South America is the 4th largest continent in the world, covering a total of 17819 000 sq kms, or 6879 000 sq miles. It is home to about 380 million people and is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean . The largest country in South America in both area and population is Brazil . The continent of South America, is divided into 12 separate countries, spanning a wide range of remarkable geographical zones from the Amazon to the Atacama desert, making South America a superb place to visit.
The Amazon Basin drains over 2700 000sq miles and covers over one third of the land mass of South America. It has over 1000 tributaries of which seven run for over 1000 miles. The total rainfall for the basin is about 100 inches per year; As a result, the waters from the Amazon supply half of South America's irrigation waters. The Amazon dispenses the largest volume of water in the ocean in the entire world.
The Andes mountain range extends from panama to the tip of South America , covering of 4500 miles or 7200km in length, and appears as through hewn out by a panga and dusted with a sprinkling of icing sugar. Many of the peaks of the Andes reach over 20 000ft, with the highest being Aconcagua in Argentina , one of the seven summits, measuring 22 384ft or 6960m.
Covering a total of 625 miles in length, the Atacama Desert is a dry, cold strength of land, home to many borax lakes, saline deposits and lava flows. It is sparsely populated and received a minimal amount of rain each year. The Nazca area, has not received any rain for the lat 10 years.
In addition, spanning the area form the southern Tierra del Fuego to the Rio Negro River, Patagonia stretches across 1000miles. It is known for its magical beauty, and striking yet ragged and barren scenery.
