We explain what South America is and its physical and cultural characteristics. In addition, how is its economy, religion and the history of this region.
What is South America?
South America or South America is the region of the American continent that is located in southern Central America, and It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the West and the Atlantic Ocean in the East. It has an approximate area of 17.8 million square kilometers and a population of 423 million inhabitants.
The geographical classification of America in three regions (North America, Central and the South) is the result of the structural differences that make up the continent. By its form, America can be visualized as two great continental masses in a triangular way linked by a narrow and elongated isthmus. The northern sector is known as North America, while the South sector is called South America. The continental portion that connects them is Central America.
Why is it called that? The name of this continent corresponds to Américo Vespucio, an Italian navigator known for being the first to ensure that the lands they had reached were a new continent, and not an unexplored part of Asia, as others thought.
Characteristics of South America
- It is the southern part of America, the second largest continent on the planet, after Asia.
- It presents a wide diversity of landscapes and climates due to its vast extension in southern sense.
- The most prominent natural attractions are: the Iguazu cataracts (Argentina and Brazil), Torres del Paine (Chile), Atacama Desert (Chile), Mountain Apu Vinicunca (Peru), El Hornocal (Jujuy) and Aconcagua (Argentina), among other natural attractions.
- The climate that predominates in the regions closest to the line of Ecuador is humid and warm. In the regions closest to the South Pole, the cold and dry climate predominates. In the mountain ranges the weather varies, in addition, according to the height.
- The main language is Spanish. Portuguese is only spoken in Brazil, English in Guyana and Dutch in Surinam. Various indigenous languages are also preserved, such as Quechua.
Extension, population and countries of South America
South America has an area of 17,800,000 square kilometers, representing 12 % of the absolute continental surface of the planet. It is made up of twelve independent countries and French Guyana, an American territory dependent on France.
The total population of the continent is approximately 423 million inhabitants, representing 5.2 % of the world’s population. Population density is 23.7 inhabitants per square kilometer. This density increases in large cities such as Buenos Aires, San Pablo or Río de Janeiro, and decreases significantly in the large practically depopulated areas of the Amazon or Argentine Patagonia.
Physical-Natural Characteristics of South America
South America Climate
Due to its great latitudinal extension and its multiple reliefs, the climates that can be found in South America are very varied. There are areas close to Ecuador where warm and humid equatorial climates dominate, there are areas of subtropical climates, there are more temperate regions in areas of middle latitudes and polar cold climates at the southern end. Besides, The presence of the Andes causes large temperature differences According to the altitude.
South America relief
South America reliefs can be classified as:
- Mountain relief. It extends in the west of the region and is characterized by its high altitude. In mountain areas, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can arise. The most important mountain chain on the continent, which crosses it from north to south, is the Andes mountain range.
- Mesetas relief. It is located in the center of Brazil, southern Venezuela and Argentine Patagonia.
- Relief of plains. It is located in the east of the region. It is characterized by its little elevation and its large number of rivers and lakes. It is the most predominant relief of the continent and great plains such as that of the Amazon, the Orinoco or the Chaco-Pampeana can be found.
South America rivers
As for hydrography, most important rivers in the region are in the east of the continent. The Amazon river is the most importantwith an extension of more than 6500 kilometers. Its hydrographic basin is more than 7 million square kilometers, which makes it the most extensive in the world. It occupies a good part of the surface of Brazil and part of Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.
Other important rivers from South America are Orinoco, in the north of the region, and the Paraná, Iguazú, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers in the south.
South America Flora and Fauna
South America is a continent with a great diversity of flora and fauna due to its geographical location and its climatic variations that extend from Ecuador to Antarctica.
Regarding the flora, The Amazon jungle is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and houses a wide variety of plant species. In most of the coastal area of Brazil is the Atlantic forest, also recognized as one of the most biodiverse forest regions in the world. In the southern region of the continent, the Patagonian forest is composed of forests of Coihues, Lengas and Ñares.
As for fauna, The jaguar is one of the most emblematic animals in South America and live mainly in the tropical jungles of the Amazon basin. He is the greatest feline in America and one of the greatest in the world. On the other hand, the Anaconda Verde is the largest snake in the world and is also found in the Amazon jungle.
In more arid regions the flame and alpaca are two of the most frequent animals, and are mainly found in the Andean areas of South America.
South America Culture and Religion
The most spoken languages in South America are Spanish and Portuguese. The latter is only spoken in Brazil, but due to the large population of this country, it has almost the same number of speakers as Spanish, which is spoken in most other countries. French, English and Dutch are also spoken, but none of them reaches one million speakers in the continent.
In addition to these languages of European origin there are more than 300 indigenous languages that are spoken by millions of descendants of the native peoples in different countries of South America.
Christianity is the most practiced religion in South America. The majority of the population is Catholic Christianand second are the people who profess Protestant Christianity, especially in Brazil. Other religions present but minority in South America are Judaism and Islam.
Economic Activities of South America
South America countries have natural resources of different types. The great east plains allow the practice of agriculture, livestock and hydrocarbon extraction such as oil and natural gas; The Mountains of the West allow the exploitation of minerals; and the extensive forest and jungle surface allows forest activity.
Argentina and Brazil are two of the three largest producers and exporters of the world, Colombia is one of the main producers and exporters of coffee, and Venezuela one of the main producers and exporters of oil.
The secondary sector is very important in the regionmainly in Brazil and Argentina. Industries such as Automotive, Textile, Petrochemistry and Food and Beverages are some of the most important.
In addition to trade and the provision of services, Tourism is a very important activity For South America. Cities such as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Cusco in Peru receive millions of tourists every year.
Political characteristics of South America
South America is composed of 12 independent countries and French Guyana, a territory administered by France. The independent countries that are part of South America are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.
All independent countries in the region have full representation in the United Nations Organization (UN). In addition, there are regional blocks composed of different countries:
- MERCOSUR. Formed by Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela
- The Andean community. Formed by Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
- The Pacific Alliance. Formed by Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, from North America.
South America History
South America is a continent with a rich history that dates back more than 13,000 years, when the first humans reached the south of the American continent. These first inhabitants were established in different regions and developed different cultures and social organizations.
The most important pre -Columbian empire in South America was the Incathat for thousands of years was developed in the Andean region of the continent. Other villages from this continent are the Mapuches in Chile and Argentina, the Guarani in Paraguay and the Tupi in Brazil.
The conquest of South America began in the fifteenth century, when The Spanish and Portuguese conquerors arrived on the continentThey established colonies and submitted the native peoples to slavery and exploitation to extract the natural resources that were in the region.
The European colonies endured until the early nineteenth century, when an independence process began in most South America countries. Led by figures such as Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, The countries of the region fought for their freedom and achieved their independence from Spain and Portugal in the nineteenth century.
During the twentieth century, most South American countries alternated dictatorial and democratic regimes, although in recent decades democracy has established itself as a political model in most of them.
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References
- Benseny, G. (2020). Geographic vision of the American continent. National University of Mar del Plata. Nulan
- Guerra Vilaboy, S. (1997). Stages and processes of the history of Latin America. CLACSO
- Prebisch, R. (2012). The economic development of Latin America and some of its main problems. ECLAC ECLAC
