The continent of South America was originally discovered by Columbus. This fourth largest continent of the world has diversity of physical landforms, people, culture and flora and fauna. Therefore, it is also referred to as the “new world“. In comparison to other continents, it has experienced the forces of change and its economy has ascended rapidly in the market driven economy of the modern times.

Landscapes

Some of the well-known rivers of the South America are Amazon, Orinoco, Parana and Paraguay. The river Parana forms the boundary between the Paraguay and Brazil. “Itiapu“, the largest dam of South America, is located on it and generates 40% of the Brazil’s electricity. The Guiana falls, with most voluminous discharge in the world is also on the Parana River.

Climate and Vegetation

• The climate of South America is generally hot because it lies within the tropical zone.
• The equatorial type of climate is found in the entire Amazon basin.
• The entire region is covered with the tropical rainforests which is locally known as “Selvas”.
• The “balsa”, the lightest wood in the world, is found here.
• The Selvas lies between the tropical grasslands called “Llanos” in the north and “Campos” in the south.
• In this region, “Tropical Savanna Type” of climate is found.
• The southern part of the Campos is marked by a “warm temperate eastern margin type of climate” or China type.
• There is small annual range of temperature and rainfall. This region also experiences violent local storms.
• In Argentina and Uruguay, a cold wind called “Pampero” blows. It is accompanied by the thunder and lightnings.
• The northern part of Chile and the southern plateau experience a typical “hot desert type of climate”.
• The Atacama Desert”, the driest in the world, is a trade wind desert.
• “Patagonia” a midlatitude desert is another well-known desert of South-America. It is a desert because of “rain-shadow effect of the Andes”.

The “Mediterranean type” of climate which is characterized by warm dry summer and cool moist winter is found in central Chile. The natural vegetation here consists of the evergreen trees having thick, shiny leaves which are able to withstand the drought like conditions. The trees of Oak, walnut and chestnut are abundantly found.

Social Life

• The people of South America belong to three main racial group Amerindians, Black and Europeans.
• The people of mixed origin such as “Mestizos, “Mixed” and “Zambos” are also found. Mestizos form the largest group.
• The persons of Indian origin have live in Surinam, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.
• The most characteristic feature of the South American demography is the prevalence of high degree of urbanisation despite low level of technology and development.
• The rural to urban migration is very high because of both the pull and push factor.
• The entire economic activities are centered around the agriculture and trade in primary products.
• In the north-east Brazil, plantation agriculture is practised.
• “Coffee” is the chief crop of Brazil which is grown in the south-eastern highlands and Andean templada.
• The Mediterranean region of the Chile is suitable for the “Citrus fruits”. The shifting agriculture is practised in the Selvas.

Mining

Agricultural Products

Points to Remember

• The coffee soil of Brazil is famous as “Terra Roxa”.

• “Paraguay”, “Uruguay” and “Bolivia” are the three buffer-states between Argentina and Brazil.
• “Venezuela” is the south-American country which is member of the OPEC.
• “Cinchona” is the tree that yields quinine.
• Brazil shares the boundary with all South American countries except “Chile” and “Ecuador”.
• South American countries in descending order of size; Brazil-Argentina-Peru-Columbia.
• “Sucre” is the legal capital of Bolivia.
• “La Paz” is the administrative capital of Bolivia.
• Punta Arenas and Chile are the southernmost populous cities of the world.
• French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish are the Latin languages.
• “Portuguese” is the official language of Brazil.
• “Chuquicamata” is the copper capital of the world.
• “Brazil” is the country with the largest reserve of hardwood.
• “Minas Gerais” is the most mineral rich state of Brazil.
• “Drake Passage” is a strait between South America and Antarctica.
• Iquique in Atacama is the driest place on the Earth.
• “Colombia and Chile” are the South American countries with coast along both Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.

• “Titicaca” is the highest navigable lake in the world.
• “Brazil” is the only country through which both equator and one of the tropics pass.
• “Sao Paulo” is the largest city of South America.
• “Gauchos” are the people of mixed European and Red Indians ancestry who work on cattle farms.
• “Mt. Aconcagua” is the highest peak of South America.
• “Madeira” is the largest tributary of Amazon.
• Some of the South American countries bordering Caribbean Sea are: “Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana and Brazil”.
• Caliche or Sodium Nitrate is found in “Atacama Desert”.
• “Kourou” the French satellite launching station is in “French Guiana”.
• 31.Lake Maracaibo, famous for crude oil is in Venezuela.

• “Alfa-Alfa” is the nutritious leguminous grass of Pampas.
• “Angel falls” the highest in the world is on “Orinoco river of Venezuela”.
• “Pampero” is the violent cold wind in Argentina and Uruguay.
• “Pampas” is the temperate grassland of Argentina.
• “Tubarao of South Brazil” is South America’s largest steel making facility.
• “Coffee Plantations of Brazil” are famous as “Fazendas”.
• “Bolivia” and “Paraguay” are the landlocked countries of South America.
• Trans – Andean airways connects “Buenos Aires” and “Valparaiso”.
• “Gran Chaco” is an inland plain of South America in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It has warm temperate forest and grasslands.