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Amazon Basin
Andes Mountains
Amazon River
Atacama Desert
Pampas
Guiana Highlands
Brazilian Highlands
Llanos
Patagonia
Angel falls
Aconcagua
Amazon Basin• Largest drainage basin in the world• 1.7 billion acres
– 1.4 billion acres are rainforest
• Largely unexplored because of dense rainforest
• Tons of life
Amazon River• Largest river by volume
– Average 7,734,000 cubic feet/second– Up to 11,000,000 in rainy season
• 2nd longest river in the world– 4,400 miles
• Can be up to 120 miles wide
Andes Mountains
• Longest continental mountain range– 4,300 miles long, 430 miles wide,
13,000 ft tall
• Many active volcanoes
Aconcagua22,841 ft
Atacama Desert
• Driest desert in the world– Dry as .04 inches a year
• Caused by rain shadow– Humboldt Current
• Cold water keeps air cold which cannot hold moisture
Llanos• Tropical grassland
• Scarlet Ibis
Pampas• Fertile lowlands• Mild climate with 34 inches of rain
average• Frequent wildfires so little trees• Gauchos (Cowboy)
Patagonia• Combinations of Andes and plateaus• Vast differences in landscapes
• Torres del Paine
Angel falls
• 3,212 ft tall