latin america by: s. ray. iguazu falls iguazu falls, iguazú falls, iguassu falls, or iguaçu falls...

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LATIN AMERICA By: S. Ray

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LATIN AMERICA

By: S. Ray

IGUAZU FALLS

Iguazu Falls, Iguazú Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls are

waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentina

province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. The falls

divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu

River rises near the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the

river flows through Brazil, however, most of the falls are on the

Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River,

the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and

Brazil.

SALAR DE UYUNI

In southwest Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flat,

spanning 10,582 square kilometers and situated

3,656 meters above sea level. The Salar is

extraordinarily flat and has a lithium-rich salt crust

with an estimated 11 billion short tons of salt. When

it rains, the thin layer of water transforms the crust

into a giant mirror, leading to some stunning and

very creative pictures at one of the more unique

places in Latin America.

OURO PRETO

Brazil has an impressive 78 institutions in the 2014

QS University Rankings: Latin America, including

the second, third and fourth ranked Universidade de

São Paulo (USP), Universidade Estadual de

Campinas (UNICAMP) and Universidade Federal do

Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). A former colonial mining

town, Ouro Preto is now a thriving university town,

whose flagship university Universidade Federal de

Ouro Preto (UFOP) is ranked 110 in Latin America.

TORRES DEL PAINE

Chile’s Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

tops the 2014 QS University Rankings: Latin

America and joins its 31 institutions in the top 300.

Southern Chile also boasts the impressive Torres del

Paine National Park. A World Biosphere Reserve

elected fifth on the list of most beautiful places in

the world by National Geographic, this spectacular

region is a transition area between the Magellanic

sub-polar forests and the Pantagonian Steppes.

MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST BIOLOGICAL

RESERVE

Channel your inner Aladdin and walk amongst the

clouds at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological

Reserve, so-called because of its persistent low-level

cloud cover. This 10,500 hectare reserve has six

ecological zones, extremely high biodiversity, over

500 bird species, the endemic Golden Toad, and the

largest number of orchids in the world.

TIKAL

Guatemala has four institutions in the top 300 of the QS

University Rankings: Latin America, with its highest ranking

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala – USAC ranked 181-

190. It is home to UNESCO World Heritage Site Tikal, one of

the largest archeological sites of the Maya civilization. Set in

the heart of the jungle, this remote city is the best understood of

any of the large lowland Maya cities, due to archeologists’

continued exploration of its tombs, monuments, temples and

palaces.

MACHU PICCHU

Of Peru’s 16 institutions in the QS University

Rankings: Latin America, its highest ranked is

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in 30th

place. Peru is perhaps most well known for Machu

Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of

the New Seven Wonders of the World.

ANGEL FALLS

Featuring eight institutions in the QS University

Rankings: Latin America, of which four are in the top

100, Venezuela’s highest ranking university is the

Universidad Central de Venezuela – UCV at rank 27.

Speaking of height, Venezuela is also home to the

tallest waterfall in the world: Angel Falls in Canaima

National Park.

Whether you spell it Cusco, Cuzco, or Q'osco, you're talking about the

gateway to one of the world's most breathtaking sites, Machu Picchu,

the Incan city on what was considered a sacred valley, and the most

impressive pre-Columbian ruins in the world. Before heading there,

plan your sightseeing in the city's Plaza de Armas, and make a list of

the Incan ruins and colonial architecture you want to see (fortresses,

temples, baroque and Renaissance churches and mansions). Although

increasingly touristy, it's managed to preserve its character and

remains one of the highlights of a trip to South America.

CUSCO, PERU

LIMA, PERU

Peru's capital has cleaned up its colonial architecture and

that has earned it a spot on the World Heritage Sites list. It

was once Latin America's richest city, reflected today on the

grand Plaza Mayor. The treasures of ancient pre-Columbian

civilizations on display in the National Museum and Larco

Museum are often the reasons many visit the city, but the

local gastronomy and celebrity chefs (like Gastón Acurio and

Pedro Miguel Schiaffino) have now also placed it on the map.