Study of Continents — South America

Brazil

Tierra del Fuego

Altiplano

Chimborazo

Lake Titicaca

South America lies between 13° N latitude to 55° S and 35° W to 81° W longitude. The major part of South America is in Southern Hemisphere and only a small part lies in Northern Hemisphere. Equator and Tropic of Capricorn cross through South America.

The major physical divisions of South America are:

1. Western Mountains — Andes
2. The Western Coastal Strip
3. The Central Plains
4. The Eastern Highlands
5. The Islands

The three rivers that make up the Paraguay river basin are:

1. The Parana
2. The Paraguay
3. The Uruguay

Amazon basin — It is drained by Amazon river and its tributaries and is spectacular in size with some 20,800 km of navigable water-ways. Amazon is the largest river system of the world. It rises from the Andes and falls into the Atlantic Ocean. It flows through dense equatorial forest called Selvas.

Gran Chaco — The Western part of the central plain is called Gran Chaco. It is an extensive alluvial plain. It is also known as Dry Chaco. It is an arid subtropical region of low forests.

Pampas — It is the Grassland of South America. It lies to the south of the Gran Chaco. Pampas is the most productive agricultural region of South America. It is covered with fine grained stoneless deposits similar to loess.

The three river basins found in central lowlands are:

1. The llanos of the Orinoco Basin
2. The Amazon Basin
3. Paraguay or Plata river basin

Llanos refers to the tropical grassland of Orinoco river basin. It lies in the north of Orinoco river basin.

The characteristic features of Andes mountain range are:

1. It is the longest mountain system of the world. Their average height is about 4000 m above sea level.
2. It is an unbroken stretch of young fold mountains which flank the Pacific coast from Caribbean Sea to Cape Horn.
3. It has two parallel ranges from western and eastern sides.
4. It's highest peak is Mt. Aconcagua.
5. It has majestic volcanic ranges which include Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Ancohuma in Bolivia and Ojas del Salado in Argentina.
6. The western slopes of the Andes give rise to only short streams but many numerous large rivers drain the eastern slopes, flowing into the Amazon river.

The two deserts of South America are

1. Atacama Desert
2. Patagonia Desert

The deserts receive scanty rainfall because they lie in Rain shadow area that is the leeward side of the mountain. The windward side of the mountain receives rainfall while the leeward side remains dry.

The Rain shadow area is an area on the leeward side of the mountain which does not receive rainfall. Atacama desert is one of the examples of rain shadow area.

The highest peak in Andes is Mt. Aconcagua.

Christopher discovered South America in 1498 .

Equator and Tropic of Capricorn pass through South America.

The latitudinal extent of South America is from 13° N to 55° S.

The Andes form an unbroken stretch of Young fold mountains.

Cape Horn marks the southernmost tip of South America.

Amazon

Tierra del Fuego

Mt. Cotopaxi

Guiana

Atacama desert

False

Corrected statement — The Andes run from north to south along the western coast of South America.

True

False

Corrected statement — La Plata is made up of three rivers i.e. the Parana, the Paraguay and the Uruguay.

False

Corrected statement — The Gran Chaco is a plain and tropical dry forest.

False

Corrected statement — Pampas lies to the south of South America.

Fold mountains

Bolivia plateau

Selvas

Andes cordillera

Paraguay

Mt. Aconcagua

Andes

Atacama Desert

Atlantic

Amazon

Paraguay

estuary

Patagonia

Guiana

Trinidad and Tobago