Interesting about South America. Amazing South America

South America is one of the largest continents, crossed by the equator, which stretches across two hemispheres: the Northern and Southern. Civilization on its lands developed in different ways. Therefore, today the amazing original culture of South America and the incredible beauty of the local nature still arouses interest and attracts millions of tourists.

The continent takes its name in honor of the Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci. It was he who first suggested that discovered by Christopher Columbus's lands are considered the New World because they have nothing to do with India, already discovered by Europeans.

The southern continent of America is connected to the Northern Isthmus of Panama.

Today, on the territory of the largest continent, there are 14 countries, most of which are developing. The largest is Brazil. This amazing country For 1.5 centuries, South America has been the undisputed leader in coffee production and the real queen of magnificent carnivals. The former capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. This is a 40-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer.

The Bolivian city of La Paz is recognized as the highest capital of the continent. It is located in the crater of a volcano that was extinct millions of years ago at an altitude of 3.6 thousand meters. Due to its high-mountainous location, the city has critical UV index values ​​that exceed the permissible levels by 16 or more times, which makes the capital of Bolivia especially dangerous for life.

It is noteworthy that indigenous Indian tribes still live in the highlands of Bolivia and Peru. Almost half of them are representatives of the Quechua people. The direct descendants of the Inca culture preserved the traditions of ancient civilization in their original form.

The coastal countries of the continent became famous for the fact that “foci of longevity” were concentrated on their lands. In these areas, people live much longer, maintaining energy, vitality and mental potential until the end of their days. The average life expectancy is 75 years. This phenomenon is explained by the unique natural conditions of the mainland and the regular consumption of fresh seafood.

Amazing flora and fauna

A continent washed by two oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific, also Caribbean Sea, is famous for its incredibly diverse world of flora and fauna. Within the largest country in South America, Brazil, there are over 4 million species of flora and fauna.

Unusual fauna

This is the habitat of record holders in several categories at once.

• The most poisonous frogs.

Representatives of the poison dart frog family live in tropical forests. Tiny creatures, whose body size does not exceed 30 mm, move perfectly through trees with the help of suction cups and claws. The bright spotted body color warns potential enemies of danger. The babies' main weapon is toxic poison, which is fatal to humans even in small doses.

Two-colored phyllojellyfish are no less dangerous. Representatives of the tree frog family are real giants compared to small spotted dart frogs. The length of individual individuals can reach 120 mm. The poison of these amazing animals of South America is also dangerous to humans. It can cause stomach problems and hallucinations. Knowing this feature, the indigenous people specially extract phyllojellyfish venom in order to once again experience the hallucinogenic effect.

• The smallest monkeys.

The marmoset primates are so small that they were long thought to be the offspring of other animal species. The size of an adult is only 15 cm, and with the tail – 20 cm. The weight of the animal is only 100 grams. These babies prefer to settle in family groups of 5-6 individuals on forest edges, the outskirts of the jungle and river banks. They feed on fruits, tree sap and insects. They move well between trees, easily overcoming any obstacles.

• The biggest butterfly.

Tizania agrippina has become famous throughout the world for its incredible size. The wingspan reaches 31 cm. Externally, the tizania looks like a huge beautiful moth, and in size it can surpass even a large bird. The wings of the fluttering beauty, decorated with a fancy pattern of gray-brown colors, have wavy edges.

The record holder butterfly is very shy. It is nocturnal and feeds exclusively on the fleshy leaves of the cassia bush.

• The most dangerous fish.

Ray-finned predators are among the most dangerous animals in the world. They live in huge flocks, spending most of their time searching for prey. These inhabitants of the underwater kingdom are famous for their extraordinary sense of smell, through which they are able to detect prey hundreds of meters away. Their main weapon is their huge jaws with protruding, razor-sharp plate-like teeth. Piranhas attack suddenly, attack with lightning speed and torment mercilessly. Predators are quite voracious, and therefore they can only be found in rivers abounding in fish. The fish's jaws are so powerful and its teeth are so sharp that they can easily bite through a stick as thick as a large man's finger.

• The largest beetles in the world.

Lumberjack beetles, also known as longhorned beetles, are representatives of the order Coleoptera. They received their second name due to their long segmented whiskers, the length of which can be 3-4 times the length of the body.

On the lands of South America, there are lumberjack titans whose length reaches 20 cm. In this case, only the body without mustache is taken into account. Adult insects have a uniform brown-black color. They live only 3-5 weeks. Moreover, at this stage of physiological development, beetles do not eat anything. They receive all the necessary substances from reserves deposited at the larval stage.

It is also surprising that the lumberjack titans do not have close relatives in nature. Therefore, these unusual insects arouse keen interest not only among scientists, but also among collectors.

Amazing plant world

South America is a place on the planet where natural resources Almost since the Mesozoic era, they have been preserved almost in their original form. On its lands you can find many strange plants that are not found anywhere else on Earth.

Just look at the beautiful cosmos flowers, whose petals have a rare chocolate hue, or the ghost orchid, which creates the illusion that it is growing out of nowhere.

The trees of the mainland can also boast of extraordinary beauty. Jacaranda with a spreading crown strewn with tens of thousands of lilac flowers creates the stunning effect of a huge cloud descending from the sky. And the tulip tree, which got its name from the unusual shape of flowers collected in inflorescences and fancy lyre-shaped leaves, simply fascinates with its “fiery stars”.

If we talk about unusual plants of the continent, then they include:

• bottle tree

Brachychiton has a trunk up to 15 meters high, which has a girth of over 3 m. The unusual shape in the form of a giant swollen bottle is due to the adaptability of the plant: it stores reserves of the most delicious drinking water. In the upper part of the brachychiton trunk there are reservoirs created by nature in which sweet, thick juice accumulates.

• Cashew Pirangi

The famous 177-year-old tree is interesting because it literally spreads along the ground. At the same time, the branches in contact with the ground immediately take root, allowing the tree to grow. Today, Piranji cashews have “covered” an area of ​​almost 2 hectares. And it doesn't stop there. An unusual plant, occupying an area equal to two football fields, produces up to 80 thousand fruits annually. It turns out that one tree has created its own forest.

Among aquatic plants, representatives of the water lily family are of greatest interest. These amazing plants of South America have no analogues in the world. The leaves of the world's largest water lilies look like huge 2-meter plates, the edges of which are curved to the top almost at a right angle. The dense structure of the leaves allows the plants to float even when they have to support a weight of 50-60 kg.

Unique places on the continent

The continent's landscapes are varied, ranging from lifeless deserts and picturesque hills to impenetrable forests and majestic mountain ranges.

There are 6 deserts in South America. The salt flat of Uyuni in Bolivia is of greatest interest. This salt marsh on the Altipano plateau is interesting for its unusual landscape, indistinguishable from the fantastic landscapes of other planets. On its territory there is a “cemetery” of steam locomotives that have spent their time.

The Atacama Desert is no less interesting. Its lands have not seen precipitation for 4 centuries, and therefore the humidity in this area is 0%. It is noteworthy that the desert mountains, despite their impressive height of about 7 thousand meters, are devoid of ice caps. Atacama has such sparse vegetation that its landscape more closely resembles the surface of a lifeless planet.

But the Nazca Desert is a real museum of the culture and history of ancient peoples. She became famous for her drawings, earning her the name “the drawing board of ancient civilizations.” The area, which is 50 km long, contains over 30 drawings depicting humans and animals, more than 700 geometric figures and several tens of thousands of lines and stripes.

The Andes are another unique natural wonder in South America. The world's longest mountain range stretches 7.3 km. Her highest point at an altitude of 6.96 km is called Aconcagua, which means “stone guardian” in Quechua. In the Andes there are the most large volcanoes of our planet.

It is in the Andes that one of the most amazing places in South America is located - Machu Picchu. The high mountain city of antiquity was built by Indian tribes. Lost City Incas is located at an altitude of 2.45 km. Today, Machu Picchu is one of the most impressive sights in the world.

Of no less interest is the water element of this amazing place on the planet. The largest river in the world in terms of flow and basin area, the Amazon, flows through South America. It has 1.5 thousand tributaries and is the concentration of a significant part of the world's drinking water supplies. Mighty River gives life-giving moisture to tropical forests, which are often called “the lungs of the planet.” Over the entire existence of mankind, people have never managed to conquer the Amazon: so far not a single dam has slowed down its flow.

The second most important “reserve” fresh water Lake Titicaca is considered to be an alpine lake. More than 300 rivers flow into it, flowing from the glaciers framing the Altiplano high plateau. The reservoir, located at an altitude of 3.8 km above sea level, is recognized as the highest among navigable lakes in the world.

Angel is the name of the world's tallest waterfall. Its height reaches 1000 m. The speed of falling water is so enormous that it simply dissipates, creating the illusion of a seething water jet disappearing into the fog. You can admire its beauty on the lands of the South American country of Venezuela.

Iguazu Falls are no less picturesque. Located on the border of three countries - Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, the complex of waterfalls will rival the famous Niagara in beauty. It includes 197 cascading streams, separated by small islands. The length of the widest waterfall on the planet is almost 3 km.

Off the coast of the mainland there is another amazing object - the natural Pacific lighthouse of Izalco. The young volcano, reaching a height of almost 2 thousand meters, is considered the most active in the world. Magma pours out of it every 8 minutes, and a column 300 m high rises above the crater. The reliability of this natural lighthouse has been tested by the continuous 200-year operation of the volcano.

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 search of a 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 have a common name 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 is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the west, and in the north and east by Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is the world's fifth most populous continent. We will tell you the most Interesting Facts about South America, which will enhance 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 known civilization in South America. The Muisca (now Colombia) was also one of the ancient 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.

• 1. Part of the territory of South America was discovered by the Spanish navigator Columbus. He was the first to know about the presence of a large continent. Christopher Columbus's theory that water becomes fresher only when a river flows into the sea was confirmed in 1492.
• 2. The largest country in South America is Brazil. It is famous for its magnificent carnivals and performances of various sambo schools.
• 3. The largest river in the world flows through this continent. The Amazon has more than half a thousand tributaries.
• 4. Angel - this is the name of the most high waterfall in the world. It is located in the South American country of Venezuela. The height of the waterfall is more than 1000 meters. This miracle of nature is located in hard-to-reach places, so not everyone can be lucky enough to see it.

Angel - The highest waterfall in the world - Interesting facts about South America.

• 5. The highest capital on Earth is located in Bolivia. The city of La Paz is located at an altitude of 3-4 kilometers!
• 6. Machu Picchu is the highest mountain city of antiquity. It was built by Indian tribes in the Andes Mountains, Peru. Nowadays, Machu Picchu is one of the most impressive attractions in the whole world.
• 7. Interesting facts about South America reveal the secret of longevity of the inhabitants of its coastal countries. According to scientists, eating fresh seafood and unique natural conditions continent contribute to the development of mental potential and strengthening the health of people.
• 8. Did you know that the South American country of Venezuela was named after the European city of Venice? Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci, having studied the principles of construction of Venezuela (a system of canals, houses on stilts, on water), discovered similarities with Venice. This is where the name of the whole country in South America came from.
• 9. Off the coast of this continent is the natural lighthouse Itzalko (or Izalko), known to sailors all over the world. In fact, it is a volcano, about 2 kilometers high. Every 8 minutes, magma pours out here and a 300-meter column of smoke rises. The reliability of such a beacon has been tested by the continuous 200-year operation of the volcano.
• 10. In the northern part of the state of Chile there is a unique Atacama Desert. It is interesting because for 400 years there was absolutely no precipitation here. For this reason, the air humidity in the driest planet is Globe is 0%, and the local mountains, despite the impressive height of 7 kilometers, do not have ice caps. Imagine the surprise local residents, when in 2010 nature gifted the lifeless desert lands with snowdrifts in May.
• 11. Indigenous Indian tribes still live in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
• 12. South America is the habitat of the world's largest beetles (woodcutter beetles), the most poisonous frogs (Red-backed poison frog, Spotted dart frog, Bicolor phyllomedusa, Little dart frog and others), the smallest monkeys (marmosets), the largest butterflies (butterfly -agrippina), the most dangerous fish (piranha).

Lumberjack Beetle, Agrippina Butterfly, Marmoset Monkey, Red-backed Poison Frog - Interesting facts about South America

• 13. The Colombian river Caño Cristales is considered one of the most beautiful and unusual in the whole world. Gives it uniqueness a large number of colorful algae. Like red, yellow and green threads, they fill the pond with amazing shades.
• 14. In the South American country of Paraguay, duels still take place (and are allowed).

Paraguay Duels.

15. Summer Panama hats were invented in Ecuador, and not in Panama, as one might logically think.

interesting facts about South America

1. America's largest waterfall in the world
2. 1. The largest country in South America is Brazil. It is famous for its magnificent carnivals and performances of various sambo schools.
   2. The largest river in the world flows through this continent. The Amazon has more than half a thousand tributaries.
   3. The highest capital on Earth is located in Bolivia. The city of La Paz is located at an altitude of 3-4 kilometers!
   4. Machu Picchu is the highest mountain city of antiquity. It was built by Indian tribes in the Andes Mountains, Peru. Nowadays, Machu Picchu is one of the most impressive sights in the whole world.
   5. Did you know that the South American country of Venezuela was named after the European city of Venice? Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci, having studied the principles of construction of Venezuela (a system of canals, houses on stilts, on water), discovered similarities with Venice. This is where the name of the whole country in South America came from.
   6. Off the coast of this continent is the natural lighthouse Itzalko (or Izalko), known to sailors all over the world. In fact, it is a volcano, about 2 kilometers high. Every 8 minutes, magma pours out here and a 300-meter column of smoke rises. The reliability of such a beacon has been tested by the continuous 200-year operation of the volcano.
   7. Indigenous Indian tribes still live in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
   8. In the South American country of Paraguay, duels still take place (and are allowed).
   9. Summer bucket hats were invented in Ecuador, and not in Panama, as one might logically think.
3. Venezuela.
   In Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo, cascades of lightning can be observed almost continuously at night. The phenomenon occurs 140,160 times a year, each session lasts up to 10 hours with a frequency of up to 280 lightning strikes per hour and is not accompanied by any sounds. The phenomenon is explained by winds coming from the Andes, which cause thunderstorms, as well as swampy soils, from which methane gas is released, fueling lightning discharges.

   Do you know where there was no rainfall at all for four centuries? The Atacama Desert, located in northern Chile, in South America, is considered the driest desert on Earth: some facts indicate that there was no precipitation here from 1570 to 1971. Now the average precipitation is 1 mm per year, and in some In some places they even occur once a decade. Therefore, the air humidity here is 0%. The local mountains, whose height is about 7,000 meters, have no ice cap at all.
   But recently nature presented the Atacama with an amazing surprise. On May 19, 2010, snow fell here, as a result of which several cities were covered with snowdrifts. And while adults were clearing snow debris, Chilean children were making snowmen for the first time.

4. Did you know that the name of the archipelago at the southern tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego, has nothing to do with volcanoes? Indeed, it is logical to assume that this name was born in connection with the great volcanic activity of this region. But in fact there is not a single volcano on this archipelago. Then why? The navigator Magellan is to blame for everything. Once in 1520, he was sailing along the Strait, which would later become the Strait of Magellan, and looked at the lights. According to one version, the aborigines of the islands saw ships sailing close to the shore and warned each other about the danger with signal fires; according to another version, the aborigines burned fires simply because it was dark. In any case, Magellan saw a lot of fires, he decided not to go to this land just in case of fire, and on the map he designated it as Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fires or Bonfires). The fact is that in Portuguese (and Magellan was just Portuguese) fire and bonfire are denoted by one word fuego. Therefore, cartographers subsequently, without fully understanding what Magellan wanted to say, turned this name into Tierra del Fuego the words are the same, but it sounds more beautiful