'South America'
| Area | 17,840,000 km² |
|---|
| Population | 371,000,000 |
|---|
| Countries | 12 |
|---|
| Dependencies | 3 |
|---|
| Languages | Portuguese,Spanish, French, Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní, Italian, English, German, Dutch, Japanese and many others |
|---|
| Time Zones | UTC -2:00 (Brazil) to UTC -5:00 (Ecuador) |
|---|
| Largest Cities | São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Rio de Janeiro
Lima
Bogotá
Santiago
Caracas |
|---|
'South America' is a
continent of the
Americas, situated entirely in the
Western Hemisphere and mostly in the
Southern Hemisphere. It is bordered on the west by the
Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the
Atlantic Ocean;
North America and the
Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest.
South America was named in 1507 by cartographers
Martin Waldseemüller and
Matthias Ringmann after
Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the
East Indies, but a
New World unknown to Europeans.
South America has an
area of 17,840,000
square kilometres (6,890,000
sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the
Earth's surface. As of 2005, its
population was estimated at more than 371,000,000. South America
ranks fourth in area (after
Asia,
Africa, and
North America) and fifth in population (after
Asia,
Africa,
Europe, and
North America).
Geography
Main articles: Geography of South America
A composite relief image of South America.
South America comprises the major southern portion of the
landmass generally referred to as the
New World, the
Western Hemisphere,
the Americas, or simply America (which is sometimes considered a single
continent[''The Olympic symbols.'' International Olympic Committee. 2002. Lausanne: Olympic Museum and Studies Centre. The five rings of the Olympic flag represent the five inhabited, participating continents (Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania).] and South America a
subcontinent).
[1] It is south and east of the
Panama Canal, which transects the
Isthmus of Panama. Geologically, almost all of mainland South America sits on the
South American Plate.
Geopolitically, all of
Panama – including the segment east of the Panama Canal in the isthmus – is often considered a part of North America alone and among the
countries of Central America.
Geologically, the continent became attached to North America only recently with the formation of the Isthmus of Panama approximately 3 million years ago, resulting in the
Great American Interchange. The
Andes, likewise a comparatively young and seismically restless mountain range, run down the western edge of the continent; the land to the east of the Andes is largely
tropical rainforest, the vast
Amazon River basin. The continent also contains drier regions such as East
Patagonia and the extremely arid
Atacama Desert.
The South American continent also includes various
islands, many of which belong to countries on the continent. Many of the islands of the
Caribbean (or West Indies) – e.g., the Leeward and
Lesser Antilles – sit atop the
Caribbean Plate, a tectonic plate with a diffuse topography. The islands of
Aruba,
Barbados,
Trinidad, and
Tobago sit on the northerly South American
continental shelf. The
Netherlands Antilles and the
federal dependencies of Venezuela lie along the northerly South American. Geopolitically, the island states and overseas territories of the Caribbean are generally grouped as a part or subregion of North America.
[2][3][4] The South American nations that border the Caribbean Sea – including
Colombia,
Venezuela,
Guyana,
Suriname, and
French Guiana – are also known as
Caribbean South America. Other islands are the
Galápagos,
Easter Island (in Oceania but belongs to Chile),
Robinson Crusoe Island,
Chiloé Island,
Tierra del Fuego and the
Falkland Islands.
South America is home to the world's highest waterfall,
Angel Falls in Venezuela, the largest river (by volume), the
Amazon River, the longest mountain range, the
Andes, the driest desert, the
Atacama Desert, the largest rainforest, the
Amazon Rainforest, the highest railroad, Ticlio
Peru, the highest capital city,
La Paz, Bolivia, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world,
Lake Titicaca, and the world's southernmost town,
Puerto Toro,
Chile.
South America's major mineral resources are
gold,
silver,
copper,
iron ore,
tin, and
oil. The many resources of South America have brought high income to its countries especially in times of war or of rapid economic growth by industrialized countries elsewhere. However, the concentration in producing one major export
commodity often has hindered the development of diversified economies. The inevitable fluctuation in the price of commodities in the international markets has led historically to major highs and lows in the economies of South American states, often also causing extreme political instability. This is leading to efforts to diversify their production to drive them away from staying as economies dedicated to one major export.
South America is home to many interesting and unique species of animals including the
llama,
anaconda,
piranha,
jaguar,
vicuña, and
tapir. The Amazon rainforests possess high
biodiversity, containing a major proportion of the
Earth's
species.
The largest country in South America by far, in both area and population, is
Brazil, followed by
Argentina. Regions in South America include the
Andean States, the
Guianas, the
Southern Cone, and
Brazil.
Usage
Among people in some
English-speaking countries, there is a tendency to confuse the linguistic and geographic divisions of the Americas: thus,
Mexico, some
Central American and
Caribbean territories, despite their location in
North America, are mistakenly included in South America. The term
Latin America is correctly used when referring to those territories whose official or national languages come from
Latin (namely
Portuguese,
Spanish, and
French). Conversely,
Anglo-America is used to refer to areas whose major languages are
Germanic,
Belize, and much of the
West Indies. Similarly, areas where English is prominent are considered part of the
Anglosphere.
History
Main articles: History of South America
The rise of agriculture and domestication of animals
South America is thought to have been first inhabited by people crossing the
Bering Land Bridge, which is now the
Bering Strait. Some archaeological finds do not fit this theory, and have led to an alternative theory
Pre-Siberian American Aborigines. The first evidence for the existence of agricultural practices in South America date back to circa 6500 BCE, when
potatoes,
chillies and
beans began to be cultivated for food in the highlands of the
Amazon Basin. Pottery evidence further suggests that
manioc, which remains a staple foodstuff today, was being cultivated as early as 2000 BCE.
[5]
By 2000 BCE many agrarian village communities had been settled throughout the Andes and the surrounding regions. Fishing became a widespread practice along the coast which helped to establish fish as a primary source of food. Irrigation systems were also developed at this time, which aided in the rise of an agrarian society.
South American cultures began domesticating
llamas,
vicuñas,
guanacos, and
alpacas in the highlands of the Andes circa 3500 BCE. Besides their use as sources of meat, and wool, these animals were used for transportation of goods (maximum load for a llama is typically 40 kg).
Pre-Columbian civilizations
The rise of agriculture and the subsequent appearance of permanent human settlements allowed for the multiple and overlapping beginnings of civilizations in South America.
The earliest known settlements, and culture in South America, and the Americas altogether, are the
Valdivia on the south east coast of
Ecuador.
The earliest known South American civilization was at
Norte Chico, on the central
Peruvian coast. Though a pre-ceramic culture, the monumental architecture of Norte Chico is contemporaneous with the pyramids of
Ancient Egypt. The
Chavín established a trade network and developed agriculture by 900 BCE, according to some estimates and archaeological finds. Artifacts were found at a site called
Chavín de Huantar in modern Peru at an elevation of 3,177 meters. Chavín civilization spanned 900 BCE to 300 BCE.
The
Muisca were the main indigenous civilization in what is now modern Colombia. They established a confederation of many clans, or cacicazgos, that had a free trade network among themselves. They were goldsmiths and farmers.
Other important Pre-Columbian cultures include:
Moche (100 BCE – 700 CE, at the northern coast of Peru); Tiuahuanaco or Tiwanaku (100 BCE – 1200 BCE, Bolivia); the
Cañaris (in south central Ecuador),
Paracas and
Nazca (400 BCE – 800 CE, Peru); Wari or
Huari Empire (600 – 1200, Central and northern Peru);
Chimu Empire (1300 – 1470, Peruvian northern coast);
Chachapoyas; and the Aymaran kingdoms (1000 – 1450, Bolivia and southern Peru).
European colonization
In 1494, Portugal and Spain, the two great maritime powers of that time, on the expectation of new lands being discovered in the west, signed the
Treaty of Tordesillas, by which they agreed that all the land outside Europe should be an exclusive
duopoly between the two countries.
The Treaty established an imaginary line along a north-south
meridian 370
leagues west of
Cape Verde Islands, roughly 46° 37' W. In terms of the treaty, all land to the west of the line (which is now known to comprehend most of the South American soil), would belong to Spain, and all land to the east, to Portugal. As accurate measurements of
longitude were impossible at that time, the line was not strictly enforced, resulting in a
Portuguese expansion of Brazil across the meridian.
Beginning in the 1530s, the people and natural resources of South America were repeatedly exploited by foreign
conquistadors, first from
Spain and later from
Portugal. These competing colonial nations claimed the land and resources as their own and divided it into colonies.
European infectious diseases (
smallpox,
influenza,
measles, and
typhus) to which the
native populations had no immune resistance, and systems of forced labor, such as the
haciendas and mining industry's
mita, decimated the native population under Spanish control. After this, African
slaves, who had developed immunities to these diseases, were quickly brought in to replace them.
The Spaniards were committed to converting their native subjects to Christianity, and were quick to purge any native cultural practices that hindered this end. However, most initial attempts at this were only partially successful, as native groups simply blended Catholicism with traditional idolatry and their polytheistic beliefs. Furthermore, the Spaniards did impose their language to the degree they did their religion, although the
Roman Catholic Church's evangelization in
Quechua,
Aymara and
Guaraní actually contributed to the continuous use of these native languages albeit only in the oral form.
A representation of a 'Mestizo', in a "Pintura de Castas" in the Colonial era. "A Spanish and Amerindian, produce a Mestizo"
Eventually the
natives and the Spaniards interbred, forming a
mestizo class. Essentially all of the mestizos of the Andean region were offspring of an amerindian mothers and Spanish fathers. Mestizos and the Indian natives were often forced to pay extraordinary taxes to the Spanish government and were punished harshly for disobeying their laws. Many native artworks were considered pagan idols and destroyed by Spanish explorers. This included the many gold and silver sculptures and artifacts found in South America, which were melted down before their transport to Spain or Portugal.
Independence
The Spanish colonies won their independence between 1804 and 1824 in the
South American Wars of Independence.
Simón Bolívar of Venezuela and
José de San Martín of Argentina led the independence struggle. Bolívar led a great army southward while San Martín led an army across the Andes Mountains, meeting up with General
Bernardo O'Higgins in Chile, and marched northward. The two armies finally met in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where they cornered the royal army of Spain and forced its surrender.
In Brazil, a Portuguese colony,
Dom Pedro I (also Pedro IV of Portugal), son of the Portuguese
king Dom João VI, proclaimed the country's independence in 1822 and became Brazil's first
Emperor. This was peacefully accepted by the crown in Portugal. Although Bolivar attempted to keep the Spanish-speaking parts of the continent politically unified, they rapidly became independent of one another as well, and several further wars were fought, such as the
War of the Triple Alliance and the
War of the Pacific.
A few countries did not gain independence until the 20th century:
★
Guyana, from the
United Kingdom, in 1966
★
Suriname, from
Dutch control, in 1975
French Guiana remains part of
France as of 2007, and hosts the
European Space Agency's principal
spaceport, the
Guiana Space Center.
Recent history
The continent, like many others, became a battlefield of the
Cold War in the late 20th century. Some governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay were overthrown or displaced by U.S.-aligned military dictatorships in the 1960s and 1970s. To curtail opposition, their governments detained tens of thousands of
political prisoners, many of whom were tortured and/or killed (on inter-state collaboration, see
Operation Condor). Economically, they began a transition to
neoliberal economic policies. They placed their own actions within the U.S.
Cold War doctrine of "National Security" against internal subversion. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Peru suffered from
an internal conflict (see
Túpac Amaru Revolutionary a sa Movement and
Shining Path). Revolutionary movements and right-wing military dictatorships have been common, but starting in the 1980s a wave of democratization came through the continent, and democratic rule is widespread now. Nonetheless, allegations of corruption remain common, and several nations have developed crises which forced the resignation of their presidents, although in general normal civilian succession has continued.
International indebtedness became a notable problem, as most recently illustrated by
Argentina's
default in the early 21st century.
In the first decade of the 21st century, South American governments have drifted to the political left, with
socialist leaders being elected in
Chile,
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Venezuela and leftist presidents in
Argentina,
Ecuador,
Peru, and
Uruguay. Despite the tendency to move to the left of the political spectrum, most of South America's governments are in practical terms societies embracing free-market
capitalism.
With the founding of the
Union of South American Nations, South America will intend to start down the road of economic, social and political integration, with plans for
European Union-style integration in the non-distant future.
Territories
The countries in this table are categorised according to the
scheme for geographic regions and subregions used by the United Nations, and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated.
Name of territory,
with flag | Area
| Population
(1 July 2005 est.) | Population density
per km² (per sq mi) | Capital |
|---|
| Argentina | | 39,537,943 | 14.3/km² (/sq mi) | Buenos Aires |
| Bolivia | | 8,857,870 | 8.1/km² (/sq mi) | La Paz, Sucre[6] |
| Brazil | | 187,550,726 | 22.0/km² (/sq mi) | Brasília |
| Chile[7] | | 15,980,912 | 21.1/km² (/sq mi) | Santiago |
| Colombia | | 42,954,279 | 37.7/km² (/sq mi) | Bogotá |
| Ecuador | | 13,363,593 | 47.1/km² (/sq mi) | Quito |
| Falkland Islands (UK)[8] | | 2,967 | 0.24/km² (/sq mi) | Stanley |
| French Guiana (France) | | 195,506 | 2.1/km² (/sq mi) | Cayenne |
| Guyana | | 765,283 | 3.6/km² (/sq mi) | Georgetown |
| Paraguay | | 6,347,884 | 15.6/km² (/sq mi) | Asunción |
| Peru | | 27,925,628 | 21.7/km² (/sq mi) | Lima |
South Georgia and
South Sandwich Islands (UK)[9] | | 0a | 0/km² (/sq mi) | Grytviken |
| Suriname | | 438,144 | 2.7/km² (/sq mi) | Paramaribo |
| Uruguay | | 3,415,920 | 19.4/km² (/sq mi) | Montevideo |
| Venezuela | | 25,375,281 | 27.8/km² (/sq mi) | Caracas |
| 'Central America:[10]' |
| Panama[11] | | 540,433 | 21.3/km² (/sq mi) | Panama City |
| Total | | 371,814,437 | 20.8/km² (/sq mi) |
See Also:
List of South American countries by population
Economy
Main articles: Economy of South America
Due to histories of high inflation in nearly all South American countries, interest-rates and thus investment remain high and low, respectively. Interest rates are usually twice that of the United States. For example, interest-rates are about 22% in Venezuela and 23% in Suriname. The exception is Chile, which has been successfully implementing free market economic policies since the 1980s and increased its social spending since the return of democratic rule in the early 1990s. This has led to economic stability and interest rates in the low single digits.
The
Union of South American Nations is a planned continent-wide
free trade zone to unite two existing
free-trade organizations –
Mercosur and the
Andean Community.
The economic gap between the rich and poor in most South American nations is considered to be larger than in most other continents. In
Venezuela,
Paraguay,
Bolivia and many other South American countries, the richest 20% may own over 60% of the nation's wealth, while the poorest 20% may own less than 5%. This wide gap can be seen in many large South American cities where makeshift shacks and slums lie adjacent to skyscrapers and upper-class luxury apartments.
Culture and Language
Main articles: Culture of South America
Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion of the region as a whole; however
Protestantism is growing steadily. Guyana and Suriname have significant
Hindu, and
Muslim communities.
Jewish communities are found across South America; the largest are in
Buenos Aires,
Argentina and
São Paulo,
Brazil. There is also a significant community in
Montevideo,
Uruguay. There are significant numbers of
Eastern Orthodox churches founded by immigrants from the
Middle East.
Spanish is the most widespread language of the continent, as Spanish is the official language of most South American nations. However, the majority of South Americans (51%) speak
Portuguese, the official language of Brazil.
Dutch is the official language of
Suriname;
English the official language of
Guyana; and
French the official language of
French Guiana.
Indigenous languages of South America include:
Quechua (in
Bolivia,
Peru, and
Ecuador);
Aymara (
Bolivia,
Chile and
Peru);
Guaraní (in
Paraguay and
Bolivia); and
Mapudungun (
Chile and certain pockets of
Argentina).
Other languages to be found in South America include
Hindi and
Indonesian in
Suriname;
Italian in
Argentina,
Brazil,
Uruguay,
Venezuela, and
Colombia; and
German in certain pockets in
Brazil,
Argentina,
Chile,
Venezuela,
Colombia and
Paraguay.
Welsh remains spoken and written in the historic towns of
Trelew and
Rawson in
Patagonia, Argentina. There are also small clusters of
Japanese-speakers in
Brazil,
Bolivia,
Colombia,
Paraguay,
Peru and
Ecuador.;
Arabic speakers, often of
Lebanese and
Syrian descent, can be found in Arab communities of
Chile,
Brazil,
Colombia, and
Argentina.
In some countries the continent's upper classes and well-educated people study English and French, and in areas with much tourist commerce, English and other European languages are sometimes spoken. There are small
Spanish speaking areas of Southernmost Brazil, due to the proximity of
Uruguay.
South Americans are culturally enriched by the historic connection with Europe, especially
Spain, and the impact of
mass culture from the
United States of America.
South American nations have a rich variety of
music. Some of the most famous genres include
cumbia from
Colombia,
samba and
bossa nova from
Brazil, and
tango from
Argentina and
Uruguay. Also well known is the non-commercial folk genre
Nueva Canción movement which was founded in Argentina and Chile and quickly spread to the rest of the Latin America. People on the
Peruvian coast created the fine
guitar and
cajon duos or trios in the most
mestizo (mixed) of South American rhythms such as the Zamacueca (from Lima), the
Tondero (from Piura), the 19th century popular Creole Valse or Peruvian Valse and the soulful Arequipan Yaravi. In the late 20th century,
Rock en español emerged by young hipsters influenced by British pop and American rock in
Argentina,
Chile,
Colombia, and
Uruguay.
Brazil has a Portuguese-language pop rock industry as well a great variety of other music genres.
The
literature of South America has attracted considerable critial and popular acclaim, especially with the
Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s, and the rise of authors such as
Gabriel García Márquez and
Mario Vargas Llosa.
Because of South America's broad ethnic mix, South American
cuisine takes on African, American Indian, Asian and European influences.
Bahia,
Brazil, is especially well-known for its West African-influenced cuisine. Argentines, Chileans and Uruguayans regularly consume wine, while Argentina along with
Paraguay,
Uruguay and people in southern
Chile and
Brazil enjoy a sip of
Mate a regional brewed herb cultivated for its drink.
Pisco is a liquor distilled from grapevine produced in
Peru and
Chile, however, there is a recurring dispute between those countries regarding its origins. Peruvian cuisine mixes elements from Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, African, Andean and Amazonic food.
Demographics
Descendents of
Indigenous peoples, such as the
Quechua and
Aymara, make up the majority of the population in
Peru and
Bolivia, and are a significant element in most other former
Spanish colonies. Exceptions to this include
Argentina and
Uruguay. At least three South American indigenous languages (
Quechua in
Peru and
Bolivia,
Aymara also in
Bolivia, and
Guarani in
Paraguay) are recognized along with
Spanish as national languages.
Ethnic groups
★
Africans
★
Arabs
★
Chinese people
★
Germans
★
Indian people
★
Italians
★
Japanese people
★
Koreans
★
Poles
★
Portuguese people
★
Spaniards
Indigenous peoples
★ Alacalufe
★ Atacameños
★
Aymara
★
Awá
★
Banawa
★ Cañaris
★
Caiapos
★
Chibcha
★ Cocama
★
Diaguitas
★
Chayahuita
★
Enxet
★
Gê
★
Guaraní
★
Jivaroan
★
Juris
★
Mapuche
★
Matsés
★
Mestizo
★ Pehuenche
★
Quechuas
★
Shipibo
★
Xucuru
★
Urarina
★
Yagua
★
Zaparos
References
Content notes
Notes
1. MERCOSUL IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT Ambassador Rubens A. Barbosa
2. South America Atlas National Geographic
3. North America Atlas National Geographic
4. Unstats Americas
5. O'Brien, Patrick. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp. 25
6. La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia; Sucre is the judicial seat.
7. Includes Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, a Chilean territory frequently reckoned in Oceania. Santiago is the administrative capital of Chile; Valparaíso is the site of legislative meetings.
8. Claimed by Argentina.
9. Also claimed by Argentina, the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean are commonly associated with Antarctica (due to proximity) and have no permanent population, only hosting a periodic contingent of about 100 researchers and visitors.10. Continental region as per ; depending on definitions, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago have territory in one or both of South and North America.11. Panama is generally considered a transcontinental country in Central America (UN region) and South America; population and area figures are for South American portion only, east of the Panama Canal.
Sources
★ "South America". ''
The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online''. 2005. New York: Columbia University Press.
★
GeoHive: The population of continents, regions and countries
See also
★
Americas (terminology)
★
History of the Americas
★
Union of South American Nations
★
Economy of South America
★
Flags of South America
★
Latin America
★
Latin American culture
★
Middle America
★
CONMEBOL
★
Tepui
External links
News
★
Infolatam. Information and analysis of Latin America
★
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs An independent source of Latin American news and opinion
Sports
★ /
CONMEBOL -- Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (The South American Football Confederation)
South America also has Rugby, Auto Racing, Golf, and Kayaking.
Music
★
Information about South American Music. Also MP3 & video.
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