South America in English
South America in English
It lies in the west, between the ocean and the Andes. It is the longest coastal plain in
the Atlantic world.
In most places, it is about 80 kilometers wide but in some, it is as narrow as 8
meters. The coastline of South America is smooth and regular. At the river mouths,
there are inlets that are used as harbors.
The south-western coast of the continent has fiords or deep inlets of the sea.
Andes Mountains:
Forms the second-highest mountain systems in the world and is next to the
Himalayas
Mount Aconcagua is the extinct volcano lies in Argentina
Mount Ojas del Salado is the highest active volcano in the world of Argentina
Andes Mountains – A part of seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,
Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina.
2. Mountain Ranges
The Andes stretches through the entire continent, running in the north-south
direction from Isthmus of Panama to Strait of Magellan.
They are the continuous range of folded mountain systems that cover the entire
western coast of South America.
The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world. The highest mountain of this
mountain range is Aconcagua, which stands at 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) and
straddles the Argentina-Chile border.
They form a chain of ranges and knots with enclosed intermontane
plateaus namely in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, there are many volcanoes and frequent
earthquakes in this region. Mount Cotopaxi and Mount Chimborazo are active
volcanic peak, which is the highest peak in South America.
Intermontane plateau – Bolivian plateau
Guiana Highlands:
an abundance of rain, tropical rainforest, gold, diamond, and iron ore reserve. World’s
highest fall – Angel’s fall on the Caroni River.
Ancient erosional plateau, savannah, cattle raising, gold, and diamond reserve.
Plateau of Borborema:
Brazilian highlands:
They are formed by two great river systems – the Amazon- the Orinoco and the
Parana-Paraguay. The vegetation of the lowlands is given special names.
The Orinoco Basin has dense tropical forests. The northern part is a plain covered
with savanna grass called the Llanos.
The equatorial jungle of the Amazon Basin is called the selvas, a typical tropical rain
forest.
The rich temperate grasslands around the mouth of the Parana-Paraguay is the
pampas.
At the source of these rivers is a region scrub forest called the Gran Chaco
4. The Eastern Highlands
1. Brazilian Highlands
2. Guiana Highlands
3. Patagonian Plateau
Guiana Highlands
It is a geographically stunning part of Planet Earth, over 1,000 miles in length, the
Highlands stretch from southern Venezuela across the northern edge of South
America to the tip of Brazil.
It consists of a vast plateau, one marked by deep gorges, tropical rain forests,
numerous rivers, and waterfalls. It’s famed for the highest waterfall in the world
(Angel Falls) at 3,212 ft (979 m) high. The highest point is Mt. Roraima on the
borders of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela at 2,810 m.
Brazilian Highlands
This highlands region is about 800 miles in length and runs through the Brazilian
states of Minas Gerais, Goias, Bahia, and Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil. The
magnificent landscape includes varied mountain ranges, namely the Serra de
Mantiquiera, Serra do Paranapiataba, Serra Geral, and Serra do Mar.
Patagonian Plateau
It is located between the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean, and about 1,000 miles in
length; Patagonia stretches south from the Rio Negro river in southern Argentina to
Tierra del Fuego and the Strait of Magellan. It’s mostly rugged, barren land, famed
for its beauty and striking scenery.
The fourth-largest river system of South America is the river Sao Francisco which is
about 2,914 km in length. It flows within Brazil.
It originates North-west of the city of Belo Horizonte.
Amazon River
Orinoco River
Magdalene River
Parana-Rio de la Plata
Tocantins-Araguaia
Sao Francisco River
Paraguay and Uruguay Rivers.
Important Lakes and Islands
NAME LOCATION
Lake Titicaca (12,500 feet above Situated between Bolivia and Peru.Highest
sea level) navigable lake in the world.
Latin America
Reference – Britannica
Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana (département of France)
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Caribbean
countries
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Haiti
dependencies and constituent entities
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Puerto Rico
Saint-Barthélemy
Saint-Martin
Lithium Triangle
Lithium Triangle is an intersection of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, known for high
quality salt flats.
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, Salar de Atacama in Chile, and Salar de Arizaro in Argentina
contains over 45%of known global lithium reserves.
Beneath Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat lies the world’s greatest
lithium deposits.
Bolivia, one of South America’s poorest countries, envisions development by
harvesting lithium on an industrial scale from underground saltwater brines.
It can be mined from rock or processed from brine.
Lithium dissolved in underground saline aquifers called “brine”, pumped to the
surface by wells and then allowed to evaporate in vast knee-deep ponds.
Demand for electric vehicles and smart devices powered by lithium-ion
batteries gives an opportunity for development.
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer : d
Answer – Ecuador.
Recently, Ecuador’s Sangay volcano erupted. Sangay volcano is one of the highest
active volcanoes in the world and one of Ecuador’s most active ones. It is the
southernmost stratovolcano (a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash) in the
northern volcanic zone of the Andes. It is 5230 m high. Sangay National Park is located in
the central part of Ecuador on the Andes mountains’ eastern side. It is a world
heritage site.