South America

12% of world’s landmass 6% of world’s population Vast majority of people live within 500 miles of coast Vast interior is sparsely populated Northern area is all tropical – south of the Tropic of Capricorn the climate is more temperate, and very cool in the highlands South America is dominated by 2 landforms: Amazon and Andes

Amazon World’s largest river by far Nile is longer (by about 40 miles), but Amazon covers far more ground – as much as 60 miles wide at some points Discharges 50 billion gallons of water per second into Atlantic Ocean

Andes 50 peaks higher than 20,000 feet (highest is Aconcagua in Argentina) 4,500 miles long and gets to 400 miles wide Subject to violent earthquakes and volcanoes

Incas First people came to South America about 9000 BCE Incan empire – 1150 CE until Pizzaro arrived about 300 years later Known for intricate architecture of massive stone blocks Capital at Cuzco in modern-day Peru

Environments Llanos – grassland and open dry forests of Colombia and Venezuela Pampas - tall grassland in Argentina and Uruguay known for Argentine cowboys (gauchos)

Brazil 5 th largest country in the world – home to more than half of South America’s people Sao Paolo – world’s 4 th largest city History marked by military & corruption Largest South American economy, largest maldistribution of wealth in world (though improving) World Cup 2014, Olympics 2016

Brazil Local oil provides 60% of Brazil’s energy needs – other 40% from sugarcane ethanol. Rapidly industrializing – preparing for World Cup and Olympics 83% urbanized 1/3 of them in favelas – Brazilian urban shantytowns (poverty is similar to Haiti in favelas)

Colombia South America’s 2 nd largest country (pop.) Only S.A. country to have coastline on Caribbean and Pacific Focal point of international drug trade Anti-government insurgency ongoing for decades

Argentina Vast natural and human resources make it a natural candidate for economic leadership, but military dictatorships and corruption have prevented that Still has S.A.’s highest per capita GDP Argentina and Uruguay are S.A.’s only predominantly white nations

Venezuela Largest oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere U.S. gets 10% of its oil here Economy completely dependent on oil prices Huge wealth disparity between Europeans and native & African descendants President Hugo Chavez was a divisive figure, strong socialist policies conflicting with U.S. ideology

Bolivia La Paz is world’s highest capital city 1 of only 2 landlocked countries in S.A. (Paraguay) History of coups and poverty – remains South America’s poorest country

The Guyanas Guyana – British and Dutch roots whose people are from India & Africa (British colonial influence) Suriname – also Dutch and English roots with inhabitants being from the East Indies – Dutch speaking French Guiana – still a department of France and famous for Devil’s Island penal colony