Geography of South America by: Kristine Hirschmann

Introduction • Today, geography of South

America made patterns of early settlement that continue to influence countries, cities, cultures, and trade.

• To understand South America, you must turn to geography.

• Geography is the study of Earth’s physical features and the effects of the landscape on life in an area.

Physical Geography of South America

• South America is the world’s fourth largest country.

• Part of this landmass lies north of the equator.

• South America lies just below the continent of North America.

The Andes and The Highlands

• The Andes Mountain range is one of South America’s key features.

• The highlands are another key feature.

• They both have features that make tourist want to visit South America.

The Amazon Basin

• At about 4,000 miles in length, the Amazon River is the world’s second longest river.

• This waterway flows from west to east through a low area known as the Amazon River Basin.

• The Amazon contains more water than any on earth.

The Plains and The Atacama Desert

• South America has plains as well as mountains and rivers.

• The biggest plain is the Pampas in the southeast.

• Another dry place is the Atacama desert. This cold desert is roughly 600 miles long and 100 miles wide.

Human Geography of South America

• South America is divided into twelve countries.

• People from a wide range of cultural backgrounds live in South America.

• They celebrate different holidays and ways of life.

Major Cities

• Many South Americans live in big cities.

• The continent’s largest city is São Paulo, Brazil, with about nineteen million residents.

• In all, South America has more than one million residents.

Farmers in South America

• Since early times, people have farmed and raised live stalk in the Andes.

• Today, farmers still plant crops on flat strips carved out of steep hillsides.

• Farmers, shepherds, and miners scrape out a living in harsh, cold Patagonia.

Moving to the Cities

• South America’s population patterns have changed a great deal in the past 100 years.

• People want to live in towns because country life is so hard.

• Today, about three-fourths of the continent’s people live towns.

Moving to the Cities

• South America’s population patterns have changed a great deal in the past 100 years.

• People want to live in towns because country life is so hard.

• Today, about three-fourths of the continent’s people live in towns.

Geography and the Economy

• South America is rich in natural resources.

• Mines, farms, woods, and waterways help to drive the economies of many nations.

• South American farms grows many crops.

Trade Barriers

• Long ago, very little trading went on inside South America.

• Traders could not cross natural barriers like mountains, rivers, and vast plains.

• Since it was difficult to move goods around, most resources stayed wherever they were found or grown.

Major Exports

• South America’s natural riches play a big role in world trade

• Brazil exports more beef than any other country.

• South America does not export all of its products.

• As the population of South America grows, more and more resources are needed.

• As South America’s known resources are used, people will look for more.

• Some resources, are livestock and crops, can be replaced as fast as they are used.