South America

What Hemisphere is South America in?

South America is a continent in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere

Continent Rank

South America ranks fourth in area (after Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America)

Tierra del Fuego

Spanish for "Land of Fire", is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, and a group of many islands, including Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez Islands. Tierra del Fuego is divided between Chile and Argentina, with Argentina controlling the eastern half of the main island and Chile the western half plus the islands south of Beagle Channel.

Amazon River

The Amazon River in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and by some definitions it is the longest. It flows east and it's mouth is the Atlantic Ocean.

How many countries?

12 countries (Not including French Guiana)

Largest Metropolitan Area

Sao Paulo, Brazil (Pop. 21,070,000

Marajo Island

A large river island in northern Brazil. It lies in the estuary where the Amazon empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Rich in wildlife, it's home to water buffalo, colorful wading birds, caimans and piranhas. It's also known for its many rural fazendas (farms). On the east coast, the laid-back main town of Soure has beaches including Araruna, near a mangrove forest, and the palm-dotted Praia do Pesqueiro.

Tropic of Capricorn

A line of latitude about 23 degrees South of the equator. In South America it passes through Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.

Galapogos Islands

A province of Ecuador, is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It's considered one of the world's foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing. Charles Darwin visited in 1835, and his observation of Galápagos' species later inspired his theory of evolution.

Machu Picchu

Abandoned city high in the Andes mountains that showcases the architectural genius of the Inca

Largest Country

Brazil (3,287,612 sq mi)

Rio de la Plata

Estuary found where the Parana and Uruguay rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean.

Easter Island

Is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. Easter Island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people.

Strait of Magellan

Is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Patagonia

Is a sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes mountains and the deserts, pampas and grasslands to the east. Patagonia is one of the few regions with coasts on three oceans, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Southern Ocean to the south.

Falkland Islands

Is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 miles east of South America's southern Patagonian coast.

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca, straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains, is one of South America's largest lakes and the world's highest navigable body of water. Said to be the birthplace of the Incas, it's home to numerous ruins.

Mt. Aconcagua

Located in Argentina, this is not only the highest mountain in South America, but also the Highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres

Valdes Peninsula

Located in Argentina, this is the lowest point in South America

Angel's Falls

Located in Venezuela, it is the tallest water Falls in the world (2,648 feet)

Name the two landlocked countries of South America

Paraguay and Bolivia

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest, covering much of northwestern Brazil and extending into Colombia, Peru and other South American countries, is the world's largest tropical rainforest, famed for its biodiversity. It's crisscrossed by thousands of rivers, including the powerful Amazon.

Andes Mountains

The Andes, running along South America's western side, is among the world's longest mountain ranges. From Venezuela in the north, the range passes through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1000-km strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. The Atacama desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts.

Amazon Basin

The land drained by the Amazon River

Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean

three major bodies of water that surround South America