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 cartographs 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).
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. 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 Galapagos, Easter Island
(in Oceania but belongs to Chile), Robinson Crusoe Island, Chiloé
Island, Tierra del Fuego and the Falklands 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,
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 natural 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.
South America is home to many interesting and unique species of animals including the llama, anaconda, piranha, jaguar, vicuna, 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.
There's so much more to learn... Check out our Facts For The Visitor or read up on our reviews of everything about South America:
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