GEOGRAPHIC

FEATURES
DID YOU KNOW?
South America can be divided into three physical regions: mountains
and highlands, river basins, and coastal plains. Mountains and
coastal plains generally run in a north-south direction, while
highlands and river basins generally run in an east-west direction.

South America’s Andes Mountains, which stretch from Venezuela

down to Chile and Argentina, were formed from the subduction of
the Nazca and Antarctic plates below the South American plate.
The Amazon River is South America’s longest river and is the largest
river in the world in terms of discharge.
CLIMATE
DID YOU KNOW?
 Argentina
subject to a variety of climates. The north of the country is
characterized by very hot, wet summers with mild drier winters,
and it is subject to periodic droughts during the winter season.
Central Argentina has hot summers with tornadoes and
thunderstorms and cool winters. The southern regions have warm
summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall, especially in
mountainous zones.
Bolivia- the country’s climate can vary severely depending on
altitude. It ranges from humid and tropical to cold and
semiarid.

Brazil - its climate varies considerably from north to south.,

although it should be said that a large part of Brazil lies in the
tropics. The climate varies from hot and dry in the arid
interior to humid and sticky in the tropical rainforests of the
Amazon Jungle.
 Chile - The majority of Chile is located in a climatic type
known as temperate or one of the subtypes of temperate.

Colombia - Colombia has a tropical climate along the coast

and eastern plains. However it can be a bit cooler in the
highlands.

Ecuador - is tropical and varies with altitude and region, due

to differences in elevation and, to a degree, in proximity to
the equator.
 Guyana - is warm and tropical throughout the year. The rainfall is generally high
for most of the year, as is the humidity. December to January and May to June are
the rainy seasons, while in coastal areas the climate is tempered by sea breezes.

Paraguay - The climate in Paraguay is subtropical to temperate. Due to its

extensive geography, it features various types of weather.

Peru - Because Peru has such a diverse geography the climate can be varied per
region. If it's warm on the coast it can be very cold in the mountains and you can
find completely different weather in the jungle.
Suriname - has a tropical climate with dry and rainy seasons. It also lies outside
the hurricane zone so the most extreme weather condition is a heavy rain
shower.

Uruguay - has a temperate climate. This means you can expect a climate that is
mild, with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year.

Venezuela - The climate in Venezuela varies according to altitude. Lower areas

have a tropical climate, while mountainous areas are significantly cooler.
DEMOGRAPHY
Did you know?
 DEMOGRAPHY
The highest densities are found in the old Indian core areas of Andes, the
former slave areas of northeastern Brazil, and the areas of European
immigration in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Has a high rate of population growth in tropical regions coupled with
moderate growth in the temperate southern cone.
The population density is relatively low compared with other continents.
Overall growth rate - over 1% per year.
It has a relatively low migration rate with high fertility and a high birth rate.
Only Bolivia has a population growth rate above 1% while the vast majority
of other South American countries are only at a rate of 1% per year.
RESOURCES
Did you know?
FOREST RESOURCES
South America enjoys a variety of vegetation with a
number of economically useful trees.
Lumber is an important activity in South America

Quebracho Carnauba
Mahogany Rosewood Yerba Mate
Tree Palm
WATER RESOURCES
South America has a vast source of water but they
have not been fully harnessed.
In South America, the water is used for many
purposes i.e. – hydroelectric power generation,
irrigation, fishing and navigation etc. Brazil leads in
hydroelectric power generation followed by
Argentina, Paraguay and Venezuela.
Amazon river carries vast
quantity of water but as its flow is
gradual without any sharp or
steep valley except for some part in
Andes, it has not been used much
for Hydroelectric Power
generation. However, some small
rivers descending from the Andes
and Brazilian Highlands have been BELO MONTE DAM
used for this purpose.
AGRICULTURE AND FISHIRIES
The crops, cultivated in South America, can be
categorized as –

Food Crops

Wheat Maize Rice

AGRICULTURE AND FISHIRIES
The crops, cultivated in South America, can be
categorized as –

Cash Crops

Coffee Cocoa Sugarcane Bananas Cotton

AGRICULTURE AND FISHIRIES

Cattle Rearing Sheep Rearing Fisheries

MINERALS
South America has large deposits of many
minerals.

Iron ore Tin Mineral Oil

Copper Nitrates
INDUSTRIES
Brazil and Argentina are the leading industrial nations in
South America. Argentina leads in - Meat Packing, Leather
Processing.
Brazil exports Coffee and Sugar.
With the discovery of Oil, Venezuela, Chile, Peru have developed oil
refineries and petro-chemical industries. Other countries of the
continent are industrially not so developed and export raw
materials like minerals, meat, fish, dairy product etc.
TRANSPORT
Though large part of South America have extensive forests, swamps,
barren plateaus and high mountains, the continent does not have a well
developed system of modern transport.
Roads – Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina are linked together by roads.
The road network is more developed in the eastern coastal towns of Brazil
and Argentina.
Roads are limited in the region of the Andes mountains in the west due to
hostile terrain.
TRANSPORT

The Pan-American Highway

TRANSPORT
Airways – Airways supplement the shortage of road transport in the
continent. All major cities are linked to each other by air transport.
Some smaller cities have airports too.
Railways – Argentina, Chile and Brazil have developed railways.
Seaways – A number of seaports lie on the east, west and northern
parts of the continent. Important seaports are listed here:
North – Caracas, Belem.
East – Natal, Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Bahia Blanca
South – Punta Arenas
West – Valparaiso, Callao
MAJOR CITIES
AND
CAPITALS
Did you
know?
 A RG ENTINA
BUENOS AIRES
- capital of the country and the biggest city by population

CORDOBA
- second most populous city located at the center of Argentina.
- country's primary producer of farm machiner and
techonological center

ROSARIO
- third largest city in the country and an important port city.
 BOLIVIA
a country with two capital cities

LA PAZ
- the seat of the government for the legislative and executive branches

SUCRE
- the seat of the judicial branck of the Bolivian government.

Sucre remains the only official capital of Bolivia, but La Paz, is

considered by many as the de facto capital.
 BRAZIL
SAU PAULO
- the largest city of Brazil in terms of both the area and population.
- comes under the world's most populous cities.
- considered as the financial center of the country.

RIO DE JANEIRO
- the second largest city of Brazil and said to be home to one of the
seven wonders Christ the Redeemer statue.
- considered as one of the world's most beautiful cities.

SALVADOR
- one of the oldest cities of America.
BRASILIA
- the heart of the country and the capital city of Brazil.
 CHILE
SANTIAGO
- the official capital of Chile and the oldest city in the country.
- has the highest population in any city in Chile.

VALPARAISO
- the legislative capital of Chile and one of the Pacific Ocean's most
important seaports in South America.

CONCEPCION
- the third largest city in Chile and is known for having a long music
tradition especially with rock music.
 COLOMBIA
BOGOTA
- the largest and the capital city of Colombia.

CARTAGENA
- one of the most touristic cities in Colombia and one of the most
fascinating colonial cities in Latin America.

MEDELLIN
- the second largest city of the country also called as the "City of the
Eternal Spring" for its excellent weather.

CALI
- the world capital of Salsa dancing.
 ECUADOR
QUITO
- capital city of Ecuador and known for being the capital
city closest to the equator

GUAYAQUIL
- the largest city by population and the commercial center of the country

CUENCA
- third largest city and regarded as being the most European
city in the country

MACHALA
- "Banana Capital of the World"
 GUYANA
GEORGETOWN
- the capital and the biggest city of Guyana.

PARAGUAY
ASUNCION
- the biggest city and capital of the country.
- serves as the seat of the government and the main harbor of the country.
CIUDAD DEL ESTE
- a major city in Paraguay primarily famous for its shopping districts.
 PERU
LIMA
- the capital and largest city of Peru.

AREQUIPA
- the second largest city called "the White City", surrounded by dramatic
geographical features.

TRUJILLO
- referred to as "the Center of Eternal Spring" and is famous for its
traditional Marinera dancing.
 SURINAME
PARAMARIBO
- the capital of Suriname

URUGUAY
MONTEVIDEO
- the biggest city and seat of government and has long been regarded as
the Latin America city that ensures the highest quality of life for its
citizens.
 VENEZUELA
CARACAS
- the largest and the capital city of Venezuela.
- one of the principal cities of South America.

MARACAIBO
- the second largest city and a major seaport.
- has long served as a major port for western Venezuela and eastern
Colombia.

VALENCIA
- the third largest city and home to a number of industrial and
manufacturing companies.
Did you know?
Argentina
Argentina is a developing country.
It is the second-largest in South America behind Brazil.

Bolivia
The economy of Bolivia is the 95th-largest economy in the world in nominal terms and the
87th-largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity

Brazil
Brazil is one of the world giants of mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, and it
has a strong and rapidly growing service sector.

Chile
The economy of Chile is a market economy and high-income economy as ranked
by the World Bank, and is considered one of South America's most prosperous
nations.
Colombia
The economy of Colombia is the fourth largest in Latin America as
measured by gross domestic product

Ecuador
The economy of Ecuador is the eighth largest in Latin America and the 69th
largest in the world by total GDP.
Guyana
With a per capita gross domestic product of $8,300 in 2016 and an average GDP
growth of 4.2% over the last decade, Guyana is one of the fastest developing
countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Paraguay
The economy of Paraguay is a market economy that is highly dependent on
agriculture products.
Peru
The economy of Peru is an upper middle income economy as classified by the
World Bank and is the 47th largest in the world by total GDP.

Suriname
The economy of Suriname was largely dependent upon the exports of aluminium
oxide and small amounts of aluminum produced from bauxite mined in the
country.
Uruguay
The economy of Uruguay is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector
and a well-educated workforce, along with high levels of social spending.

Venezuela
The economy of Venezuela is based largely on the petroleum and manufacturing
sectors and has been in a state of total economic collapse since the mid-2010s.
Monetary Units
Did you Know?
 ARGENTINA

Currency: Argentine Peso

Currency Code: ARS

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱0.62
 BOLIVIA

Currency: Bolivia Boliviano

Currency Code: BOB

Currency Sign: Bs
Convertion to Php
Bs 1= ₱7.02
 BRAZIL

Currency: Brazilean Real

Currency Code: BRL

Currency Sign: R$
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱8.42
 CHILE

Currency: Chilean Peso

Currency Code: CLP

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱0.063
 COLOMBIA

Currency: Colombian Peso

Currency Code: COP

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱0.013
 ECUADOR

Currency: United States Dollar

Currency Code: USD

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱48.39
 GUYANA

Currency: Guyanese Dollar

Currency Code: GYD

Currency Sign: G$
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱56.85
 PARAGUAY

Currency: Paraguayan Guarani

Currency Code: PYG

Currency Sign: ₲
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱0.0069
 PERU

Currency: Peruvian Sol

Currency Code: ARS

Currency Sign: S/
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱13.40
 SURINAME

Currency: Surinamese Dollar

Currency Code: SRD

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱3.42
 URUGUAY

Currency: Uruguayan Peso

Currency Code: UYU

Currency Sign: $U
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱1.13
 VENEZUELA

Currency: Venezuelan/Sovereign Bolivar

Currency Code: ARS

Currency Sign: $
Convertion to Php
$1= ₱3.42
POPULATION
Did you know?
Argentina 45,195,774 South America:
Bolivia 11,673,021
Brazil 212,559,417
Chile 19,116,201
431,949,587
Colombia 50,882,891
Ecuador 17,643,054
Guyana 786,552
Paraguay 7,132,538
Peru 32,971,854
Suriname 586,632
Uruguay 3,473,730
Venezuela 28,435,940
Did you know?
 All of South America's
countries dominant religion
is Roman Catholic
Did you
know?
Argentina
If you’re planning a visit to Argentina, Spanish will definitely be the most useful language
but since Argentina has enjoyed so much international migration Arabic, Italian, German,
English, and French are also spoken. There are also over one million speakers of various
tribal languages, including Quecha and Bolivia

Brazil
Portuguese is by far the biggest major language spoken in Brazil, with around 97.9% of the
population using it as their primary language.German is the second-most reported
language in Brazil even if the speakers only represent around 1.9% of the population

Chile
Spanish is the most widely spoken language in Chile. The variant of Spanish spoken in the
country is Chilean Spanish. English is also spoken by a large section of the Chilean
population.
Chile’s indigenous languages
Colombia
More than 99.5% of Colombians speak Spanish. In addition to Spanish, there are several other
languages spoken in Colombia and 65 of these languages are Amerindian in nature.
Two creole languages are spoken in Colombia: Palenquero and Vlax Romani. Palenquero is
Spanish-based creole language and the only Spanish-based language spoken in Latin America.
Vlax Romani belongs to the Romani language group.

Ecuador
Spanish, the official language of Ecuador, is spoken throughout the country, although for many
indigenous people it is their second language.

Guyana
Guyana’s official and national language is English and it is the only South American country with
English as the official language
Guyanese Creole is an English founded Creole dialect that is spoken by the citizens of Guyana.
Peru
Spanish is the official language of Peru, and over 84% of the Peruvians speak
this language.

Suriname
Surinamese Dutch is recognized by law as the country's official language.
Sranan Tongo is one of the most popular vernacular languages in the country

Uruguay
Spanish is the official language of Uruguay. It is also spoken by almost 99% of the
population of Uruguay.

Venezuela
Spanish is the most popularly spoken language in Venezuela, although
approximately 40 different languages are spoken throughout the country.
Ethnicity/People
Did you Know?
Ethnicity/People
Countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile and Uruguay are dominated by
European descent then followed by
Amerindians and Mestizos.

Countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Paraguay and Venezuela are dominated
by Mestizos then followed by Europeans
Amerindians and Africans
Ethnicity/People
Countries like Guyana and
Suriname are dominated by South
Asians then followed by
Amerindians and Africans.
Tourism Trends and Issues
Did you know?
 Argentina
TOURISM TRENDS:

Make it easy for people to come, Encourage Domestic

Tourism, Cut the Red tape

ISSUES:
Economic and Financial crisis-breaking support from the
international monetary fund
 Bolivia
TOURISM TRENDS:
Communitarian tourism-visitation of local communities and
Eco-friendly tourism

ISSUES:
TRASH PROBLEMS
Issues with popular tourist destinations: Drugs, bribes and
concern for tourists’ safety.
 brazil
TOURISM TRENDS
Technology for the tourist experience,Consious Travel
Necesity for human interaction, Multi-Generation Travel

ISSUES
High import tax rates
Highest murder rates in the world
Zika Virus
TOURISM TRENDS
chile
Astro-tourism: the 2020 total solar eclipse will be particularly visible in Chile, and
under the 2016-25

Wine and gastronomy tourism: the Multi-regional Strategic Programme of

Sustainable Wine Tourism is a public-private initiative bringing major wine
producing regions together.

ISSUES:
Anti-government protests have led the tourism industry of Chile to decline as more
than 300,000 employees in tourism have lost their jobs and tourism related
businesses are closing too.
TOURISM TRENDS:
COLOMBIA
The advantage of budget airlines: Viva Air Colombia

Business Tourism: M.I.C.E In 2018 Colombia was ranked within the top-30 nations
out of 165 for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) segment,
according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

ISSUES:
Colombia’s tourism industry is still underdeveloped because of the country's
continuous armed conflicts.
TOURISM TRENDS:
ECUADOR
Eradication of Visas were put into place to let the tourism industry
increase

ISSUES:

Severe conditions of Economic crisis, Lack of Infrastructure and

transportation system.
TOURISM TRENDS:
guyana
Eco-Tourism is their niche market

ISSUES:
high air travel cost, inadequate infrastructure, a slew of small-scale
lodging properties that are not graded or certified, lack of marketing,
and limited government budgetary outlays and incentives that would
serve to stimulate development of the sector.
 paraguay
TOURISM TRENDS:
Inbound tourism in Paraguay increased strongly during the second half
of the past decade, according to UNWTO data.

ISSUES:
Visa, customs and entry into the country is very strict.
 peru suriname
TOURISM TRENDS:
TOURISM Trends
Enter Low-Cost Carriers
Tourism is still not yet developed.
Gastronomy of Lima
There are hardly any.

ISSUES:
TOURISM Issues
No settled superstructures and roads.
Pollution
There are hardly any tourism
Increased in Crime rates
establishments
Mistreatment
Human Rights violations
URUGUAY VENEZUELA
TOURISM TRENDS TOURISM TRENDS
None NONE

TOURISM ISSUE TOURISM ISSUES:

Expensive destinations Decline of Tourism because of
economic crisis