Unit 11 South America

South America – Landforms Mountain Ranges: • The Andes: The Andes run the entire length of South America from

north to south along the Pacific Ocean. The Andes are the world’s longest mountain range. The Andes were once the center of the Incan civilization, which at the time of the Spanish conquest was one of the world’s largest. The Andes act as a natural barrier, isolating various parts of the continent and its people, affecting weather patterns, etc.

• The Guiana Highlands: These are found in northern South America near the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts. The Guiana Highlands are known for their natural beauty and environment. Mesas known as tepuis are known for their self-contained ecosystems. Every tepui has unique plant and animal life that is endemic (native) to that tepui due to ecological isolation

• The Brazilian Highlands: Located in southeastern Brazil near the Atlantic Ocean. The highlands are a major source of natural resources, including various ores, oil and natural gas, etc.

Other Landforms: • Amazon River Basin: A large, bowl-like area formed by the Andes,

Guiana Highlands, and Brazilian Highlands. All precipitation in this region flows towards the Amazon River through its many tributaries.

• Atacama Desert: Located in northern Chile, the Atacama desert is the world’s driest; some areas have not had a single recorded rain event in five centuries. The Atacama is a major source of copper.

• Patagonia: Located at the southern tip of South American in Chile and Argentina, this area is known its rugged geography (mountainous, numerous fjords and glaciers, tundra) and cold, dry weather.

• The Pampas: The Pampas are located in south central South America, primarily in Argentina. Similar in latitude, climate, vegetation, soil, etc. to the Great Plains of North America, the Pampas are a major large scale agricultural region, producing crops such as wheat and corn, as well as livestock such as cattle and horses.

• The Altiplano: Meaning high plain in Spanish, the Altiplano is located in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. It is the world’s highest large scale agricultural region, fed by the waters of Lake Titicaca.

South America – Bodies of Water Lakes, Gulfs, Bays, Etc.: • Lake Titicaca: Located in the Andes, Lake Titicaca is the world’s

highest navigable freshwater lake. It serves as a source of water for the Altiplano.

• Lake Maracaibo: Located in Venezuela along the Caribbean coast, Lake Maracaibo is actually a small bay with a vary narrow strait connecting it to the ocean. It is a major source of oil and natural gas for the country of Venezuela.

• Rio de La Plata: This is not a river, but an estuary, or a body of water where the fresh water of rivers meets the saltwater of the ocean. This water is brackish, or has high salt content. The Rio de La Plata is located where Uruguay, and Argentina meet on the Atlantic coast. The Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires are located on the Rio de La Plata.

• Strait of Magellan: The Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered this narrow passage of water, which goes through the southern tip of South America, also known as the Tierra del Fuego, or land of fire. It allowed Magellan to pass from the rough waters of the Atlantic to the relatively calm waters of the Pacific on his round-the-world journey in the 16th century.

• Drake Passage: Named for English explorer and privateer Sir Frances Drake, who was the first Englishman to sail around the world, it is located between South America and Antarctica. It is known for its cold weather, stormy conditions, and high seas.

Rivers: • Amazon River: The Amazon is the world’s second longest river, but

carries the largest overall volume of water of any river in the world. It’s volume is added to by its numerous tributaries, or rivers that flow into a larger one. The Amazon’s source is high in the Andes at over 24,000 feet. The inhabitants of the Amazon region rely on the river as a source of food (fishing), irrigation (farming), transportation, and tourism. Annual flooding of the Amazon replenishes the surrounding soil with minerals and nutrients vital for agriculture and subsistence farming in the region.

• Orinoco River: The Orinoco is primarily located in Venezuela, and has its source in Guiana Highlands. The world’s tallest waterfall, Angel Falls, is located along the Orinoco River. This waterfall is named for Jimmy Angel, the American pilot who discovered it deep within the rainforest.

• Parana River: This river has its source in the Brazilian highlands and flows southward until it empties into the Rio de La Plata.

The Amazon River

Lake Maracaibo

Strait of Magellan

Reed canoes on Lake Titicaca

Angel Falls

South America – Cultural Geography -South America was first inhabited by Asiatic nomadic hunter-gatherers, who gradually migrated there during the Ice Age. These people adapted to life in the varying climates and geographies of the continent. Today, the descendants of these indigenous people still live a similar lifestyle to that of their ancestors. The isolation provided by the Amazon rainforests, for example, allowed some indigenous people to avoid contact with European invaders and thus maintain their culture and way of life after colonization. The indigenous people of the Andes also benefitted from this isolation due to living at high altitudes and away from major centers of population. -The largest pre-Columbian (the period before the arrival of European explorers) civilization in South America was that of the Incans, located throughout the length of the Andes Mountains. The Incans were an advanced society built primarily through conquest, and at the time of the European arrival, was one of the world’s largest civilizations in terms of land area and population. The Incans built a series of trails throughout the Andes, which facilitated trade, communication, and defense of Incan territory. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca in the 1530s using the same tactics used by Hernan Cortez in his conquest of the Aztecs. -The Spanish established the viceroyalty (major division of Spanish colonies) of Peru in South America, introducing Spanish culture, language, and religion to most of the continent. The Portuguese established the colony of Brazil, which would later become the largest and most populous country in South America. -By the early 1800’s, many South American countries began to declare independence from Spain. Known as the Latin American version of George Washington, Simon Bolivar led many of these countries to freedom. The country of Bolivia is named for this famous leader. -The two most widely spoken languages of South America are Spanish and Portuguese, although hundreds of local dialects and languages are spoken, especially in more rural and isolated areas. The most prevalent religion is Roman Catholicism. -The primary ethnic groups include those descended from Europeans, Africans, Amerindians, mestizos, and mulattoes.

Francisco Pizarro

The Incan city of Machu Picchu

Simon Bolivar

Indigenous People of the Amazon

South America – Cultural Geography -For the most part, the countries of South America are categorized as “developing”. Most countries are raw material/natural resource export economies that lack diversification. Venezuela, for example, is largely dependent on fossil fuel exports, and thus is vulnerable to worldwide fluctuations (changes) in the global price of oil and natural gas, for example. As their economies decline, crime rates increase. Venezuela, for example, is considered the world’s most crime ridden nation, leading the world in per capita murders, kidnappings, etc. -Some countries, like Brazil and Argentina, are considered industrialized with diversified economies, but most of the means of production (land, mines, factories, etc.) are controlled by a small, wealthy, “elite” class of individuals. The division of wealth, or difference in income and assets (things of value) between the rich and poor is very large. Numerous Marxist (communist) rebel groups operate in various South American countries, hoping to establish socialist governments and economies. They take advantage of the rugged terrain and geography, using guerilla warfare as their primary tactic. -Another major issue is that of environmental deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Deforestation occurs mostly through slash and burn techniques in order to create more land for farming and ranching, especially by South America’s subsistence based farming community. Large areas of land are also cleared for large scale livestock production as well. The Amazon is home to 1/3 of the known plant and animal species, and this deforestation puts these species at risk for endangerment or worse, extinction. -South America is also a major producer of illegal drugs like cocaine. Indigenous peoples have been growing and harvesting the coca plant for hundreds of years. Its leaves were chewed by the Inca, for example, as a stimulant at high altitudes. Through refinement and chemical processes, coca is turned into a powdery drug known as cocaine, which is largely exported to the United States and Europe. The drug trade is controlled by various cartels, or large organizations that control the distribution of a particular commodity. The largest producers of this drug are Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Most of it is smuggled through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean on its way to various “first world” countries.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a

Marxist group

Drug lab in the rainforest

Deforestation in the Amazon

Andean Subsistence Farmer