SOUTH AMERICA – description of the continent and its records

From its tropical north coast of the continent extends to 7 240 km (4 500 miles) south,

toward the cold, lashed by storms of Cape Horn, which is located only 1000 km (600 miles)

from Antarctica.

Across the western coast of the continent stretching Andes, forming the world’s longest

mountain chain. In the north of Amazon River (the second longest in the world) flows to the

east from the slopes of the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean through the endless wet jungle that

once covered more than one-third of the continent.

In the south the jungle give way to the plains of the Gran Chaco and the pampas. Southern

tip of the continent – Patagonia – a dry, windy plateau. The population of South America

consists of the descendants of Europeans and Africans, the Native American Indian peoples.

Most people speak Spanish.

INFORMATION ON THE CONTINENT

* Area: 17 818 50 5 square. kilometers (6 877 943 kv. miles).
* Population: 343 131 400.
* Independent countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,

Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.

WORLD RECORDS

* Longest in the world Mountain Range: Andes of western South America, 7 600 km (4 700

miles)
* The driest PLACE IN THE WORLD: Atacama Desert, Chile, the average annual rainfall is

less than 0,1 mm (1 / 250 inch)
* The world’s highest waterfall: Angel Falls, Venezuela, 979 m (3 212 feet)
* The highest WORLD CAPITAL: La Paz, Bolivia, 3 631 m (11 913 feet)
*’s Highest MARINE LAKE: Lake Titicaca, Peru – Bolivia, 3 810 m (12 500 feet)
* Deepest RIVER IN THE WORLD: The Amazon, Peru – Bolivia, every second in the Atlantic

Ocean, it pours 200 000 cu. m (7 100 000 cu. feet) of water
* The world’s largest river basins: the Amazon basin, northern South America, 7 045 000

square. km (2 720 000 square. miles)
* The World’s Largest Lagoon: Laguna dos Patos, Brazil, 9 850 square. km (3 803 sq..

miles)

RECORDS CONTINENT

* Highest mountain: Aconcagua, Argentina 6 960 m (22 834 ft)
* Lowest point: Peninsula Valdes, Argentina, 40 meters (131 feet) below sea level
* The largest lake: Lake Titicaca, Peru, Bolivia, 8 248 sq. km (3 200 square meters.

miles)
* The longest river: the Amazon, Peru, Brazil 6, 450 km (4 010 miles)
* BIGGEST largest country: Brazil, 8 506 663 sq. km (3 284 426 square. miles)
* BIGGEST populated country: Brazil, population – 171 854 000
* The largest of cities: Sao Paulo, Brazil, population – 16 800 000