SOUTH AMERICA

S e s s i o n - 4

Session 4 - Agenda• Cover South America facts – Major Landforms, Rivers,

Historic information, Major Countries and Cities, Major National Parks and UNESCO sites (60 minutes)• Discuss Current Events – Each student will mention their fact

and then teacher will discuss the rest from the prepared slides. (30 minutes)• Break (10 minutes)• Quiz on Session 4 topics plus previous Week topics (20

minutes)

CountriesCountry -- Language -- Capital Argentina -- Spanish -- Buenos AiresBolivia -- Spanish -- La Paz (administrative)

-- Sucre (constitutional)Brazil -- Portuguese -- BrasíliaChile -- Spanish -- SantiagoColombia -- Spanish -- Bogotá Ecuador -- Spanish -- QuitoGuyana -- English -- Georgetown

CountriesCountry -- Language -- Capital Paraguay -- Spanish -- AsunciónPeru -- Spanish -- LimaSuriname -- Dutch -- ParamariboUruguay -- Spanish -- MontevideoVenezuela -- Spanish -- CaracasFalkland Islands (British overseas territory) -- English -- StanleySouth Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (British overseas territory) -- English -- King Edward Point French Guiana (Overseas region of France) -- French – Cayenne

Countries&

Boundaries

ExtremesLargest Country Brazil

Smallest Country Suriname

Highest Peak Aconcagua, Argentina (22,830 ft above sea level) . This is the highest point in Southern and Western Hemisphere.

Lowest Point Laguna del Carbon, Argentina (344.5 ft below sea level)

LandformsAndes Mountain Ranges - longest continental mountain range in the world.Los Llanos - tropical flooded grassland plain of savannas biome around Orinoco river Guiana HighlandsAmazon basin - largest rainforest in the world.Brazilian Shield - large portion of the eastern part of the continentBrazilian Highlands - approximately half of the Brazil's land area.Pantanal - world's largest tropical wetland area.

Landforms.. contPampas - Fertile South American lowlands, Most of Uruguay in in pampasPatagonia - The region comprises the southern section of the Andes mountains as well as the deserts, steppes and grasslands east of this southern portion of the Andes. Most part a region of steppe like plains.Atacama Desert - driest non-polar desert in the world. Most of the desert is composed of stony terrain, salt lakes, sand, and felsic lava that flows towards the Andes.Mato Grosso – Plateau in central Brazil mostly savanna and woodland biome.

Major RiversAmazon River : A major South American river. It's the second longest river in the world and one of its three major river systems, running about 4,000 miles from the west to east and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rio Sao Francisco : A river in Brazil, which originates in the state of Minas Gerais. It usually runs north behind the coastal range.

Madeira River : A Brazilian River in South America. one of the world's longest tributaries and the Amazon's River longest tributary.

Major RiversMagdalena River: The principal river of Colombia in South America. The river that runs through and splits Columbia in half.

Negro River : The largest left tributary of the Amazon and the largest blackwater river in the world.

River Paraguay : One of the major rivers in South America that runs through Brazil and Argentina and Paraguay. The river forms a border between Brazil and Bolivia and Paraguay and Argentina.

Major RiversRio Tocantins : A river in Brazil; it's not a branch of the Amazon. The river rises at Pireneus a mountainous district that is west of the Federal District.

Ucayali River : The river rises approximately 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca in South America, was first called San Miguel.

Xingu River : The easternmost river leading into Amazon. It is also known as Rio Xingu.

Major RiversOrinoco River : Mainly in Venezuela, flowing for more than 1500 miles north to the Atlantic Ocean. At the mouth of the river a delta is formed, which branches off into hundreds of rivers and waterways through swampy forests.

Parana River : One of the three major river systems in Central South America. It runs through Paraguay and Argentina for about 1600 miles. The length of river increases to about 2484 miles if the headwaters of river in Brazil is counted. It's second in size to the Amazon River in South America.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n B r a z i lSão Paulo (largest city in the America’s)

Rio de Janeiro (Maracanã Stadium - world's largest football stadiums; Guanabara Bay; Sugarloaf Mountain; Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain)

Belo Horizonte (Pampulha Complex)

Porto Alegre (on a delta resulting from the junction of five rivers, called Guaíba Lake )

Brasília (capital of Brazil from 1960)

Salvador (first capital of Brazil and remained so until 1763 when it moved to Rio)

Recife (major port on the Atlantic Ocean)

Fortaleza (Leading cities in the Northeast region along Recife and Salvador)

Curitiba (successful cattle trade city)

Manaus (middle of the Amazon rainforest, 2+ Million)

Facts /Attract ions in Braz i lThe name Brazil comes from a tree named brazilwood.Brazil shares a border with all South American countries except for Chile and Ecuador.Around 60% of the Amazon Rainforest is located in Brazil. Thousands of species live in the river, including the infamous piranha and the boto, or pink river dolphin.The Amazon River is the world’s largest by volume of water discharged and 2nd longest after Nile in Africa.Magnificent Iguassu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil in Iguassu National Park.Rio de Janeiro's world famous Carnival is world's wildest street party.Sao Paulo biggest cosmopolitan city in all of South America and has largest economy by GDP of any city in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fac ts /A t t rac t ions in B raz i l . . . Cont .São Vicente, near Sao Paulo, is the oldest city in Brazil and was Portugal’s first permanent settlement in the Americas.Brazil’s highest mountain is the Pico da Neblina (Mist Peak), on the border with Venezuela,Brasilia, the country’s capital, took just 41 months to build, from 1956 to 1960 (Rio had been the capital for the previous 197 years).Brazil has been the world’s largest exporter of coffee for 150 years.The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” in 2007. One of the most famous mountains in the world is the Corcovado located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Manaus, is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, Rubber made it South America’s richest city in the late 1800s and lured many wealthy Europeans.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n A r g e n t i n aBuenos Aires (2nd largest metropolitan area in SA, after Greater São Paulo)

Córdoba (many historical monuments preserved from Spanish colonial rule)

Rosario (major industrial corridor & ships reach the city via Paraná River)

Mendoza (city is a frequent stopover for climbers on their way to Aconcagua )

Tucumán (located on slopes of Aconquija mountains)

La Plata (Buenos Aires’ Little Sister)

Mar del Plata (major fishing ports and the biggest seaside beach resort)

Salta (in the Lerma Valley, foothills of Andes and known for its preserved colonial architecture)

Santa Fe (junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers)

San Juan (a modern city )

Facts / Attract ions in Argent inaArgentina's highest point is Mt Aconcagua in Mendoza province, also the highest point in Southern &Western Hemispheres.The lowest point is Laguna del Carbón in the San Julián Great Depression, Santa Cruz province also the lowest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, and the seventh lowest point on EarthIguazú National Park, waterfalls and jungle on the border of Brazil and Argentina.Bariloche, is the largest ski centre in Latin America.Nahuel Huapi Lake is a lake in the region of northern Patagonia. Los Glaciares National Park, everlasting glaciers.Pampas, a massive and hugely fertile alluvial plain located in the center east.

Fa c t s / A t t r a c t i o n s i n A r g e n t i n a . . C o n t . .

Los Alerces National Park in central Patagonia. Patagonia, a large southern plateau consisting mostly of arid, rocky steppes to the east, moister cold grasslands to the south and dense subantarctic forests to the west. Inca and colonial sites in Humahuaca, the Calchaquí Valleys, Iruya, Tilcara. A gaucho is a South American cowboy from the Pampas region of Argentina as well as other parts of southern South America.The dance and music known as Tango originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Influenced by both African and European music styles, Tango was created by the working class of the Rio de la Plata region. Francis, the first pope from the New World, was born and raised in Argentina.Pato is the national sport, an ancient horseback game played on horseback that combines elements from polo and basketball.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n C h i l eSantiago (capital city since colonial times on the banks of fast-flowing Mapocho River)

Concepción ( industrialized city of the country)

Valparaíso (South Pacific's most important seaports)

La Serena (fastest-growing city in Chile)

Antofagasta (Formerly part of Bolivia, and now a major mining area of Chile)

Temuco (hub for agricultural, livestock & forestry operations)

Iquique (one of only two free ports of Chile other one is Punta Arenas)

Rancagua (El Teniente, the largest underground copper mine in the world)

Puerto Montt (gateway to the Chiloé Archipelago and Chiloé Island across the Chacao Channel ; hub of one of the largest salmon aquaculture industries in the world.

Arica (Chile's northernmost city, on the border with Peru)

Facts / Attract ions in Chi leThe major group indigenous people of Chile are the Mapuche . Chile gained independence from Spain in 1810 .

The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a 1,000-kilometre (600 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is the driest non-polar desert in the world

The Chuquicamata is the biggest open pit copper mine in the world and Escondida is a copper mine in the Atacama Desert

Nevado Ojos del Salado is a massive stratovolcano in the Andes on the Argentina–Chile border and the highest active volcano in the world . It is also the second highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. World’s highest lake is Crater Island, located at Nevado Ojos del Salado.

Mountains cover about 80% of the country, with the Andes Mountains running along eastern Chile. There are more than 30 active volcanoes in Chile, notably Lascar and Llaima.

February 27, 2010 earthquake in Chile was measured at 8.8 on Richter scale & was felt over 80% of the country

80% of South America’s glaciers lie in Chile. The largest glaciers of Chile are the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields.

Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia.

Augusto Pinochet was a military leader and President of Chile and during his 17 year presidency, Chile had significant economic rise of Chile, and the torture and death of many Chileans too.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n V e n e z u e l a

Caracas (federal capital; Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex; Simon Bolivar birthplace)

Maracaibo (on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela)

Valencia (economic hub)

Barquisimeto (on the banks of Turbio River ; important urban, industrial, commercial and transportation center )

Maracay (Garden City)

Ciudad Guayana (lies south of the Orinoco, where the river is joined by the Caroní River. one of Venezuela's five most important ports, onto the Atlantic Ocean via the Orinoco river.

Barcelona (historic sites that tell about various battles between the Spanish and Natives for its colonization)

Facts / Attract ions in VenezuelaAngel Falls in Venezuela is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall. The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park. The falls are on the Gauja River (alternatively known as the Kerep River or Kerepacupai), which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River.Columbus explored Venezuela on his third voyage in 1498, the area was inhabited by Arawak, Carib, & Chibcha Indians.Falling within the tropics, Venezuela sits closer to the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere.Mestizos make up fifty percent of the population while the rest is constituted by Africans and the indigenous people.

Facts / Attract ions in VenezuelaLake Maracaibo is a large brackish bay that is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by Tablazo Strait at the northern end, and fed by numerous rivers, the largest being the Catatumbo. Tributaries of the Orinoco, the largest being the Caroní, joins at Puerto Ordaz, close to the Llovizna Falls.The boto or Amazon river dolphin and the giant river otter animal inhabit in the Orinoco River system.The Orinoco crocodile is one of the rarest reptiles in the world.Venezuela is one of the world's top oil exporting countries, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Major C i t ies in PeruLima (capital and the largest city; located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, overlooking the Pacific Ocean)

Arequipa (city has close trade ties with Chile, Bolivia and Brazil)

Trujillo ( site of the great prehistoric Moche and Chimu cultures ; Chan Chan - archaeological site)

Chiclayo ( Northern Wari ruins, - the remains of a city from the 7-12th century Wari Empire)

Piura (great spots for surfers, like Mancora Beach and Cabo Blanco)

Iquitos ( Located in the Amazon Basin, the city is along the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya rivers)

Cusco ( historic capital of the Inca Empire)

Hunancayo (in the Mantaro Valley, it is cultural and commercial center)

Chimbote ( transshipment junction for the Santa River valley)

Pucallpa (isolated from the rest of the country by the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes mountain range)

Facts / Attract ions in Peru

Inextricably woven into the ancient Incan civilization, whose ancient capitol, Cusco lies within its borders. Lake Titicaca in Southern Peru is the world’s highest navigable lake, and South America largest lake.Hundred of feet above the Urubamba river are the ruins of Machu Picchu. Cotahuasi Canyon in the Arequipa region is considered one of the world’s deepest canyon at 3,535 meters deep – twice as deep as the Grand Canyon USA.Peru’s Huascarán National Park has more has 27 snow-capped peaks 6,000 meters above sea level, of which El Huascarán (6,768 meters ) is the highest.Peru is home to the highest sand dune in the world. Cerro Blanco located in the Sechura Desert near the Nazca Lines.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n B o l i v i a

Santa Cruz de la Sierra (on Pirai River ; one of the fastest growing cities in world)

El Alto (suburb of adjacent city of La Paz)

La Paz ( administrative capital)

Cochabamba (City of Eternal Spring & The Garden City)

Oruro (Mining city notably tin, tungsten, silver and copper ; located about equidistant between La Paz and Sucre)

Sucre (constitutional capital and seat of justice)

Tarija (Bolivian Andalusia)

Potosí ( Highest city ; lies at the foot of the Cerro de Potosí / Rico — a mountain being "made of" silver ore)

Sacaba ( site of anti-coca eradication riots in 2002)

Quillacollo (Urqupiña festival)

Facts / Attract ions in Bo l iv iaLandlocked country that shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake , with Peru

The capital of Bolivia, La Paz is the highest administrative capital city in the world

Bolivia is home to the two highest cities in the world. Potosí is the highest, and La Paz is the second highest.

The Salar de Uyuni salt beds contain the largest deposit of salt on the planet. The largest deposit of lithium in the world is found under all that salt.

Bolivia has the world’s largest butterfly sanctuary.

Bolivia is also home to the El Cerro Mutún, world's largest iron ore mine and extends across the border into Brazil, where it is called "Serrania Mutún"

Tiwanaku or Tiahuanaco is most important civilizations prior to the Inca Empire

Cordillera Real are range of fold mountains, largely composed of granite, is located southeast of Lake Titicaca.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n E c u a d o rGuayaquil (nation's main port - the largest city; located on Guayas River)

Quito (closest capital city to the equator ; in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the slopes of Pichincha)

Cuenca (On confluence of 4 rivers - Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara)

Santo Domingo (lies in the foothills of the Andes and important stopping point on the road from Quito to the Pacific coast)

Machala (Commercial center - large trade in bananas, coffee & cocoa)

Durán (near the confluence of Daule & Babahoyo rivers, where Guayas River begins)

Manta (largest seaport in Ecuador)

Portoviejo (city of the "Royal Tamarind Trees" )

Loja (Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador)

Ambato (nicknamed City of Flowers and Fruit, Cradle of the Three Juans and Garden of Ecuador)

Facts /Attract ions in EcuadorEcuador has many active volcanoes and also, one of the greatest densities of volcanoes in the world.Ecuador was the first nation in 2008 to declare that nature has constitutional rights.The Galapagos Islands are where Charles Darwin noticed the diversity of species and began to study evolution.Mount Chimborazo at 6,268 mts is the highest mountain in Ecuador, while the lowest point is formed by Pacific Ocean. Because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, but bulges at the Equator, the peak of Chimborazo is also the furthest point from the center of the Earth and the closest to the sun.Chimborazo Volcano, at 6310, forms the highest point in Ecuador, The currency that was used before adapting to the US Dollar was called Sucre.

Fac ts /A t t rac t ions in Ecuador. . ContCotopaxi is the highest active volcano in world. Ecuador exports more bananas than any other country in the world.Manta, Ecuador claims to be the Tuna Capital of the World. Quinine, the first drug used to prevent and treat malaria, is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree that grows in Ecuador. Almost 60 per cent of the world’s high grade “fine cocoa” is produced on farms surrounding the coastal city of Guayaquil – an output that makes it the world’s capital of the sweet delicacy.Panama hats are of Ecuadorian origin – the world’s finest ‘Panama hats’ are handmade in Montecristi, Ecuador.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n C o l u m b i a

Bogotá (capital and called "The Athens of South America" ; The Gold Museum, the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold in the world)

Medellín (industrial capital of Colombia)

Cali (only major city with access to Pacific coast)

Barranquilla (largest city and port in the northern Caribbean Coast region of Colombia)

Cartagena (walled city and fortress - UNESCO)

Cúcuta (in proximity to Colombia-Venezuela border)

Soledad (in proximity to Barranquilla)

Ibagué (music capital)

Bucaramanga (Colombia's Beautiful City)

Soacha (southern edge of Bogotá)

Facts /Attract ions in Co lumbiaColombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America" Colombia does not have seasons; because it is near the equator, it has sunlight throughout the year.Over 70% of cut flowers imported by the United States are ColombianThe name Colombia is derived from the name Christopher ColumbusColombia produces 60% of the world's most expensive Emeralds.Colombia is the only country in South America that has access to both the Pacific and Caribbean ocean.Colombia has the biggest salsa festival, biggest theater festival, biggest outdoor horse parade, biggest flower parade and second biggest carnival all over the worldThe national sport is called tejo, an ancient sport from the pre-Colombian era that looks a bit like horseshoes or shuffleboard, though of course football/soccer is the most popular sport.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n G u ay a n aGeorgetown (capital of Guyana, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed Garden City of the Caribbean)Linden (primarily a bauxite mining town)New Amsterdam ( port city located on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, upriver from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, and immediately south of the Canje River)Anna Regina ( historical significance related to Dutch)Bartica ( at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Mazaruni Rivers with the Essequibo River in Guyana. Considered the "Gateway to the Interior")

Facts /Attract ions in GuayanaFormer British colony is the only country in South America that has English as the official language.

The Omai gold mine is one of the largest open-pit gold mines in South America.

Guyana comprises the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and east of the Orinoco River known as the "Land of many waters".

Guyana is in border disputes with Suriname, which claims the area east of the left bank of the Corentyne River and the New River.

Guyana is in border disputes with Venezuela which claims the land west of the Essequibo River, once the Dutch colony of Essequibo.

Kaieteur Falls is a waterfall on the Potaro River that have the combination of height and water volume, and the falls are among the most powerful waterfalls in the world with an average flow rate of 663 cubic metres per second (23,400 cubic feet per second).

The Potaro River empties into the Essequibo River which is one of the longest and widest rivers in South America.

The largest ethnic group is the Indo-Guyanese (also known as East Indians), the descendants of indentured laborers from India.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n S u r i n a m eParamaribo ( capital & largest city; located on banks of the Suriname River half of Suriname's population live in this city)Lelydorp (Originally called Kofi Djompo but was renamed in honor of Cornelis Lely, the Dutch governor of Suriname in 1905 and responsible for many large water construction projects in the Netherlands)Nieuw Nickerie (lies on the mouth of the Nickerie river on the Atlantic coast, opposite the mouth of the Corantijn rive ; main industries are bananas and rice)Moengo (major center for the mining and storage of bauxite)Nieuw Amsterdam (situated at the confluence of the Suriname River and Commewijne River, just across from Paramaribo)

Facts /Attract ions in Sur inameSmallest independent country on South American continent.Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) - 37%The capital and largest city of Suriname is Paramaribo which is located on the banks of Suriname RiverSuriname is the only country in South America where Dutch is so widely spoken and the only South American country where Dutch is the official language.The main economy of Suriname is the bauxite industry apart from commerce. Their main trade partners are Netherlands, United States and Canada and Caribbean countries.One of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere is located in Paramaribo.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n Pa r a g u ayAsunción ( capital and largest city ; center of Architecture)Ciudad del Este (Triple Frontier city - is a tri-border area along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, where the Iguazú and Paraná rivers converge.San Lorenzo ( suburb of Asuncion) Luque ( headquarters of CONMEBOL - South American Football Confederation)Capiatá

Facts /Attract ions in ParaguayParaguay is commonly referred as “The heart of America” because it is located right in the middle of the continentThey have 2 official languages: Spanish and Guaraní. Mostly speak Guarani. One of only two landlocked countries in South America…the other is BoliviaThe Itaipu dam that is built across the Parana River that forms Paraguay’s south-eastern border ie Brazil houses the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant. This power plant at the Itaipu Dam generates almost all the electricity for the entire country. There are more than 275 individual cascade within the Iguacu Falls which spans the River Iguacu. These falls are twice the width of the Niagara Falls and taller than it as well.

M a j o r C i t i e s i n U r u g u ay

Montevideo (capital and largest city , chief port, Salto ( Salto Grande Bridge, built on top of the Salto Grande Dam, joins this to city of Concordia in Argentina)Ciudad de la Costa (an extension of the metropolitan area of Montevideo)Paysandú (General Artigas Bridge links with Argentina's city Colón)Las Piedras (wider metropolitan area of Montevideo)

Facts /Attract ions in UruguayUruguay is the second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); Mostly of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising. Often called the Switzerland of South America for a stable democracy and social benefits such as free education.Uruguay also has a coast likened to the RivieraMontevideo hosted all of the matches during the first FIFA World Cup.

M a j o r C i t e s i n Fr e n c h G u i a n a ( Fr e n c h O v e r s e a s

t e r r i t o r y )

Cayenne (Capital) Matoury (international airport of French Guiana)Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Sugarcane industry city)Kourou ( lies the Guiana Space Centre, France and the ESA's main spaceport)Remire-Montjoly (French Guiana's main seaport, the port of Dégrad des Cannes)

F a c t s / A t t r a c t i o n s i n F r e n c h G u i a n a

By land area, it is by far the largest overseas region of France.Home for the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport for France and now the European Space Agency's primary launch site near the equator.This place is synonymous with Devil's Island, where prisoners used to be held in solitary confinement. French scientists now work at the aerospace complex and populate Devil's Island. The Maroni river It originates in the Tumuk Humak Mountains and forms the (disputed) border between French Guiana and Suriname.The Oyapock River forms most of the border between French Guiana and the Brazil.The beaches of French Guiana are often used as turtle nesting sites, notably as one of the largest worldwide for the Leatherback turtle.

Fa c t s o f Fa l k l a n d I s l a n d sArchipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.The Argentinian-UK has dispute over the control on Falkland Islands Oil companies have huge hopes for the island's offshore oil reserves.Most of these people are Falkland Islanders (known as "kelpers"), are of British descent . Total population is around 3000 , sheep population is 500,000 The archipelago, comprises East Falkland controlled by UK with Stanley as capital, West Falkland controlled by Argentina.

Fa c t s o f S o u t h G e o r g i a & S o u t h S a n d w i c h I s l a n d s

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a collection of islands in the South Atlantic OceanBritish Antarctic Survey maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King Edward PointKing Edward Point is the capital of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands with port facilities on the northeastern coast of the island of South Georgia. Located in Cumberland East Bay. Grytviken is a settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic and is the best harbour on the island, consisting of a bay (King Edward Cove) within a bay (Cumberland East Bay).

Nat iona l ParksGalápagos National Park (Ecuador) - Charles Darwin Research Station ; Tortuga Bay, located on the Santa Cruz Island.

Torres del Paine (Chile) - located in the inland of Última Esperanza Province and Magallanes Region in South.

Manu National Park (Peru) - protects several ecological zones in parts of the Southwest Amazon moist forests to Peruvian Yungas at middle elevations to Central Andean wet puna.

Tayrona Natural National Park (Colombia) - A protected area in the Colombian northern Caribbean region presenting a biodiversity endemic to the area of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range

Sajama National Park (Bolivia) - Lies within the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion. It contains the snowy cone of the volcano Sajama, the highest mountain in Bolivia.

Iguazú National Park (Brazil-Argentina) - contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle.

Canaima National Park (Venezuela) - south-eastern Venezuela that borders Brazil and Guyana. Famous place in it is Mount Roraima, the tallest and easiest to climb, and Auyantepui, the site of Angel Falls.

UNESCO

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - Remote Pacific Islands that helped Charles Darwin develop his now famous evolution theory in the early 1800s. Machu Picchu, Peru - A pre-Columbian stronghold, was abandoned and forgotten for centuries until 1911 when it was discovered buried under dense greenery.Iguazu Falls , Argentina & Brazil - Plummets over a 2 mile rim into a deep gorge. The Devil's Throat section is particularly breathtaking.Amazon Rain Forest, Brazil & Peru - The Amazon Rain Forest is a vast jungle networked by mighty rivers and small tributaries - and the home of exotic vegetation and wildlife.Easter Island, Chile - Head statues chiseled from volcanic rock

UNESCO . . Cont . . Rio panoramic views - Provide two of the world's most splendid vistas, one from Corcovado Mountain and the other from the Sugar Loaf pinnacle.Carnival in Rio, Brazil - A million tourists and cariocas (Rio de Janeiro citizens) participate in the merrymaking in lively street parades and masquerade balls at carnival time.Angel Falls, Venezuela - world's highest waterfall. The isolated location of Angel Falls helped keep this wonder a secret from the outside world until the 1930s.Nazca Lines, Peru - The Nazca Lines are geometric shapes and animal figures etched into a huge expanse of a desert floor by an ancient civilization. These artworks are so large that they can be recognized from the air, but not on ground level.Torres del Paine, Chile - The Torres del Paine National Park near the southern tip of South America is blessed with wondrous mountains, among other natural beauties.

Mounta ins & Peaks

Aconcagua in Andes , Argentina - highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. Nevado Ojos del Salado, a stratovolcano in Andes on Argentina–Chile border and highest active volcano in the worldChimborazo, Ecuador - farthest point on the Earth's surface from the Earth's center.Huascarán , Cordillera Blanca range of Andes in Peru - 2nd farthest from the Earth's center,closely behind ChimborazoMonte Pissis - an extinct volcano in Argentina in the Atacama Desert region Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador, South America- Consider it the world's highest active volcano

Mounta ins & Peaks. . Cont . .

Llullaillaco is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. 2nd highest volcano in the worldAlpamayo - conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca of the Peruvian Andes. Named after the river Allpamayu Janq'u Uma , Bolivia - located in the northern section of the Cordillera Real, part of the Andes, east of Lake Titicaca. Mount Roraima, the tallest and easiest to climb in Canaima National Park where Angel Falls, which is the highest waterfall in the world.

LakesLake Titicaca, Peru - Bolivia Lake Maraciabo, Venezuela Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina O'Higgins/San Martín Lake, Argentina - Deepest in the AmericasGeneral Carrera Lake (Chilean side) or Lake Buenos Aires (Argentine side) is a lake located in Patagonia and shared by Argentina and Chile.Fagnano Lake or Lake Cami , located on the main island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and shared by Argentina and Chile.Laguna del Carbón - Argentina - a salt lake & is the lowest point in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres Lake Chungara, Chile Lake Llanquihue, ChileLaguna Guatavita- Bogotá, Colombia Canaima Lagoon, Venezuela

DesertsAtacama Desert – Chile and Peru - driest non-polar desert in the world is a plateau covering a 1,000 kms strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes.La Guajira Desert – a desert in northern Colombia and Venezuela - Holds immense coal reserves, known as El Cerrejon. Home to the indigenous Wayuu people by Caribbean Sea.Monte Desert – in Argentina, a smaller desert southeast of the Atacama Desert in Chile, north of the larger Patagonian Desert, east of the Andes and west of the Sierra de Córdoba.Patagonian Desert – the largest desert in the Americas, located in Argentina and Chile. The Andes, to the desert's west, are the primary reason for the Patagonian desert status as they inhibit the westerly flow of moisture from the southern Pacific from reaching inland. Sechura Desert or Nazca Desert - Described as the strip along the northern Pacific coast of Peru and extending from the coast 20–100 km inland to the secondary ridges of the Andes Mountains.

Misce l laneousThe Río de la Plata behaves as an estuary in which freshwater and seawater mix. The Río de la Plata widens from about 2 kms at the inner part to about 220 kms at its mouth. It forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay, with the major ports and capital cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo on its western and northern shores, respectively. The coasts of the Río de la Plata are the most densely populated areas of Argentina and Uruguay.

The Yungas is a stretch of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Tierre de Fuego at the bottom of South America by straight of Magellan

Antiplano is a plateau found in Bolivia.

Chaco Plain or Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland natural region of the Río de la Plata basin - Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil between Andes and Pantanals.

La Selva, the lowland Amazonian regions within the Andean nations of Ecuador and Peru