Climate: Varied
Population: 327 million.
Main languages: Spanish, Portuguese, and many Native American Languages.
Density: 44.9 people per square mile.
Mountain ranges: Andes, Blanca, Occidental
Birthrate: 27.5
Death rate: 7.7 per 1,000 people
Annual growth rate: 1.9% per 1,000 people
Major religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and other
Jungles full of mysterious and exotic animals. Deep dark rain forests with exotic creatures. Numerous crystal-blue lakes and gorgeous mountains topped with ice. The land is rich and fertile and produces abundant food. Believe it or not, there is a place like this. It is South America.
Cool Fact: One fifth of the Worlds birds come from the Amazon rain forest. It is the fourth largest continent.
History:
South America's history is filled with tales of mystery and wealth, many originating from the Inca, the Maya, and the Aztec. These three great civilizations were the first empires in South America.
The Mayan civilization developed about 600 years ago in South America. The Mayan lasted for about one thousand years until gradually they disappeared. Scientists believe that the Mayans were weakened by battles and famine. This may have led to there mysterious disapperence.
The Inca lived high up in the Andes mountains. They built cities of stone and they had terraced fields for growing crops. Unfortunately the Inca began to fight too many wars. Soon they disappeared as mysteriously as the Mayans.
The Aztecs were one of the most powerful civilizations. They had a mighty capital called Tenochtitlan. The Aztec were very powerful until 1519 when a Spaniard named Hernando Cortez appeared. He was the leader of a small Spanish army. The Spanish declared war on the Aztecs, but the Aztecs were easily defeated because the Spanish had much better better weapons and army. Soon the Aztec also began to lose their power.
After the natives of South America lost most of their control, South America was mainly dominated by the Spanish. The Spanish colonized South America in hopes of finding gold and other valuable natural resources. They also wanted more land.
Climate, Geography, Terrain, and Wildlife.
In central South America the climate is very humid and there are rain forests. Around the rain forests there are arid deserts. The Iguacu Falls, in Southern Brazil, are one of the biggest falls in South America. The falls are made up of 275 cascades. The width of the Iguacu is 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers. In the local language Iguacu means "Great Waters."largest lakes: Maracaibo, Titicaca, and PooPo. biggest river: Amazon River.
Technology, farming, and Industry
You know about cowboys in North America, but I bet you don't know about the cowboys in South America. These cowboys are named Gauchos. Gauchos wear black hats and riding trousers. These cowboys are famous for their horsemanship. They ride around on grassy plains herding cattle.
Brazil is the leading airplane builder in South America. The need for airplanes was required because many of the roads in Brazil are not dependable. Brazil also builds military airplanes. Because of these uses of airplanes Brazil is currently the sixth largest airplane manufacturer.
South America is also famous for coffee. Colombia is the leading coffee producer in South America, and also in the World. Coffee comes from a small shrub or tree. These trees grow best in tropical areas which make South America a good place to grow coffee because of its central rain forests. The shrub grows berries that look a little like small cherries. These berries are picked by hand or machine and then the outer shell is removed. Then the beans are dried in the sun before their skin is removed and they are finally roasted in large ovens and ground into coffee.
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