South America — southern continent in America, located mainly in the Western and Southern hemispheres of the Earth, partly in the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed by the waters of two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic, as well as the Caribbean Sea, which is a natural boundary between the two Americas.

Characteristics of South America

The length of the mainland South America is 7350 km. from north to south and 5180 km. from west to east.

Extreme points:

• northern- Cape Gallinas;
• southern (mainland)- Cape Frownard;
• southern (island)— Diego Ramirez;
• western- Cape Parinas;
• eastern Cape Cabo Branco.

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

Rice. 1. Views of South America

Brief description of South America

Relief

According to the nature of the relief, South America can be divided into the Mountainous West and the Plain East.

The average height of the mainland is 580 meters above sea level. Along the entire western edge stretches mountain system Andes. In the north of the mainland rises the Guiana Plateau, in the east - the Brazilian, between which is the Amazonian lowland. To the east of the Andes, lowlands lie in the foothills.

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Geologically, quite recently, the Andes were the scene of active volcanic activity, which in modern era continues in several areas.

Rice. 2. Guiana Plateau

Climate

South America 6 climatic zones:

• Subequatorial belt (occurs 2 times);
• equatorial belt;
• Tropical belt;
• Subtropical belt;
• Temperate zone.

Most of South America has a subequatorial and tropical climate, with well-defined dry and wet seasons; on the Amazonian lowland - equatorial, constantly wet, in southern regions subtropical and temperate. On the plains of the northern part of South America, up to the Southern Tropic, the temperature all year round is 20-28 °С, to the south in January (summer) it drops to 10 °С. In July, that is, in winter, the average monthly temperatures drop to 10-16 ° C on the Brazilian plateau, and to 0 ° C and below on the Patagonian plateau. In the Andes, the temperature decreases markedly with height; in the highlands it does not exceed 10 °C, and frosts are not uncommon here in winter.

The most humid are the windward slopes of the Andes in Colombia and southern regions Chile - 5-10 thousand mm of precipitation per year.

In the southern part of the Andes and on individual volcanic peaks to the north, glaciers are found.

South America is the wettest continent on Earth.

Rice. 3 South America. View from space

Mainland countries South America

There are 15 countries and territories on the continent:

• Argentina;
• Bolivia;
• Brazil
• Venezuela;
• Guyana;
• Colombia;
• Paraguay;
• Peru;
• Suriname;
• Uruguay;
• Falkland Islands(owned by the UK, disputed by Argentina);
• Guiana (belongs to France);
• Chile;
• Ecuador;
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (belonging to the UK).

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 language is an official language most of the 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.

What have we learned?

The topic "South America" ​​is studied in geography lessons in grade 7. From this article, we learned in which hemisphere South America is located, what it is washed by, on which mainland Brazil is located, and also learned another useful information: about the relief, climate and countries of this continent. We learned that South America is the wettest continent on the planet and that it has 6 climatic zones. Thanks to this article, you can easily create short message with a description of the continent or prepare a report for the lesson.

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South America is the fourth largest continent on Earth. Its length from north to south is more than 7,000 km, from west to east - about 5,000, and the total area reaches 17.8 km². Most of the mainland is in the Southern Hemisphere. Total inhabitants - more than 385 million people: according to this indicator, South America ranks fourth among the continents. But if we discard the dry facts, one thing can be said: this the whole world, unknown, bright, alluring and frightening at the same time. Each country of this continent deserves the closest study, the most curious tourists and the most enthusiastic reviews.

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How to get there

The cost of air travel to countries in South America varies significantly in common days and during sales. If a regular ticket can cost 1700-2000 USD on average, then sale and promotional tickets can be bought with a discount of up to 50%. The most profitable for Russians is to buy a ticket to Venezuela (the cheapest one can be bought for 500-810 USD on the days of maximum discounts). Or fly to the relatively massive countries of the Caribbean, such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, from where you can already move to the mainland by domestic airlines.

If you have time and money, you can arrange an unforgettable ocean trip: a boat trip to Buenos Aires will cost 1500-2000 EUR. Such a voyage will take much more time than a flight, because most often it is not just sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, but a full-fledged cruise calling at the ports of Europe and Central America.

Transport in South America

Inside the continent, air travel is quite expensive, but cruise travel by sea is widespread (the cost depends on the class of the liner). Railways are used mainly for cargo transportation - there are very few passenger trains, but bus service is very common. Traveling by bus, of course, is less comfortable, but very economical (prices vary depending on the country and destinations - tourist or domestic). In addition, car rentals are very cheap here.

Weather

AT different parts South America has a different climate. In the north - equatorial zone with maximum high temperatures in January, in the south - a frosty polar zone. This is where you can meet New Year in a bikini under the scorching sun, and then go to a more familiar climate zone for ski resort in the Andean highlands. In the south of the mainland, plump king penguins roam with might and main - Antarctica is close!

Hotels

If you find yourself in South America for the first time and are accustomed to the international class of service, choose large hotel chains (preferably international ones). Rooms in them cost from 50-90 USD per day. Students and exotic lovers often settle in small hotels or private apartments - the cost can start from 15-20 USD per day. Appearance and amenities of housing will depend on the country, proximity to popular resorts and personal luck. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Iguazu Falls

South American countries

Venezuela- a state in the north of South America, washed by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is the city of Caracas. Here there are conditions for a beach holiday - the luxurious beaches of the Caribbean coast, a fashionable secluded vacation on Margarita Island, and for active: national park Avila near Caracas, the Amazonian jungle, the highest waterfall on the planet - Angel, the world's longest cable car with a length of 12.6 km and the country's highest mountain peak - Pico Bolívar (4981 m).

Guyana- a state on the northeast coast of South America. The capital is Georgetown. Almost 90% of the country is occupied by wet jungles. Precisely by virtue of adverse conditions for tourism in the traditional sense, Guyana is visited primarily by ecotourists. They have chosen the waterfalls of the Guiana Highlands, the Pacaraima mountains, National parks Kaieteur and Ivokrama, where visitors learn the wisdom of rafting, as well as hiking and horseback riding through the Rupununi savannas.

Guiana(or French Guiana) - the largest overseas region of France, located in the northeast of South America. A French visa is required to enter Guiana. Administrative center the city of Cayenne. 96% of the country's territory is occupied by tropical forests - this region is one of the most forested and environmentally friendly in the world. Tourist centers and settlements local residents concentrated in coastal strip, central regions practically deserted.

Colombia- a state in the north-west of South America, named after the great traveler. The capital is Bogotá. Russians are allowed visa-free entry to the territory of Colombia for up to 90 days. This country is famous for its historical heritage, many museums and an amazing confluence European culture, brought by the Spanish conquistadors in the 15th century, and Indian, still carefully preserved in some parts of the country. Colombia has amazing nature: national parks, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Amazon River basin, palm valleys and coffee plantations.

Paraguay called the heart of America, because this country has no access to the sea. Its population has retained its identity: the Indian dialect of Guarani is here official language on par with Spanish. The capital is Asuncion. "Guiana" is translated from Guaran as " great river”- refers to the Rio Paraguay (the third longest and deepest river of the continent), dividing the country into the arid Gran Chaco plain and the humid regions of the interfluve of the Rio Paraguay and Rio Alta Parana. The country was chosen by ecotourists and connoisseurs of superbly preserved architectural monuments period of the Jesuit state.

Peru- state on west coast South America. The capital is Lima. Lovers of antiquities know Peru as the place of the settlement of the Incas - the Inca state of Tahuantinsuyu was largest empire pre-Columbian America and still remains a mystery to ethnographers and archaeologists. Here is the famous Machu Picchu, which has become one of the new wonders of the world, and landscapes with mysterious Nazca lines, the origin of which scientists still cannot explain. In total, there are more than 180 museums in Peru and many archaeological parks lost in the Andes valleys.

Visa-free entry to Peru is open for Russian tourists for up to 90 days.

Suriname- a state in the northeast of South America. The capital is Paramaribo. People come here in search of ecotourism unusual places: rainforests, Atabro waterfalls, Kau, Uonotobo, Galibi reserve, Sipaliwini area, occupying most territories, trio, acurio and wayana reservations.

Uruguay- a state in the southeast of South America. The capital is Montevideo. If you want to relax on the beach, come to Uruguay between January and April. Connoisseurs of colonial architecture will surely enjoy the sights of Cologna and Montevideo. Every year, a month and a half before Easter, two days before Lent, Catholics in Uruguay host a colorful carnival.

Visa-free entry to Uruguay is open for Russian tourists for up to 90 days.

Chile- a state in the southwest of South America, occupying a long strip from the coast Pacific Ocean to the Andean highlands. The capital is Santiago. In Chile, balneological tourism is widespread (33 sanatorium bases with water and mud treatment), beach holiday(regions of Arica, Iquique, Valparaiso), as well as trips to the national parks of La Campana, Torres del Paine, to Lake San Rafael, to the places of Altiplano and San Pedro and, of course, to the famous Easter Island. For lovers skiing- 15 resorts with slopes from the most extreme to the easiest.

Ecuador located in the northwest of the mainland and got its name from the Spanish "equator". The capital is Quito. special attention deserve famous not only for their fauna, but also for the fantastic beaches of the Galapagos Islands, the Oriente National Park and a trip to the Amazon, the El Kayas region with 200 lakes and lagoons, a monument ancient culture Ingapirca and museums of the colonial and pre-colonial eras in Quito.

A visa-free regime for visiting Ecuador has been introduced for Russian tourists for up to 90 days.

In addition, South America includes the disputed island territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, which are still disputed by Great Britain and Argentina. Tourists arrive on the islands as part of cruise tours. The most common activities are mountain climbing, hiking and rafting in kayaks and kayaks. The Falkland (Malvinas) Islands are places almost forgotten by tourists. In terms of climate, their territory is close to Iceland: cold, strong winds, and not only seagulls, but also plump king penguins scurry along the coast.

Nature of South America

After the breakup of the Gondwana mainland at the end of the Cretaceous into Africa, Australia, Antarctica and South America, the latter remained a separate continent. Connecting the current North and South America, the Isthmus of Panama appeared about three million years ago, significantly affecting the flora and fauna of the continent.

variety of landscapes and climatic zones strikes the tourist's imagination. Andes, the world's longest mountain range, is also called the "ridge" of South America, stretching almost its entire length for 9 thousand km. The highest peaks - Aconcagua (6960 m) in Argentina and Ojos del Salado (6908 m) are covered with snow all year round. A movement that continues to this day earth's crust in this region causes earthquakes and eruptions of active volcanoes.

The famous Amazon flows here, the second largest river on the planet, always full-flowing thanks to its numerous tributaries. On its shores, the endless Amazonian jungle rises, so dense that some of their areas remain unexplored to this day.

The Amazonian jungle is called the "lungs of the planet."

In contrast to wet tropical forests Amazonia on the mainland is one of the driest places on the planet - the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. In Argentina and Uruguay, the pampas are hot and dusty.

There are vast lakes in South America, and high waterfalls, and rocky islands. From the north the mainland is washed warm waters caribbean, while its southernmost point - the island of Tierra del Fuego - is subject to frequent storms of cold Atlantic Ocean.

America, consisting of two continents and thus forming one part of the world, is located in two hemispheres at once.

North America, respectively, is located in the northern hemisphere, South America - in the southern. Relative to the zero meridian, the continent of America is located in the west.

Geographical position

America is called absolutely all the lands that are between western part Atlantic Ocean and Pacific coast. total area this part of the world, located entirely in the western hemisphere, is 42. million km 2, which is percentage occupies 28.5% of the total land area on planet Earth.

In addition to the two continents, part of the world also combines small islands located next to them (for example, the island of Greenland). In the North, the coast of America is washed by the North the arctic ocean, Pacific is on the right, Atlantic is on the left. South and North America are at different latitudes and have the same longitude.

Geographic characteristics

AT this case it makes sense to talk about North and South America separately, since the relief of the continents differs significantly from each other.

Relief of North America:

• Central plains with a slightly undulating relief, which transforms into a glacial one to the north;
• the Great Plains, which are a huge foothill plateau in front of the Cordillera;
• the Laurentian Upland, gently undulating, reaching up to 6100 meters above sea level;
• Coastal lowlands in the southern part of the mainland;
• Mountains: Cascade, Sierra Nevada, Rocky, etc.

Relief of South America:

• Plains East;
• Mountainous west with the Andes system;
• Amazonian lowland;
• Brazilian and Guiana plateaus.

There are many climatic zones on the territory of North America, including both oceanic and continental, and subequatorial climates. The average monthly temperature in January varies from -36 degrees to +20 (at the extreme points of the mainland). In July it can be from -4 to +32. Most precipitation falls on the Pacific coast (about 3 thousand mm annually), the least - in the Cordillera (up to 200 mm). Summers are usually warm throughout the mainland. It is accompanied by rare dry winds or, on the contrary, showers.

South America includes 6 climatic zones at once, of which the subequatorial is repeated twice (in different territories), and once - tropical, temperate, subtropical and equatorial. At the same time, the tropics and subtropics reign over the vast majority of the territory, which means that dry and wet seasons are clearly expressed in South America. It is warm on the mainland: in summer (summer in the hemisphere begins in January), the temperature varies from 10 to 35 degrees, in winter - from 0 to 16. There is a lot of precipitation, especially in Chile and Colombia. There falls up to 10 thousand mm per year.

Americas

In this part of the world, especially in the northern part, the population density is very high. America unites on its territory great amount independent states and dependent zones, differing from each other in terms of population, economic well-being, level of development, etc.

Historically, North America, called the "New World" by Europeans, has become more prosperous. It is on this continent that two countries are located, which are considered a symbol of prosperity and financial prosperity of the 20th-21st centuries: Canada and the United States of America. In total, about 500 million people live in North America, which is approximately 7% of the world's population.

South America is also quite densely populated - the figure is approaching 380 million - but the region is incomparably poorer. South America - the mainland where the countries are located, once former colonies more ancient European states; in addition, the stratification into rich and poor is more pronounced here.

List of countries in North America

The largest country is, of course, the United States. More than 300 million people, 9.5 million square kilometers of area, the largest industrial and shopping centers around the world allow the US to confidently represent North America on the map.

Major countries in North America:

(with detailed description)

List of South American countries

In South America, the two leading countries are Brazil and Argentina. They are leading in terms of area, population, and economic success. It is these countries that can be called developing.

Major countries in South America:

(with detailed description)

Nature

North America is very rich water resources: lakes and rivers occupy most of the area, and the Mississippi and Miussuri are the longest on the whole earth river system. On the southern mainland, however, there is no lack of water either - the Amazon flows through it, which is one of the largest sources fresh water worldwide.

Nature, plants and animals of North America

North America is similar in flora and fauna to Eurasia - there are both coniferous and deciduous forests, the famous oaks and cedars. Animals are also typical: moose, bears, squirrels, foxes. Toward the south, the landscape becomes deserted, dry, and the flora and fauna change...

Nature, plants and animals of South America

The southern mainland is occupied by plants and animals characteristic of equatorial forests and savannahs. There are large predators, crocodiles, many birds - especially parrots. A significant part of the territory is covered with tropical forests. There are many fish in the rivers, including piranhas. An extensive population of insects...

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of the Americas

North America - more precisely, most of it - is located in a temperate and cold thermal zone, which is characterized by cold (up to -32 in extreme point) winter and warm (about 25-28 degrees) summer. There are no special weather disasters here - with the possible exception of the Pacific coast, which periodically suffers from hurricanes.

South America, located in the zone of savannahs and equatorial forests, leans towards the tropics and subtropics according to the climatic type. Extremely humid, hot summer reigns here in December-February, but the "summer" months familiar to the inhabitants of the other hemisphere, on the contrary, are the coldest. The temperature in July drops to zero here and there...

Peoples of America

America is a part of the world with a very diverse population. Even the tribes of the Indians, who are considered the indigenous population of America, differ so much from each other that they consider each other to belong to different nationalities.

Peoples of North America: culture and traditions

Of course, South America is just another world. It doesn't look like Europe or Asia. There are places here, getting into which, you think that you are on another planet. I am glad that last year I discovered this incredible continent, I will try very hard to fly here again this summer.

Where to find South America

This continent is located in Western hemisphere our planet. The vast majority of South America is located just south of the equator.

The mainland is strongly elongated from north to south. A little over 420 million people live here. I will list the three largest countries (by area) that are located here:

• Brazil;
• Argentina;
• Peru.

But for the population, the situation is slightly different. The first place is occupied by the same Brazil, the second - by Colombia, and the third - by Argentina.

This continent is washed by the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But in the northern part of South America is the only sea - the Caribbean. With my neighbor North America It is connected by the Isthmus of Panama.

The largest country on the continent

As I wrote above, this is Brazil. The territory of this state is 8.5 million square kilometers. About this wonderful country you can only speak with a breath. The most popular attraction for tourists is, of course, the local carnival. It takes place in all cities of the country.

Since 1960, the capital of the state has been the city of Brasilia. It's unique locality in every sense of the word. It is simply impossible not to mention the fact that it was he who became the first city on our planet, which was taken under the protection of UNESCO itself.

A visa is not required here if your stay in this country does not exceed 90 days. But for renting a car you will need not only international law but also a credit card. Banks in this state work only from Monday to Friday. As a souvenir, you can bring from here, for example, a hammock or lace. Tipping in establishments Catering here it is customary to leave up to 10% of the invoice amount.

brief information

When the ships of Christopher Columbus reached Cuba and Haiti in 1492, the Portuguese were sure they had landed in the West Indies. However, in fact, they opened the world before not known lands, which later became known as South America and North America.

South America was once also called " Spanish America”, however, the times when the Spaniards and the Portuguese ruled on this continent are long gone. Now in South America there are 12 completely independent states, each of which represents huge interest for curious travelers.

Geography of South America

Most of the continent of South America is located in southern hemisphere Earth. In the west, South America is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and in the east of the continent by the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea separate South America from North America.

There are many islands in South America - Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, Chiloe, Galapagos Islands, Wellington, etc. The total area of ​​South America is exactly 17.757 million square meters. km. This is approximately 12% of the Earth's land mass.

The climate, in most of the South American continent, is equatorial, subequatorial and tropical. In the south, the climate is subtropical and temperate. A huge impact on the climate of South America ocean currents and mountain systems.

The longest river in South America is the Amazon (6,280 km), which flows through Peru and Brazil. The largest South American rivers also include: Parana, Sao Francisco, Tocantins, Orinoco and Uruguay.

There are several very beautiful lakes in South America - Maracaibo (Venezuela), Titicaca (Peru and Bolivia), and Poopo (Bolivia).

On the territory of the equatorial belt of South America are dense wet equatorial forests- selva, and in the depths of the continent there are tropical and subtropical steppes - campos.

The Andes mountain range (Southern Cordillera) runs through almost the entire territory of South America, the length of which is about 9 thousand kilometers.

The most high mountain of this continent - Aconcagua (6,959 meters).

Population of South America

On the this moment the population of South America reaches 390 million people. This is the fifth place among all continents in terms of population (Asia is in first place, then Africa, Europe and North America).

Representatives of all three live on the territory of the South American continent. big races- Caucasoids, Mongoloids and Negroids. Since the mixing of races in South America proceeded without special problems, now on this continent there are many representatives of mixed racial groups (mestizos, mulattoes, sambos). South American natives (Indians) are Mongoloid race. The largest Indian peoples are the Quechua, Araucans, Aymara and Chibcha.

In the countries of South America, the population speaks mainly Spanish and Portuguese. Indian peoples speak their own local languages(for example, Araucanian).

Countries

At the moment, there are 12 fully independent states in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile, Suriname and Uruguay), as well as 3 dependent so-called. "territories" - French Guiana, the Falkland Islands and Galapagos Islands.

The largest South African country is Brazil with an area of ​​8,511,970 square kilometers, and the smallest is Suriname (163,270 square kilometers).

Regions

South America is usually divided into 3 main regions:

1. Caribbean South America (Guyana, Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana).
2. Andean states (Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia).
3. Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay).

However, sometimes South America is divided into other regions:

1. Andean countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Bolivia);
2. Laplat countries (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay);
3. Brazil.

Cities in South America began to appear during the empires of South American Indians - the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. Perhaps the most ancient South American city is the city of Caral in Peru, founded by the Indians, as archaeologists believe, about 5 thousand years ago.

Now the most populous South American city is Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, which is home to almost 13 million people. Other Largest cities South America - Bogota, Sao Paulo, Lima, and Rio de Janeiro.