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(^198) PHYSICAL FEATURESThree contrasting landscapes dominate South America. From the west rise the towering peaks
of the Andes Mountains, leading down to the Pacific Ocean. In the northeast is the dense
Amazon rainforest, which spreads across half of Brazil. To the south are vast, grassy plains called
the pampas (which means “flat” in Spanish).
WILDLIFEThe Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and
could contain 10 per cent of all animal species.
Jaguars, sloths, and tapirs live under the tree
canopy, while the forest floor teems with snakes, lizards, and insects. Colourful toucans, macaws, and kingfishers swoop over the River
Amazon, where dolphins and turtles swim.
CULTURE
Music and dance form the heart of South
American culture. The rhythmic dance of
the samba is a notable highlight of Rio de
Janeiro’s famous five-day carnival, which
features spectacular parades and parties in
Brazil’s capital. Another common sight is
football games on the streets and beaches.
CROPS
Brazil produces one-third of the world’s coffee,
while Ecuador’s climate is ideal for growing
tomatoes and bananas. Steep hillsides are
terraced for farming in Chile and Peru, where
potatoes are planted on the higher slopes of
the Andes, and corn is sown lower down.
In 2002 Brazil won football’s
World Cup for a record-breaking
The tango fifth time
dance evolved in Argentina’s slums
during the late
19th century
In the rainy season, the River Amazon floods, covering large parts of the rainforest in water
The Patagonia region at the southern tip of the continent is known for its dramatic glaciers
Angel Falls in
Venezuela drops 979 m (3,212 ft)
and is the highest
uninterrupted
waterfall in
the world
The toucan’s large beak enables it to pick fruit from trees
Sharp-teethed,
meat-eating
piranhas swim
in South
American rivers
Red-eyed tree frogs are active at night,
searching for insects to eat
Sap is collected
from rubber trees
in the Amazon
rainforest to
produce
rubber
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BRAZIL

COLOMBIA

VENEZUELA

ECUADOR

GUYANA

SURINAME

PERU

BOLIVIA

NAP

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Equator

FrenchGuiana(to France)

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Equator

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