the Altiplano. Earthquakes are common along the entire Andes chain, and volcanoes have erupted in many places. Mount Cotopaxi, a snowcapped cone in Ecuador, is one of the more famous volcanoes. In the far south, a region known as Patagonia consists of a series of vast tablelands that rise in steps from the Atlantic to the Andes.
Basins
Video:A wide grassy plain known as the Llanos stretches across northern South America.
* A wide grassy plain known as the Llanos stretches across northern South America.
South America has several vast rivers that form large basins. These basins are generally flat and low-lying. The largest is the Amazon basin, which is surrounded by the Guiana Highlands on the north, the Andes on the west, and the Brazilian Highlands on the south and east. It includes parts of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The Paraná and Orinoco rivers also form basins. The plains of the Orinoco Basin are known as the Llanos. In Argentina a large area of plains called the Pampas is included in the Paraná basin. Other large plains are in Venezuela.
Waterways
Photograph:A bridge over the Paraná River connects Paraguay and Brazil.
* A bridge over the Paraná River connects Paraguay and Brazil.
The Amazon River is the most extensive river system in the world. It carries about 10 times more water than the Mississippi River of North America and is nearly as long as the Nile River of Africa. Other major rivers include the Orinoco, Paraguay, Paraná, and Uruguay. Iguazú Falls, between Brazil and Argentina, is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. It is a U-shaped chain of 275 separate waterfalls.
Lake Maracaibo, in Venezuela, is South America's largest lake. Lake Titicaca, in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, is next largest; it is also the highest major lake in the world that can be navigated by ships.
Marshes
Photograph:A region of vast swamps and marshes, the Pantanal in southwestern Brazil is one of the world's …
* A region of vast swamps and marshes, the Pantanal in southwestern Brazil is one of the world's …
Vast marshes are found in many low-lying parts of the continent. One of the widest marshy areas is the Pantanal, in the middle course of the Paraguay River. Wide, marshy areas border the mouths of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers as well.
Climate
South America has four general types of climate. In the tropical rain forest regions of the Amazon Basin in Brazil and parts of Colombia and the Guianas the average daily temperature is about 86° F (30° C). These regions receive heavy amounts of rainfall. On the edges of these regions is an area of savanna, or grassy parkland. There the temperatures are still high, but there is less rainfall. This area includes the Orinoco basin, the Brazilian Highlands, and part of western Ecuador. The southern part of Brazil, most of Paraguay, all of Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina share a humid subtropical climate, with rainfall common throughout the year and generally warm summers and cool winters.
Several areas of the continent are extremely dry. The two main desert areas are along the west coast of the continent, particularly the coast of Peru, and in Argentina. The fourth type of climate is found in the southernmost parts of Argentina and Chile and at high elevations throughout the Andes. In these cold areas, the average annual temperatures are less than 50° F (10° C).
Plants and animals
The Amazon River basin contains the most extensive tropical rain forest in the world. Many species of trees are found there. However, large areas of rain forest are being rapidly destroyed, mainly by settlers who are trying to use the space to raise cattle, plant crops, or build roads and houses. Savannas, which are a mixture of grasslands and some trees, are typical in central Venezuela and Brazil. The coastal deserts of Chile and Peru have little vegetation.
Two of the better-known animals of the Andes are the llama and the alpaca. Other mammals include several cats (especially the jaguar and puma), deer, bears, wolves, foxes, and raccoons. Mammals such as howler monkeys, spider monkeys, porcupines, armadillos, anteaters, sloths, and a wide variety of rats, mice, and bats are found in the tropical forest regions.
South America has more than a thousand bird species. Hummingbirds, parrots, toucans, woodpeckers, and raptors can be found in different regions of the continent. The Andean condor, a scavenger of the vulture family, is one of the largest birds capable of flight. Another unusual bird is the Humboldt penguin, which is found in several spots along the coasts. There are also numerous species of fish and reptiles, including many lizards and snakes.
People
South America was home to about 350 million people at the beginning of the 21st century. The population is a blend of several distinct groups: Native American, European (mostly Spanish and Portuguese), and African. There are also more recent immigrants from other European countries and Asia. About 40 percent of the people in South America are white. Most are the descendants of the Spanish or Portuguese colonizers or later European settlers. Another 40 percent have mixed ancestry, either as mestizos (white and Indian mixtures) or mulattoes (mixtures of blacks and whites, or blacks and Indians).
In the southern nations of Argentina and Uruguay, most people are white, and more than half are white in Brazil. In Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, there are many more Indians than whites, and mestizos are also common. Some of the Indians still live as their ancestors did centuries ago, especially in the more remote regions of the Andes Mountains and in a few parts of the Amazon rain forest.
Although some South Americans live in isolated rural areas in the high mountains and forests, most live in modern cities. The cities are growing in population as greater numbers of people leave the countryside. The largest city on the continent is São Paulo, Brazil, with about 18,000,000 people, including its suburbs. Other major cities are Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Lima, Peru; Bogotá, Colombia; Santiago, Chile; Caracas, Venezuela; and Montevideo, Uruguay.
Language and religion
Spanish and Portuguese are the languages spoken by most people in South America. However, the influence of other European settlers can be found throughout the continent. English is spoken in Guyana and elsewhere. In some areas, such as French Guiana, French is spoken. In Suriname, Dutch is the official language. A great many Indian languages, such as Quechua and Aymara, are also spoken.
Most South Americans are Roman Catholic. In some countries Catholicism is blended with traditional elements from earlier African and Indian religions.
Education and health
Several of South America's universities date from colonial times. For example, the Spanish created the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, in 1551. They opened the University of Córdoba, Argentina, in 1613. Primary school is generally required. However, in some remote areas people do not have access to formal education.
Nearly all South American cities have hospitals, but doctors and advanced medicines are not always available. The greatest health problems in South America are in the rural districts, particularly in the low plains and river valleys of the tropics. There diseases such as malaria are carried by insects and impure water is common. People who live in the crowded, poorer city neighborhoods also have a higher risk of health problems.
Economy
For many years the economies of most South American countries were not well developed. Most people were employed in such primary activities as agriculture, fishing, lumbering, and mining. They also relied on other countries for aid. As a result they now owe a great deal of money to those other countries. In the late 20th century, however, these countries made an effort to improve their economies by increasing their manufacturing and creating other sources of income.
Resources
Photograph:Iron is mined in Pará state, in northern Brazil.
* Iron is mined in Pará state, in northern Brazil.
The continent of South America has great mineral wealth. It has about one fifth of the world's total of iron ore, and large quantities of oil and natural gas are found in Venezuela and other areas. The Andes are a major source of much of the continent's minerals. Copper, tin, lead, and zinc are all mined in the Andes. Gold and silver, which attracted the Spanish conquistadors (conquerors), are still mined there as well, though production has decreased over the years. Emeralds and coal are found in Colombia. Brazil also produces large quantities of semiprecious gemstones.
South American rivers and coastal waters are important for fishing, especially along the Pacific coast. Dams have been built on many rivers to provide electric power and irrigation. The South American forests contain many valuable woods, such as mahogany, which is used for making furniture.
Agriculture
Farming is a large part of the South American economy. Most farmers raise only enough to feed themselves and their families. Because of this, some countries cannot produce enough food for their people, so food is imported. Many well-known plants and materials were first found in South America. Potatoes and tomatoes originated there, and cinchona bark, which is used to make the medicine quinine, also was discovered on the continent. Coffee, cacao, sugarcane, pineapples, and bananas grow in the tropical and subtropical regions, while corn, oranges, wheat, and vegetables are cultivated farther from the equator. Tobacco is grown in many parts of the continent, and cotton is a valuable product of Peru. Brazil is one of the world's top producers of coffee, oranges, and soybeans.
Cattle and sheep are raised throughout South America, and Argentina is a leading exporter of beef. In the Andes Mountains, especially in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, llamas and alpacas are raised for their wool.
Industry
Brazil is the leading manufacturing country in South America. Cars and trucks are produced in Brazil and Argentina, and clothing is made in a number of countries. Satellites and other spacecraft are launched from bases in French Guiana. Financial and business services are vital to every nation in South America, and the tourist industry has become increasingly important throughout the region.
Transportation
In many parts of South America, travel is difficult because of the continent's mountains, deserts, and forests. Traveling by train can be slow. Many roads have been built or paved in the 20th century, and long-distance buses now carry more passengers than do trains. The Pan-American Highway links most of the countries with each other and with North America. In some rural areas unpaved roads can be a problem. Airplanes have been very important in connecting the South American republics, and traveling by plane is common. On a smaller scale, boats operate along the continent's extensive waterways.
History
South America was first inhabited thousands of years ago by Native Americans, who created villages based on farming, fishing, and hunting. By about 2000 BC several groups had developed societies with highly developed cultures, especially along the Pacific coast and in the Andes Mountains. By at least the 15th century AD, these had developed into such large Indian groups as the Inca of the Andes Mountains, the Chibcha of Colombia, and the Guaraní of Paraguay. When the Europeans came to South America, the most advanced of the Indians were the Inca, whose empire covered a large section of the continent.
Arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese
Christopher Columbus, on the third of his famous voyages, arrived near the mouth of the Orinoco River in northern South America in 1498. Spanish and Portuguese seamen then explored southwards down the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. A Portuguese expedition reached the Brazilian coast in 1500. In 1513 the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. As a result of this discovery, Spaniards began exploring the Pacific shores of the continent. In 1519 the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the southern strait that now bears his name into the Pacific Ocean.
Both Spain and Portugal soon began taking over the territories they were exploring. In 1527 Francisco Pizarro landed in what is now Peru and began his conquest of the Inca empire. In 1532 the Portuguese established their first settlement in what is now Brazil. The Portuguese gradually took possession of the vast area of Brazil while the Spanish claimed the rest of the continent. They ruled over the Native Americans, who were used as laborers to mine for gold and other precious metals and to work the land. The Indian population declined sharply due to diseases introduced from the European settlers and from harsh working conditions. African slaves were then brought to the continent to replace the lost workers.
Independence
By 1800 the power of Spain began to decrease. British pirates and British warships constantly attacked Spanish ships and undermined Spain's control of South American trade. The French and the Dutch arrived on the continent and began to set up colonies of their own. In the 19th century growing numbers of people in South America began to demand independence from Spain. They wanted to have a voice in government and they were unhappy about the amount of earnings from mining and agriculture that were sent to Europe. The struggle for independence lasted for years. The main revolutionary campaigns were directed by two outstanding military leaders: José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. They were ultimately successful, and by the middle of the century all Spanish colonies had become independent nations.
There was very little fighting in Portugal's South American colony, Brazil. In 1822 the Portuguese recognized Brazil as an independent empire, and in 1889 the Brazilians formed a republic. By the end of the century only French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname remained colonies. The British and the Dutch granted independence to Guyana and Suriname, respectively, in the 20th century.
Many of the new countries set up governments based on the democratic pattern of the United States and France. However, over the years military leaders have often seized power, creating dictatorships.
At the beginning of the 21st century, there were many economic problems in South America as well. A small number of rich people owned most of the land, farms, and businesses, while many more people lived in poverty.
