South America, let’s get to know a little more

South America is the 4th largest continent in the world

South America is located in the southern hemisphere and borders the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The continent covers about 6,890,000 square miles of land, with the geography of the region dominated by the Andes and the Amazon River. South America is very diverse and is home to the vast Amazon Forest, fields like the Pampas plain and savannas like the Atacama Desert.

South America is home to 6 of the most unusual and exciting animals in the world

The most unusual of all is the agouti, which is a rodent. It is closely related to the guinea pig and varies in color from light brown to red, usually with light colored underparts. The agouti is covered with short, coarse hairs that rise at the ends when the animal is scared or scared. Most well-known animals native to the country are species such as llamas, chinchillas and armadillos, but Argentina is also home to deadly anacondas known for their ability to engage their victims in the animal kingdom and crush their bones. Finally, there is the anteater, known for its very large front claws, which can easily open anthills. This animal has very long fur, which protects them from being bitten and attacked by the insects they feed on.

There are 10 Spanish-speaking countries in South America

Or 9. It all depends on whether you decide to count Panama or not. Some people believe that this country does not count towards the final count, as it is the dividing line between Central America and South America, while others will add it. South America is a very diverse continent in terms of languages. Portuguese is, of course, one of the main languages ​​spoken, but there are many people who also speak Dutch, French and English.

South America’s climate is mostly hot and humid, but it also hosts the driest desert on Earth

The Atacama Desert, located in Chile, is believed to have this title. It covers a 621 mile (1000 km) strip of land. Most of the landmass is populated by sand, salt lakes and rocky terrain. Average rainfall for the entire year is estimated to be just 0.5 fluid ounces. It is reported that some of the area’s weather stations, created to record desert statistics, never received a single drop of rain!

Three of the largest empires in the world originate in South America.

The Maya, Aztecs and Incas have their roots in South America, and they were among the richest, though most mysterious, colonies in the world. The Aztecs were considered the most powerful until 1519, when a leader of the Spanish army named Hernando Cortez launched a war against them. The Aztecs, though wealthy, had very little in the way of advanced weaponry and could not fight against Cortez and his soldiers. This marked the end of his power. After that time, the Spaniards began to colonize South America more and tried to exploit the region’s vast natural resources.

Argentina, one of the largest countries in South America, owes its name to the word “silver”

One of the most fascinating facts in South America is how the country came to be called. Argentina was formerly called the United Provinces of Rio De La Plata, but adopted the new name after the legend arose that there was a great silver treasure hidden in the mountainous regions of the country. The name is derived from the Latin Argentum and dates from the 16th century, when explorers from Spain and Portugal came to the country in search of this treasure.

The largest rainforest in the world is in South America.

The Amazon rainforest covers an area of ​​2,123,562 square miles (4 million square kilometers) and is home to approximately 2.5 million different types of insect species. Not only that, but it also contains one fifth of the world’s fresh water. It also shares its name with a river that has another surprising statistic: the Amazon River is actually the second longest in the world.

South American music is world famous.

Musical traditions like samba, tango and cumbia originate in these lands. Samba became famous for Brazilian musicians, and one of its most famous exponents was the singer and movie star Carmen Miranda, who did more to bring music into the mainstream in the 20th century than anyone else. Cumbia is probably one of the lesser known forms of South American music. It is originally from Colombia and the sounds are part of dating rituals and dances between people from the countryside. It is a fusion between African and Amerindian traditions.

The Nazca lines are a jaw-dropping feat of geology.

Scholars believe that these ancient lines, located in Peru, were created between 450-600 AD. To call them lines is an injustice, as they are an intricate and truly beautiful set of images of different animals and creatures. The only reason they have been preserved is Peru’s climate. Originally, it was believed that these images could only be seen from the air, although this theory has been refuted to some extent, as climbers who crossed the mountain foothills claimed to have seen them from the top of their climbs.

The South American Condor is the largest flying bird in the world.

The condor is a species of vulture originally from Peru, Ecuador and Chile. It is also the main symbol of the coat of arms of Colombia. It has a wingspan of almost 3 meters, but unfortunately, due to aggressive hunting in the countries where it originates, it is in danger of extinction. The condor was believed to kill cattle, so it was often killed for that reason; however, it has now been discovered that this is not true and efforts are being made to preserve and sustain the remaining birds.

Summary of South America Facts

South America is a continent of many interesting juxtapositions. There are 12 countries in South America. Nine or 10 of them speak Spanish, depending on whether you classify Panama as part of South America. The facts of South America also tell us that it is home to some of the most unusual animal species in the world. . South America was a pioneer in Samba music. It is home to the largest tropical forest in the world and also the driest desert in the world.

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