SOUTH AMERICA

Some facts about the continent: S. America ranks 4th in terms of area, after Asia, Africa & N. America. In terms of population the continent ranks 5th after Asia, Africa, Europe & N. America. It consists of 13 independent countries and 6 dependencies. The largest country is Brazil and the smallest country is Suriname.

List of dependencies in the continent: Aruba (Netherland) Falkland Islands (UK) French Guiana (France) Bonaire (Netherland) South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (UK) Curacao (Netherlands)

The independent countries of the continent are Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.

Geography of S. AmericaSouth America can be divided into 5 physiographic divisions. They are as follows:1. The Andes2. Brazilian Highlands3. Guiana Highlands4. The Amazon basin5. The Deserts

The Andes: Run from NW Venezuela to the southern tip of Tierra Del Fuego. The mountain was formed by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath South American plate. It is the world’s longest and second highest mountain range. The length of the mountain range is 7000 km and the width is 500 km approximately It is a fold mountain

The highest point of the mountain range is Mt. Aconcagua, which is 6962 m high. The Andes is divided into three sub regions. They are:

Northern – Venezuela, Columbia, & Ecuador

Central – Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (altiplano)

Southern – defines the border between Chile & Argentina (South of Santiago the mountains are lower)

There are several important cities situated within the Andean region. They are Bagota, Santiago, Cusco, La Paz, Merida & Quito.

Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is a mountainous lake found in the border of Peru & Bolivia. By volume it is the largest lake of the continent.It is the highest commercially navigable lake of the world. It is situated at an altitude of 3811 m.There are 42 islands in the lake and some if which are densely populated. It serves as an inland drainage for about 27 local rivers.

The Brazilian Highlands It is of the most important physiographical region of the continent, occupying an area of about 5,000,000 sq. km. The highland is also know as Brazilian Plateau. The entire plateau is made up of basaltic lava. However the present landscapes are the product of intense erosional activities.The NE and SW extension of the highland measures 3500 km. The highest point of the plateau is Pico da Bandeira (2891 m) The entire highland falls inside the country of Brazil.

The plateau is often divided into three parts: Atlantic Plateau: The most densely

populated area of the highland. Southern Plateau: the region is covered

with tropical rainforest. Part of it consists of fertile soil, which is also knows as purple land.

The Central Plateau : Majority of the area is under grassland.

The NE corner of the plateau is known as Plateau of Borborema and the western section if the highland is called Plateau of Mato Grosso.

Guiana HighlandsIt occupies the area of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Apart from these countries, a part of it with Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. The shield is made up of Greenstone, Quartzite, Sandstone, Conglomerate and Shale. The highland is classified into three regional groups. They are:

Guiana Highland Proper (Venezuela) Mt. Roraima (2810 m) The Tumuc-Humuc Mountains (Guyana & Suriname) Juliana Top

(1280 m) Chiribiquete Plateau

The region is very sparely populated. Here we can find the famous Angel Falls on R. Kerep. (979 m)

The Gran Chaco Region The Gran Chaco region is a lowland in the Rio de la Plata river basin .This area is a hot and semi arid region, occupying areas of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil. This region is also known as Chaco Plain.

Llanos Llanos is a tropical grassland situated in between the northern Andes and Guiana Highland. It occupies few million square km of Venezuela and Colombia. This region is characterized by seasonal flooding, which can be as high as a meter. The principal river draining this region is R. Orinoco. The people working here as cow boys are locally known as Llaneros. Now a days, the grasslands are being cleared for agricultural purposes.

DesertsAtacama Desert: Occupies the area of Chile,

Argentina, Peru and Bolivia It is the driest desert of the

world.

Patagonian Desert: It is situated in

southern part of Argentina.