South America: Fact at a Glance
South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also considered as a subcontinent of the Americas, which is the model used in Spanish-speaking nations and most of South America. The continent contains the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela; the largest river (by volume), the Amazon River; the longest mountain range, the Andes, and the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile.
It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. It includes twelve sovereign states – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela – and two non-sovereign areas – French Guiana, an overseas department of France, and the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory (though disputed by Argentina). In addition to this, the ABC islands of the Netherlands and Trinidad and Tobago may also be considered part of South America.
Instant Fact
| Largest Agglomeration |
Sao Paulo(incl. Guarulhos) |
| Highest Capital City |
La Paz, Bolivia |
| Longest Mountain Range |
Andes, 7000 km long, 500 km wide in some parts (widest between 18° to 200° S latitude), and of an average height of about 4000 m. Illampu is another important mountain range. |
| Major River |
Amazon River 6387 m. The Amazon has over 1000 tributaries in total. (Other important rivers are: Panama, Madeira Purus, Orinoco, San Francisco) |
| Highest Waterfall |
Angel Falls, Venezuela |
| Longest Waterfalls |
Iguazu Falls, a series of 275 |
| Highest Navigable Lake |
Titicaca(Peru, Bolivia) |
| Largest Rainforest |
Located within nine nations: Brazil (with 60% of the rainforest), Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana |
| Largest Desert Central America |
Chihuahua Mexico – south-western United States |
| Largest Desert South America |
Patagonian, Argentina |
| Longest Desert and Driest Place on Earth |
Atacama, 1000 km from Peru to North Chile |
| Largest Urban Areas Central America and Caribbean |
Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico) |
| Largest Urban Areas South America |
Sau Paulo (Brazil) (incl. Guarulhos); Buenos Aires (Argentina) (incl. San Justo. La Plata); Lima (Peru); Bogota (Santa Fe de) (Colombia) ; Santiago(Chile); Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Caracas (Venezuela); Porto Alegre (Brazil); Recife.(Brazil); |
| Highest Point |
Argentina - Aconcagua |
| Lowest Point |
Bahia Blanca, Argentina 42 m. below sea level; Peninsula Valdes - Argentina coastline -40 m |