Between which seas is South America located? South America - Do we know everything about the continents? South American countries

When Christopher Columbus's ships reached Cuba and Haiti in 1492, the Portuguese were confident that they had sailed to the West Indies. However, in fact, they discovered previously unknown lands to the world, which later became known as South America and North America.

South America was once called “Spanish America” long ago, but the times when the Spaniards and Portuguese ruled this continent are long gone. Now in South America there are 12 completely independent states, each of which is of great interest to inquisitive travelers.

Geography of South America

Most of the continent South America is located in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. In the west, South America is washed by waters Pacific Ocean, and in the east of the continent - Atlantic Ocean. In 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 area.

The climate in most of the South American continent is equatorial, subequatorial and tropical. In the south the climate is subtropical and temperate. Ocean currents and mountain systems have a huge influence on the climate of South America.

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: Paraná, São 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 there are dense humid equatorial forests - selva, and in the depths of the continent there are tropical and subtropical steppes - campos.

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

The highest mountain on this continent is Aconcagua (6,959 meters).

Population of South America

On this moment The population of South America reaches 390 million people. It is the fifth largest continent in terms of population (Asia is first, followed by Africa, Europe and North America).

Representatives of all three major races live on the territory of the South American continent - Caucasians, Mongoloids and Negroids. Since the mixing of races in South America proceeded without any problems, now on this continent there are many representatives of mixed racial groups (mestizo, mulatto, sambo). South American aborigines (Indians) belong to the Mongoloid race. The largest Indian peoples are the Quechua, Araucan, Aymara and Chibcha.

In South American countries, the population speaks mainly Spanish and Portuguese. Indian peoples speak their own local languages(eg Araucanian language).

Countries

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

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

Regions

South America is generally divided into 3 main regions:

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

However, sometimes South America is divided into other regions:

  • Andean countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Bolivia);
  • Laplatan countries (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay);
  • Brazil.

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

South America is the southern continent in America, located mainly in the Western and Southern Hemispheres of planet Earth, however, part of the continent is also located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed in the west by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north it is limited by North America, the border between the Americas runs along the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea.

South America also includes various islands , most of which belong to the countries of the continent. Caribbean territories belong toNorth America. South American countries that border the Caribbean Sea - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana- known as Caribbean South America.

The continent's area is 17.8 million km² (4th place among continents), population - 385,742,554 people (4th place among continents).

The length from north to south is (approximately) 7350 km. Length from west to east - (approximately) 4900 km

Languages

The most widely spoken languages ​​of South America are Portuguese and Spanish . On Portuguese speaks Brazil , whose population accounts for about 50% of the population of this continent. Spanish is the official language of most countries on this continent. Also in South America they speak other languages: in Suriname They speak Dutch, in Guyana they speak English, and in French Guiana they speak French. You can often hearnative Indian languages: Quechua (Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru), Guarani (Paraguay and Bolivia), Aymara (Bolivia and Peru) and Araucanian language(southern Chile and Argentina). All of them (except the last one) have official status in the countries of their linguistic area. Since a large proportion of the population of South America is made up of Europeans, many of them still retain their own language, the most common being Italian and German languages in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela and Chile. The most popular studied foreign languages in South American countries the languages ​​are English, French, German and Italian.

    Climate zones

    There are 5 climate zones in South America:Subequatorial belt(2 times), Equatorial belt, Tropical zone, Subtropical zone and Temperate Zone.

    Hydrography

    The most important river systems in South America are Amazon, Orinoco and Parana , the total basin of which is 9,583,000 km² (the area of ​​South America is 17,850,568 km²). Most of the lakes in South America are located in Andes , the largest of which and the highest navigable lake in the world is Titicaca , on the border of Bolivia and Peru. The largest lake in area is the lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, it is also one of the oldest on the planet.

    South America has the highest waterfall in the world - Angel . The most powerful waterfall is located on the mainland - Iguazu.

    South America is the wettest continent Earth.


    Minerals

    The subsoil of South America contains a very diverse range of mineral resources. The largest deposits of iron ores are confined to the ancient Precambrian of Venezuela (Orinoco River basin) and Brazil (Minas Gerais state), the richest deposits of porphyry copper ores are located in the granitoid batholiths of the Central Andes. Rare element ore deposits are associated with ultramafic alkaline intrusions in Eastern Brazil. Deposits of tin, antimony, silver and other ores have been found on the territory of Bolivia. Foredeep and intermountain troughs of the Andes throughout their entire length contain deposits of oil and gas, especially rich within Venezuela. There are coal deposits; deposits of hard coal are known in the Upper Paleozoic, brown coal - in the Cenozoic. Bauxite deposits are confined to the young weathering crust (especially in Guyana and Suriname).

    Animal and Plant World

    The natural world of South America is one of the richest on the planet. At least 44,000 can be found in the Amazon basin different types plants, 2,500 species of river fish and 1,500 species of birds. The jungle is home to huge spiders that feed on birds, and mammals such as armadillos and sloths. The rivers of South America are home to sea cows, freshwater dolphins, giant catfish and electric eels. Thousands of species of forest insects have not yet been studied.
    In the Andes, alnacs and vicunas from the camelid family are found. The large running bird rhea, or American ostrich, lives in the steppes of Pamna. In colder areas on the southern edges of the continent, penguins and seals are common. On the Galapagos Islands, lying in the Pacific Ocean west of the coast of Ecuador, you can find such rare representatives of the animal world as the famous giant tortoises.
    Fertile soils nourish rich vegetable world continent. South America is the birthplace of prickly araucaria, rubber plants, potatoes and many domestic plants (for example, monstera).
    The nature of South America is under threat of destruction. As people cut down forests, many species of forest animals and invaluable plants that have not adapted to new living conditions disappear without a trace.    .

– the fourth largest continent on Earth.

Its area is 17.7 million square meters. km, but if we count all the adjacent islands, then this value is slightly larger - 18.28 million square meters. km. With its contours, South America resembles a triangle. The continent is located mainly in the Western and Southern Hemispheres and partly in the Northern.

The continent of South America is surrounded on all sides by water. It is washed from the east by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and from the west by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. From the north, South America is washed by the Caribbean Sea, which is the natural border between the two Americas.


The Isthmus of Panama in the northwest connects South America with North America.


Location of the extreme points of the continent

In degrees, the location of the extreme points of the continent is as follows:

  • in the north – Cape Gallinas (12° northern latitude and 72° west longitude);
  • on South – Cape Froward (53°54′ south latitude and 71°18′ west longitude);
  • in the West – Cape Parinhas (4°40′ south latitude and 81°20′ west longitude);
  • in the east there was confusion - this is Cape Cabo Branca (7°09´ south latitude 34°46) or Cape Seixas (34°47 west longitude).

History of the discovery of South America

The continent of South America was first seen by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci.


This is the Florentine traveler, after whom America was presumably named. By origin, Vespucci is a Florentine. He is a member of several Spanish and Portuguese expeditions to the shores of South America. Amerigo was the first to suggest that these lands were a new part of the world, and he suggested calling them New World. But in 1507, cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, in his book “Introduction to Caomography,” named the land America after Amerigo Vespucci.

South American climate

South America is the wettest continent on earth. By natural conditions it looks like Africa - wet forests with colorful birds and monkeys and endless grassy plains. But South America has far fewer deserts and far more mountains.

Thus, in most of South Africa the climate is subequatorial and tropical, in the south of the mainland it is subtropical and temperate.

If we talk about climatic zones, then there are deserts in South America.


Semi-deserts, tropical and equatorial forests, and pampas (steppes) are also found in South America.


Pampas - a space devoid of woody vegetation

Winter in the tropical zone is as hot as summer. Direct sunlight heats up earth's surface all year round. But this does not mean that there are no seasons at all. They are simply not cold or warm, but dry or wet.

South America: geographical location. Two continents - South and North America - form a single part of the world under common name America. These continents are connected to each other by the Isthmus of Panama, through which the navigable Panama Canal was dug in 1920, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. South America is located in the Western Hemisphere and is washed by the Pacific (in the west) and Atlantic (in the north and east) oceans. The area of ​​the continent is approximately 18 million sq. km. South America is shaped like a triangle, tapering towards the south. Extent of South America from north to south along 70 degrees west longitude. — 7350 km, and from west to east along the 10th degree north latitude. — 4655 km.

Extreme points of South America:

  • Northern - Cape Galinas 12°25′ N, 71°39′ W
  • Western - Cape Parinhas 4°40′ S, 81°20′ W
  • Eastern - Cape Cabo Branco 7°10′ S, 34°47′ W
  • South - Cape Froward 53°54′ S, 71°18′ W

In the east the continent is washed by waters Pacific Ocean, in the north and west - Atlantic. The coastline is very slightly indented. Only in the southeast there are several not very large bays: La Plata, San Matias, San Jorge and Bahia Grande. To the north is the only Caribbean Sea.

Relief and geological structure.

The relief of South America is represented by plains and plateaus in the east and mountain ranges in the west of the continent. The relief of the eastern part is based on the ancient South American platform. Large low-lying plains formed on it - Amazonian, Orinoco, La Plata, composed of strata of marine and continental sediments. The shields (elevated sections of the platform) are associated with the Brazilian and Guiana highlands with a height of 500 to 2500 m. Faults earth's crust divided the highlands into separate massifs, cut by gorges.

In the west of the mainland, the Andes, or Andean Cordillera, stretch for 9,000 km from north to south, separating the rest of the continent from the Pacific Ocean. This is a folded region of Alpine age; is a continuation of the North American Cordillera and consists of parallel ridges. Between the ranges are the Central Andean highlands and plateaus. Mountain-building processes in the Andes have not been completed, so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent here.

Largest peaks : Aconcagua – 6960m(Argentina), Ojos Del Salado— 6880m (Chile), Tupungato- 6800m (Argentina-Chile), Huascaran - 6768m (Peru), Ankouma - 6550m (Bolivia), Illimani - 6402m (Bolivia).
Largest volcanoes : Llullaillaco – 6723m(Argentina-Chile), Sahama— 6520m (Bolivia), Coropuna- 6425m (Peru), San Pedro - 5974m (Chile).

Climate.

The geographical location and configuration of the continent determines how much heat it receives throughout the year. South America - wettest continent on the ground. A lot of moisture comes from the Atlantic Ocean trade winds. The road to air masses from the Pacific Ocean is blocked by the Andes.

South America is located in equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical And moderate climatic zones.

Most of the Amazonian lowland and the northeastern coast of the mainland are located in equatorial belt. Air temperature throughout the year is +25-28 °C. The amount of precipitation is from 1500 to 3500 mm, in the foothills of the Andes - up to 7000 mm.

Subequatorial belt The Northern and Southern hemispheres connect on the east coast, bordering the equatorial climate zone. There is seasonality in the distribution of precipitation here. A large amount of them – 2000 mm – falls in the summer. The rainy season in the Northern Hemisphere is from May to December, in the Southern Hemisphere - from December to May. Air temperature +25 °C. Winter comes with the arrival of tropical continental air. There is practically no precipitation; air temperature +20 °C.

Tropical climate zone.

Located only in the Southern Hemisphere. Air temperature +20 °C. It is divided into two types of climate. Humid tropical climate is formed in the east and southeast of the Brazilian Highlands under the influence of trade winds bringing moisture. There is less precipitation than in the subequatorial belt. Towards the west, the amount of precipitation decreases and forms dry tropical climate. The cold Peruvian Current has a great influence here. A temperature inversion occurs: the air is saturated with moisture, but very cool, resulting in no precipitation. This is the coastal desert Atacama.

Subtropical zone located south of 30°S. sh., within its borders three types of climate are formed. On the West Coast subtropical Mediterranean climate with dry, cool summers (+20 °C) and humid, warm winters (+10 °C, cloudy and rainy weather prevails). As you move deeper into the continent, the climate becomes continental subtropical. There is only 500 mm of precipitation. Forming on the east coast subtropical humid climate: summer temperature in January is +25 °C, and winter temperature in July is +10 °C, precipitation falls up to 2000 mm per year.

Temperate climate zone located south of 40º S. Forming on the West Coast marine temperate type climate: warm, humid winter (+5 °C), humid, cool summer (+15 °C); precipitation – up to 2000 mm or more. In the eastern part of the belt - temperate continental type climate: colder winters (0 °C), warm summers (+20 °C). Precipitation – 300 mm.

Formed in the Andes alpine type climate. Here, climatic zones replace each other according to the law of vertical zonation. At the foot of the mountains the climate is no different from the surrounding areas. As you rise, the temperature and precipitation patterns change.

Sushi waters.

South America is rich inland waters. Most rivers are fed by rain; some receive water from melting snow and ice in the mountains. The largest river flows through the continent river Earth Amazon(6400 km). The area of ​​its river basin is equal to 7 million km2– this is almost 40% of the continent’s territory. Being in a zone of high humidity, the river is full of water all year round. The river floods twice a year: in May during rains in the Southern Hemisphere and in October-November in the Northern Hemisphere.

Unlike the Amazon River Orinoco(2730 km) and Parana(4380 km) have a pronounced seasonality of flow. The period of river flooding occurs during the summer wet season. Flowing from the Andes, the rivers in the upper reaches form waterfalls. On one of the tributaries of the Orinoco there is the highest waterfall in the world - Angel (1054 m); Iguazu Falls is located on one of the tributaries of the Parana.

Of the large lakes in South America, the most famous are: Lake Maracaibo, which is a desalinated lagoon, near the Caribbean Sea. Lake Titicaca located in the Andes at an altitude of 3800 m - the largest alpine lake in the world.

Minerals of South America

On the plateaus East There are deposits of iron, manganese ores, nickel, and deposits of bauxite containing aluminum. Oil was found in the depressions and troughs of the platform, natural gas, coal.

Andes especially rich in non-ferrous and rare metals. The introduction of magma into sedimentary rocks led to the formation of the world's largest deposits of copper ores, as well as molybdenum, tin, silver, etc. The name of the mountains comes from the word “anta”, in the Inca language - “copper”.

Lesson summary "". Next topic:

South America- the fourth largest continent. The area of ​​South America is 17,833,000 square meters. km. Extreme points of South America:

  • North: Cape Galinas (12°N, 72°W);
  • South: Cape Horn (56° S, 72° W);
  • Western: Cape Parinhas (5° S. 81° W);
  • Eastern: Cape Cabo Branco (8° S, 35° W).

South America is in the Western Hemisphere, the continent overlaps, most of it is in the Southern Hemisphere. South America forms one part of the world - America. South America is separated from North America. The continent is washed from the west, and from the east. To the north is the Caribbean Sea. The huge Drake Passage separates from.

The coast of the mainland is rather weakly indented. Most bays are small, formed at the mouth of rivers as the ocean moves inland. The largest is La Plata Bay in the southeast of the mainland. The southern coast of the mainland is heavily indented, where there is an archipelago, separated from the mainland by the famous Strait of Magellan - the most difficult route that all sailors have traversed.

The average height of the continent is quite small, which is explained large territory, which is occupied by the lowlands: Amazonian, Orinoco and. These are fairly flat, sometimes swampy areas that coincide with the basins of the corresponding rivers. Between them there are three plateaus: the Brazilian, the Guiana and with heights from 500 to 2000 m. The Andes stretch along the western coast - a huge mountain system with a length of 9 thousand km. They are a continuation and part of the Pacific volcanic ring. The Andes are home to the highest peak of South America - Mount Aconcagua (6960 m), as well as a number of volcanoes - Cotopaxi (5897 m), Chimborazo (6267 m).

The entire northern and most of the central part of the continent is in the equatorial and subequatorial regions. here all year round it does not fall below +20°C, in summer it reaches +30°C. There is a lot of precipitation all year round; in the subequatorial winter a dry period begins. The tropical climate zone is present only in the southern part of the continent; there is a pronounced winter dry period, precipitation falls only in summer. In the east of the continent it is humid, humid air comes from the Atlantic Ocean. As you approach the west coast, the climate becomes drier; the Atacama Desert is located on the west coast.

The subtropical zone is located in the southern hemisphere between 30° N. w. and 40° N. w. On the west coast, this is a climate type with warm summers (+20°C), fairly warm (+10°C) and wet winters. A humid subtropical climate forms on the east coast, with precipitation up to 2000 mm. precipitation. Between these zones there is a zone of continental subtropical climate, with dry, hot (+25°C) summers and warm (+10°C) winters. occupies the southern tip of the continent. Temperate forms on the west coast, with warm winters, cool summers and high rainfall. The east coast is dominated by a temperate continental climate, cold in winter, down to -30°C, warm in summer, up to +20°C, and little precipitation all year round.

The entire Amazonian lowland is occupied by humid equatorial forests - selva. This is unique natural area with a huge variety of flora and fauna. They grow here different kinds palms and rubber trees, ficus, ceiba, many lianas and orchids. Almost all animals in the selva are good swimmers, and many have adapted to moving through trees. There are many monkeys, birds, porcupines, tapirs, the largest predator is the jaguar, the only representative of the cat family that willingly moves on water. The Amazon forests are home to the world's smallest birds - hummingbirds - and the largest butterflies, spiders, and beetles.

Savannas and woodlands are also a very large natural area. In the north it is located on the Guiana Plateau and is called llanos, in the south it occupies and is called campos. Here there are ferrallitic and red-brown soils; in the llanos there are isolated trees - acacias, palms; in the campos mainly cereals and legumes grow. There are many large animals - deer, peccaries, pumas, jaguars, crocodiles and manatees live in the rivers.

South of the campos begins the pampa - the steppes of South America. Most of the pampa has been developed by humans; crops are grown here and sheep are raised. In some areas, wild animals remained - ostriches, llamas, deer.

And it occupies a small territory - Atacama, here there are desert soils, mainly cacti grow. In the Andes there is altitudinal zone, in the upper belts there are llamas and guanacos, chinchillas, almost exterminated because of their valuable fur. The largest bird on Earth, the condor, lives here.