discovering… south america. german cartographer martin waldseemüller named the new continent...
TRANSCRIPT
Discovering… SOUTH AMERICA
Story behind the name:
German cartographer Martin
Waldseemüller named the new
continent after the Italian
explorer, Amerigo Vespucci’s
first name.
New World: is one of the names used specifically for America and the region south of America was then called South America. The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers.
South America is a continent located in the Western
Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.It can also be considered as a subcontinent of the America.
It is the fourth largest continent in size
and the fifth largest in population. It is located primarily in the southern hemisphere. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the West. The geography of South America is dominated by the Andes Mountain Range and the Amazon River (second longest river in theworld).
CLIMATE
SOUTH AMERICA due to its large size, the climate
varies with each region, determined by their own
geographical location, ocean currents and winds. It is
predominantly wet and hot. Each region having its own
characteristic weather conditions.
South America Climate differs from one region to
another. The Amazon river basin has the typical hot wet
climate suitable for the growth of rain forests.
The temperatures in the Amazon basin 70 to 90 degrees
F. The Andes Mountains, on the other hand, remain cold
throughout the year. The temperatures of the mountains
is always very low.
The desert regions of Chile is the driest part of South America. The
westerly winds carrying moisture shed their moisture on the western
parts of the Andes, thus the eastern portions of the mountains receive
very little rainfall. The cold Peru Current is responsible for the dry
coastal parts of Peru as well as northern Chile. The cold current is
unable to hold much moisture.
The highest temperatures of South America have been recorded in Gran Chaco in
Argentina, with temperaturesgoing up to 110 degrees F. The wettest place is
Quibdo in Columbia. It receives an annual rainfall of 350 inches(890
centimeters).
A unique feature of South America Climate is the El Nino.
Every two to seven years the cold dry Peru Current weakens and
warm waters from the south rush along the coast in a southward
direction. The El Nion affects the Climate of South America and
causes heavy rainfall in the dry parts of South America.
Major CitiesBuenos Aires ( Argentina) Oranjestad (Aruba)La Paz or Sucre (Bolivia)Brazil (Brasilia)Santiago (Chile)Bogota (Columbia)Quito ( Ecuador)Cayene (French Guina) Georgetown (Guyana)Asuncion (Paraguay)Lima ( Peru )
Paramibo ( Suriname )Montevideo ( Uruguay )Caracas ( Venezuela )
Languages:
Portuguese and Spanish are the most spoken languages in South America. Spanish is the official language of most countries, along with other native languages in some countries.
Portuguese is spoken in Brazil Dutch is the official language of Suriname English is the official language of Guyana
and is also spoken in the Falkland Islands French is the official language of French
Guiana and the second language in Amapa (Brazil)
NATION CAPITAL AREA POPULA-TION
GDP
ARGENTINA Buenos Aires
2,766,890 sq km
42,192,494
$716,500,000,000
BOLIVIA La paz 1,098,580 sq km
10,290,003
$50,940,000,000
BRAZIL Brasilia 8,514,877 sq km
199,321,413
$2,294,000,000,000
CHILE Santiago 756,950 sq km
17,067,369
$299,500,000,000
COLUMBIA Bogota 1,138,910 sq km
45,239,079
$471,900,000,000
ECUADOR Quito 283,560 sq km
15,223,680
$127,400,000,000
FRENCH GUIANA
Cayenne 91,351 199,509 $1,551,000,000
GUYANA Georgetown 214,999 sq km
741,908 $5,851,000,000
PARAGUAY Asuncion 406,750 sq km
6,541,591 $40,640,000,000
PERU Lima 1,285,220 sq km
29,549,517
$302,000,000,000
SURINAME Paramibo 163,270 sq km
560,157 $6,326,000,000
URUGUAY Montevideo 176,220 sq km
3,316,328 $50,910,000,000
VENEZUELA
Caracas 912,050 sq km
28,047,938
$374,100,000,000
South America has a rapidly developing economy. With
many industries and a flourishing trade and import-
export market, it is fast becoming an economy with
considerable size.
South American countries had a slow pace of economic
development in the past. In recent times,
however, South America has as a whole undergone
rapid economic development. Aided by greater economic
independence since the times of the second World War,
South America has been largely successful in developing
its economy rapidly.
The biggest
individual economies in Sout
h America are those of Brazil,
Argentina, Colombia and
Chile.
Currently undergoing massive
growth are the economies of
Argentina, Venezuela and Peru.
Major industries in South
America are agriculture, which
encompasses a vital part of
the economy, and other
important industries like fishing,
natural resources, handicrafts
etc. Trade is also an important
part of the economy.
The manufacturing industries, agriculture, and trade primarily support the economy of South America. Some of the major agricultural products include sugarcane, corn, wheat, soybean, and coffee. South America's mineral resources also contribute substantially to the economy. Some major mineral resources found in South America are petroleum, gold, iron ore, silver, and copper.
South America Politically
South American Politics in today's world enjoys a certain
democratic political rule but it is gained by the continuance struggle against
the decades of dictatorship and the country has passed through a lot of
political crisis. Poverty and inequality were the outcome of the left influence
as it was highly corrupt and inefficient at that time. Though the Politics in
South America has grown economically from the past 20 years but still
today the conditions not in much proper shape as it was in the 1950s.
South American Politics is governed by numbers of political
leaders who looks after all the aspects in the political arena.
Ten years can hardly make difference in the South American
Politics but this region has gained an economic growth for
two years and it's a great achievement in the history of
American Politics.
CULTURE South America culture is the combination
of almost the half of the culture of this world. This continent has its own culture that was fostered by the native people who were the original part and inhabitant of this great continent.
This culture had its own tradition and heritages. Later the mainstream culture was influenced by the other cultures. Among these other cultures there were the European culture, the African culture and recently the modern culture that has contribution mostly from the North America and also from other parts of the world.
South American nations have a rich variety of music. Some of the most famous genres include samba from Brazil, tango from Argentina & Uruguay, and cumbia from Colombia.
MUSIC
WONDERS OF SOUTH
AMERICA
CHILI
The Inca estate of Machu Picchu, Peru is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World
The Andes are the world's longest continental mountain range.
ANDES This toothy-edged, massive mountain system extends from the tip of South America all the way to Panama. It's the source of most major rivers on the continent and is 4,500 miles (7,240 km) in length. It's home to some of the planet's largest volcanoes, and in the far south along the coast of Chile, large ice sheets are commonplace.
The Andes and its many ranges include dozens of peaks that reach over 20,000 ft., with the highest point being Aconcagua in Argentina, at 22,384 ft. (6,960m).
The prehistoric Cueva de las Manos, or Cave of the Hands, in Argentina
Plaza of San Francisco in the Historic Center of Quito in Quito, Ecuador South America is one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas
Amazon River
The Amazon River is the second longest river (it is just shorter than the Nile River
in Egypt) in the world and it has the largest watershed or drainage basin as well as the
most tributaries of any river in the world. For reference, a watershed is defined as the
area of land that releases its water into a river. This entire area is often referred to as
the Amazon Basin. The Amazon River begins with streams in the Andes Mountains in
Peru and flows into the Atlantic Ocean about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) away.
Angel’s Falls
Iguazu Falls
The impressive Iguazu Falls are located between the border of Argentina and Brazil
Four largest South American cities
São Paulo, Brazil
Bogotá, Colombia
Santiago, Chile
Lima, Peru
Tourism has increasingly become a significant source of income for
many South American countries. Historical relics, architectural and natural
wonders, a diverse range of foods and culture, vibrant and colorful cities,
and stunning landscapes attract millions of tourists every year to South
America. Some of the most visited places in the region
are Recife, Olinda, Machu Picchu, the Amazon Rainforest, Rio de
Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Maceió, Bogota, Lima, Florianópolis, Isla
Margarita, Natal, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Angel Falls, Nazca
Lines, Cuzco, Lake Titicaca, Medellín, Patagonia, Cartagena and
the Galápagos Islands