geography of south america by: kristine hirschmann
TRANSCRIPT
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.