THE IMPACT OF SOUTH
AMERICA’S GEOGRAPHY
By: Danielle Swanson
SOUTH AMERICA’S PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
Climate Map
Click on link for
video!
South America Climate Map
Commons.wikimedia.org
YouTube Countries of South America
There are 12
independent countries
in South America.
French Guyana is a
dependent country.
There are a total of 13
countries.
How many independent
countries are in South
America?
10
12
13
Incorrect Answer. Try Again.
How many independent
countries are in South
America?
10
12
13
Congratulations!
Correct Answer!
SOUTH AMERICA: PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
 South America is the 4 th largest continent
 Variety of Biomes
 Rich Biodiversity
 There are 3 physical regions:
1. Mountains & Highlands
2. River Basins
3. Coastal Plains
THREE RIVER BASINS
1. The Amazon
2. Orinoco
3. Paraguay
• The Orinoco flows north of
the Amazon. It begins in
northern Brazil and empties
into the Atlantic Ocean in
Venezuela.
The Llanos is
a large
grassland
region that is
the primary
biome of the
Orinoco River
basin. It is the
habitat for
many bird and
river species.
PARAGUAY/PARANÁ
• Covers much of Southeastern Brazil and Bolivia,
Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
• Empties into the Rio de la Plata (most populous region
of both Argentina and Uruguay.
• Supplies water to the plains biome (or Pampas) of South
America.
• The Pampas plains region has rich soil, consistent rainfall,
and is the most important grazing and cropland area in
South America.
AMAZONIA
Biodiversity
Amazon
River
Rainforest
The Amazon River is the
world’s largest river.; it carries
the most water. (The Nile is the
longest.)
THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN
 The basin is 2.7 millions square miles. It covers most of
northern South America.
 The basin is fed from rivers and streams from glaciers in the
Andes.
 The Amazon Rainforest makes up about half of Earth’s
rainforests.
 The numerous tree species of the rainforest and vines called
lianas create its dense canopy.
 The Amazon Rainforest has a diverse wildlife full of primates,
two million species of insects, and thousands of native species
of birds.
MOUNTAINS & HIGHLANDS
PATAGONIA
Patagonia is a region in the southern section of the Andes Mountains
shared by Chile and Argentina. This region has plateaus and glaciers as
well.
Image: en.wikipedia.org
MOUNTAINS & HIGHLANDS
 The Andes Mountain Range is South America’s largest
and most primary mountain range; it is also the world’s
longest mountain range. (4,350 miles long)
 The highest peak is Aconcagua, (22,841 ft. high) and it
straddles the border of Argentina and Chile. It is the
tallest mountain outside of Asia.
 The Andes region has high plateaus, such as the
Altiplano Plateau region of Peru and Bolivia.
 Outside of the Andes are the Brazilian Highlands and
the Guiana Highlands.
COASTAL PLAINS
Atacama Desert
Resource: travel.nationalgeographic.com
COASTAL PLAINS
• Coastal Plain: An area of low flat land next to a seacoast.
• The coastal plains in South America are found on the northeastern
coast of Brazil, on the coast of the Atlantic ocean, and on the
western, Pacific coast of Peru and Chile. They are extremely dry.
• The Atacama Desert is part of the western coastal plain and is
considered the driest region of the world. The average rainfall is 0.04
inches a year. The desert lacks plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals.
• A rich source of copper is found in this region and it is a source of
revenue for the Chilean economy.
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH
AMERICA
• The Americas were named after Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, the first
European to suggest that the Americas were not a part of the East Indies.
• South America’s human landscape is strongly influenced by indigenous
groups of people.
• The Incan Empire is the most known indigenous culture of South America.
• Most African slaves were brought to Brazil. Africans, indigenous groups, and
European groups were all cultures that combined in South America.
• Mestizos are people of European and indigenous/Indian heritage. They
were the center of the revolutionary movements in South America.
• The gaucho, or “cowboy” culture developed in the Pampas of South
America.
MACHU PICCHU INCAN EMPIRE
RUINS
Commons.wikimedia.org
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH
AMERICA
• Catholicism is the dominant religion.
• The annual Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a religious
celebration that has grown into the secular culture.
• Portugal and Spain colonized South America. Portugal
colonized what is now Brazil, and Spain colonized the rest.
Portuguese is the national language in Brazil, and the rest of
South America’s primary language in Spanish.
• Nationalization vs. Privatization is a current popular political
issue.
AMAZON RAINFOREST
DEFORESTATION
Environmental issues such as deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest, carbon
emissions, pollution, urbanization, industrialization, and global warming are all
current issues South America is facing today . Image: en.wikipedia.org
What country colonized the land that is
now Brazil?
Spain
Italy
Portugal
INCORRECT. TRY AGAIN.
What country colonized the land that is
now Brazil?
Spain
Italy
Portugal
CONGRATULATIONS!
CORRECT ANSWER!
Portugal colonized what is now
Brazil. Also, Portuguese is the
national language of Brazil.
RESOURCES
 National Geographic: South America
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/southamerica-physical-geography/?ar_a=1
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/southamerica-human-geography/?ar_a=1
• Images
Commons.wikimedia.org
 Images
en.wikipedia.org