Interesting facts about the peoples of South America. Interesting facts about the continents

South America is a large continent washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. There is the longest mountain range here - the Andes, which stretch for seven thousand kilometers, the longest and deepest river in the world - the Amazon. The South American jungle - the jungle - is home to the largest snake - the anaconda; in the rivers there are the most dangerous freshwater fish - piranhas. The population speaks mainly Spanish, although there is big country— Brazil, where official language Portuguese, there are also small overseas territories European countries where English, French and Dutch are spoken. The most famous attraction is the completely preserved Incan city of Machu Picchu. We present interesting facts about South America.

Story

South America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Europeans arrived here in search of India, where they hoped to buy spices. Later it turned out that this is not India, but a separate continent, but this land was called the West Indies for a long time, and the local population is still called Indians.

On the territory of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador (partially Chile, Argentina and Colombia) there was the Inca state of Peru (the local name of the state of Tawantinsuyu). This state had a population of about one million people, an army numbering several tens of thousands of people, but was captured in 1532 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, whose detachment numbered 168 people. The remnants of Incan statehood lasted until 1572, when the Spanish conquered the city of Vilcambamba and executed the last independent Incan ruler, Tupac Amaru. There is evidence of the Inca city of Paititi, which was independent from the Spaniards, but it has not yet been found.

In the 16th - 17th centuries, the Bolivian city of Potosi was the world's largest industrial center, with a population of 160 thousand people. Silver was mined here, over 200 years they mined 820 million pesos worth of this metal, and this coin was heavy and weighed 28 grams. Silver, tin and copper continue to be mined today, the population is the same as it was several centuries ago, 160 thousand people.

Here is Machu Picchu - the ruins of an Inca city, which has been completely preserved to this day. Despite the difficult terrain, transport routes were laid here, including railway, Machu Picchu is visited by millions of tourists every year. There is also a similar well-preserved Inca city - Choquiquerao.

Geography

The largest country is Brazil. The language spoken here is Portuguese, while in most other countries they speak Spanish.

The Amazon is not only the river with the largest basin (the area occupied by the river and its tributaries), but also the longest river. Until recently, the Nile was considered the longest river, but scientists found the sources of the Amazon and it turned out to be longer than the African record holder. The tropical forest that grows on the banks of the Amazon and its tributaries is called selva. This is a very rainy place, sometimes it rains for two thirds of the year. Due to this, the Amazon is very full of water; it brings the most a large number of fresh water among the rivers of the world.

Venezuela has the most high waterfall Angel. Its height is more than one kilometer. Despite the fact that the waterfall is large and beautiful, few tourists come to it, since it is located in a difficult jungle.

The Bolivian city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, is the highest capital in the world (the government of the country is located here, the real capital is Sucre, where the Bolivian Supreme Court is located), the lowest part has an altitude of about three kilometers, the highest areas are at an altitude of four kilometers above sea ​​level. In this city, visitors may well get altitude sickness, local residents they are quite accustomed to such rarefied air and feel good in their hometown.

In El Salvador there is the Izalco volcano, it is considered the most active volcano peace. Over the past 200 years, an eruption has occurred here every few minutes, magma pours out of the vent and a three-hundred-meter column of smoke rises into the sky. Sailors use the volcano as a beacon - this landmark can be seen many kilometers away.

Chile has the driest desert in the world - the Atacama. Europeans have been observing it since they arrived on the continent, and there has been no precipitation here in 400 years of observation. The humidity here is zero, so the mountains, which reach a height of seven kilometers, have no glaciers. But in 2010, precipitation occurred here, and it was not rain, but snow.

In Colombia there is a river called Caño Cristales, it contains red, green and yellow color. Although the water is ordinary, the current seems multi-colored.

The Andes are mountains that run from south to north along almost the entire South America, stretching for more than 7 thousand kilometers; this is the longest mountain range in the world. The most high peak- Aconcagua has an altitude of almost seven kilometers - 6960 meters.

In the capital of Suriname, Paramario, there is not a single high-rise building, thus maintaining the colonial architectural complex, which many tourists come to see.

Flora

A rubber tree grows here; its sap was used to make rubber products, including car tires, before the invention of artificial rubber. Quinine, a medicine for malaria, was made from the bark of the cinchona tree. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. Many plants common to Europeans come from America - potatoes, corn, sunflowers, tomatoes.

On the territory of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil there is a large flat steppe 1600 kilometers long - the Pampas. This steppe is considered the largest grassland in the world.

The Pantanal is the largest swamp in the world, it is located mainly in Brazil, but part is in Bolivia and Paraguay. Since these places are difficult for humans to access (during summer rains, a depression of 140 thousand square kilometers is 80% flooded with water), many species of plants and animals have been preserved here - about 3,500 species of plants grow, 400 species of fish, 650 species of birds, 100 species live mammals, and 80 species of reptiles. There are many dangerous animals - about 20 million caimans, you can meet a giant python.

Guyana's territory is 90% occupied by jungle. It is the only English-speaking country in South America.

Fauna

The world's largest butterfly, Tizania agrippina, lives in tropical forests, with a wingspan of up to 30 centimeters.

The largest species of vulture, the condor, lives in the Andes. This is the largest bird in the world. The wingspan is up to three meters, in this parameter it is inferior to the largest species of albatross (up to 3.5 meters), but it significantly exceeds them in weight (up to 15 kilograms for vultures, the weight of wandering albatrosses is up to 10 kilograms).

Pudu deer grow up to 40 centimeters and weigh up to 10 kilograms.

The largest rodents live here - capybaras; they are up to one and a half meters long and weigh up to 65 kilograms.

Anacondas live in tropical forests - large snakes that reach a length of up to 5 meters. There is evidence of the existence of longer anacondas, but they are not scientifically confirmed.

In the upper reaches of the Amazon live the smallest monkeys - pygmy marmosets. These funny animals measure up to 15 centimeters (without the tail, which is about 20 centimeters long).

South America is the birthplace of many record-breaking animals:

• the largest beetles (woodcutter beetles);
• the most poisonous frogs (spotted dart frog, red-backed poison frog, bicolor phyllomedusa);
• the smallest monkeys (marmosets);
• the largest butterflies (Agrippina butterfly);
• the most dangerous freshwater fish (piranha).

The part of the world located in the western part of the Southern Hemisphere and in part of the Northern Hemisphere is South America. In terms of size and population, South America occupies an honorable fourth place. It includes the Greater Antilles, which were discovered by Christopher Columbus in his search for sea ​​route to India. This was the first expedition. And during the third, Trinidad was discovered. When Columbus and his sailors tasted the water from the sea, he was surprised that the water was slightly salty and assumed that a river flowed into the sea not far away. But a river that produces so much water that the sea is so fresh must be very powerful, which means there is a mainland nearby.

The largest country in South America is Brazil. Three times smaller than it, Argentina is in second place, followed by Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. In general, today there are 13 countries in South America, the area of ​​which varies from huge to very modest. And also South America, Mexico, Central America and... The West Indies are collectively called Latin America. It's quite warm in South America. Most of its climate is subequatorial and tropical. In the Amazonian lowland - equatorial. The south of the continent boasts a temperate and subequatorial climate. In January the temperature is approximately 10 degrees Celsius. Why was all this said? Moreover, in Chile there is a desert that has not seen rain for four centuries.

The Atacama Desert is considered the driest place on earth, the humidity is zero percent, facts say that from 1570 to 1970 there was not a single rain there. Mountains whose height is 7,000m do not have an ice cap. Today, Atacama receives 1 mm of precipitation per year. And in 2010, it started snowing here. For the first time in the history of the desert, apparently.

Without departing from the already mentioned Andes. In the movie "Election Day" the plant "puya" was mentioned. I wonder if the creators knew it existed? True, it is found in the Andes, grows at high altitudes, itself quite high (up to 10m). And perennial - 150 years is not the limit for pui. Thousands of flowers throw out millions of seeds. And after the puya blooms, it dies.

Another interesting fact. When missionaries came to South America, they discovered the capybara, an animal that lives part of its life in the water. It is not known exactly what prevented Christians from fishing here, but they asked the Pope to recognize the capybara as a fish! So that its meat can be consumed during fasting. What's even more interesting is that the Pope gave his kind permission.

Venezuela is one of the countries in South America. Did you know that it was named after... Venice. Amerigo Vespucci saw Indian huts built on stilts on the water on the shores of Maracaibo. The sight reminded him of his homeland (Amerigo was Italian). And he called this place Venezula, Venice in Italian.

Today, South America is becoming increasingly attractive to tourists. There are a lot of historical and natural monuments, stunningly diverse cities and landscapes. A completely unique culture, at the junction of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Indian and Negro, and who knows what else.

Amazing carnivals amazing waterfalls… It’s boring to list all this. It's better to look. To begin with - in photographs, and then - who knows.

Interesting Facts about South America

South America is the world's fourth largest continent. Here are largest rivers and tropical forests, wide choose deserts, wet and dry regions. It is often called subcontinental America. The continent borders Pacific Ocean in the west, and in the north and east from Atlantic Ocean And Caribbean Sea. It is the world's fifth most populous continent. We will tell you the most interesting facts about South America that will improve your current knowledge of geography.

Historical reference

The history of South America begins 225 million years ago when it was united with Africa. Here, during excavations, people were discovered whose age was 15,000 years old. It is believed that this was the first place where people began to live.

9,000 years ago, people began growing beans, chili peppers and squash in South America. 3,500 years ago, South Americans began domesticating animals such as alpacas, guanacos and llamas.

Norte Chico is considered the earliest famous civilizations South America. The Muisca (now Colombia) was also one of the oldest civilizations in South America.

The Spaniards and Portuguese began to explore South American Natural resources in 1530.

Simon Bolivar and José de San Martin fought the Peruvian War of Independence and liberated the country.

In the 20th century, South America became a battleground for the Cold War.

The peoples living in South America are known for their carnival celebrations.

Geography of the continent

The climate of South America varies greatly, from the hot and dry climate of its deserts, to the humid and rainy climate of its tropical forests. These forests are surrounded by dry meadows.

The west coast of South America is dominated by a hot desert, and in the mountains the temperature rarely rises above freezing.

People from all over the world come here to see with their own eyes the beauty of the local nature. Thus, the tourism industry becomes the main source of income in South America.

About 200 million people in South America speak Spanish and Portuguese, making them the continent's most spoken languages.

We hope you learned something new and that our article was useful to you. We'd love for you to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Brazil is a country dotted with beautiful beaches and even more beautiful people. It boasts some of the most amazing beautiful scenery, tasty dishes and impressive-looking (and strong) cocktails.

Brazil is to coffee lovers what Italy is to pizza lovers, as the country is the largest exporter of almost everyone's favorite morning drink. However, in addition to coffee, beautiful women and drinks, Brazil has a huge variety to offer the adventurous traveler.

For hundreds of years, Brazilian culture has been an exquisite blend of ethnic traditions and stunning artistry. It gave birth to some of the most recognizable masterpieces of music and dance, including bossa nova, samba and capoeira. This country is also widely known as a leader in football. Her team has won the FIFA World Cup a record five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. So it's fair to assume that you'll want to know more about this popular and frequently visited South American country. We present to your attention 25 interesting facts about Brazil.

25. The word “Brazil”, which means “red as coal”, comes from the Brazil tree (caesalpinia). These trees, which produce a dark red dye, once grew in abundance along the Brazilian coast. Caesalpinia wood was prized by European traders who arrived from the Portuguese coast in the sixteenth century to trade with the Tupí-Guaraní Indians.

24. The Portuguese officially named Brazil "Terra do Santa Cruz" (Land of the Holy Cross), but traders simply called it "Terra do Brasil".

23. Brazil is the sixth largest country in the world with a population of 200 million people and the fifth largest land area. Its area is 8,514,877 square kilometers. It is also the largest country in South America.

22. The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world and contains one fifth of the world's fresh water. It also produces a third of the Earth's oxygen. About sixty percent of the Amazon is in Brazil.

21. Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world and the only one in the Americas, as the rest speak Spanish.

20. Brazil is home to the world's most famous carnival: Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, often called "the world's biggest party."

19. Brazil's national football team is one of the most successful in the world when it comes to the FIFA World Cup. They won five times: in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

18. Brazil has more than four thousand airports, making it the second country in the world in terms of the number of airports, second only to the United States.

17. The flag of Brazil is one of the most well-known, but not many understand its meaning: the green color represents the forests of Brazil, the yellow diamond represents its mineral wealth, and the blue circle and stars represent the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of November 15, 1889 when Brazil declared itself a republic.

16. It is believed that during the slave trade, about four million slaves were transported from Africa to Brazil, which is about forty-five percent of all slaves brought to the Americas. In other words, contrary to popular belief, Brazil had more slaves than the United States.

15. This year will make history as the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics and the second city in Latin America, which will host the event after Mexico City in 1968.

14. Brazil was the first country to ban tanning salons and the purchase or sale of tanning equipment. This law was the result of the work World Organization health authority, which classified the horizontal solarium as a level 1 carcinogen, along with plutonium and cigarettes.

13. Since 2008, gender reassignment surgeries have been performed here free of charge, in accordance with the rules of the Brazilian public health system.

12. The country's most famous slogan is “Ordem e Progresso,” which means “order and progress.”

11. Bossa Nova is a genre of Brazilian music that originated and was popularized in the 1950s and 60s. On this moment it is one of the most famous Brazilian music genres abroad. "The Girl From Ipanema" is the most famous bossa nova song: it became an international hit in the mid-1960s, winning a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965.

10. Brazil's national drink, which has become one of the most famous exotic cocktails in most parts of the West over the past few years, is the caipirinha, which is a sugarcane liqueur called cachaça mixed in a glass with sugar, ice and squeezed lime slices.

9. In the 1980s, Brazil became the first South American country to begin accepting women into the armed forces.

8. Brazil boasts the largest population of Catholics in the world, making up sixty-six percent of the population or 130 million people.

7. For 150 years, Brazil has been the largest exporter in the world. In the 1920s it supplied about eighty percent of the world's coffee, but this figure has now fallen to about a third.

6. Believe it or not, Osama Bin Laden-themed bars are quite popular in Brazil. By the way, there is a bar there called “Bar do Bin Laden in São Paulo” (Bin Laden’s Bar in Sao Paulo), owned by Osama’s double. There is also a bar called “Caverna do Bin Laden” (Bin Laden’s Cave), which is located a few kilometers from Rio de Janeiro.

5. In the 1959 city council elections in Sao Paulo, Cacareco, a five-year-old female rhinoceros from the local zoo, surprisingly won. Not only did she win, but she did so by a large margin, receiving 100,000 votes (fifteen percent of the total).

4. On January 27, 1763, the colonial administration of Portuguese America was moved from El Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. The city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when The Royal Family Portugal and most of its associated nobles moved to Rio de Janeiro from Lisbon to escape Napoleon's invasion of Portugal. This event made Rio de Janeiro the only European capital in history outside of Europe.

3. Brazil was the only independent South American country to send ground forces to fight in World War II, producing more than 25,000 soldiers.

2. Brazil distributes breast milk throughout the country to babies whose mothers cannot provide it for them.

1. Brazilian prisoners can reduce their prison sentence by four days for every book they read and write a report on. In other words, Brazil's prison system is diligently trying to educate its prisoners.