9781422286463

The Land 13

Quick Facts: The Geography of South America Location: Southern Hemisphere south of the Caribbean Sea, north of Antarctica,

and between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Total area: 6,868,000 square miles (17,793,000 sq km) Argentina: 1,068,298 square miles (2,766,890 sq km) Bolivia: 424,162 square miles (1,098,580 sq km) Brazil: 3,286,469 square miles (8,511,965 sq km) Chile: 292,258 square miles (756,950 sq km) Colombia: 439,733 square miles (1,138,910 sq km) Ecuador: 109,483 square miles (283,560 sq km) Falkland Islands: 4,700 square miles (12,173 sq km) French Guiana: 35,135 square miles (91,000 sq km) Guyana: 83,000 square miles (214,970 sq km) Paraguay: 157,046 square miles (406,750 sq km) Peru: 496,224 square miles (1,285,220 sq km) Suriname: 63,039 square miles (163,270 sq km) Uruguay: 68,038 square miles (176,220 sq km) Venezuela: 352,143 square miles (912,050 sq km)

Terrain: The Andes mountain chain runs in the west nearly the entire length of the conti- nent; there are tropical rain forests in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins, flat grass- lands in the center and southeast, and temperate forests in the south. Climate: Largely tropical, but temperate in the south and subantarctic in the far south; cool in high altitudes even in equatorial region; some rainless desert areas. Natural resources: Petroleum, timber, fertile soils, iron, tin, copper, silver, gold, emeralds, fisheries, water resources. Elevation extremes: lowest point: Salinas Chicas on the Península Valdés, Argentina, 131 feet (40 meters) below sea level highest point: Mount Aconcagua, Argentina, 22,834 feet (6,960 meters) Natural hazards: Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, drought.

Source: CIA World Factbook 2015.