South America II

Learning objectives Describe South America Explain landforms of South America Describe climate characteristics

Venezuela Capital :- Caracus Government :- Republic Size :- 352,142 square miles (twice of California) Ethnic Division : 67% Metizo, 21% European, 10% Black, 2% Indian Peak Tourist Season :- Feb - Mar

Venezuela Population : million (2001) Currency :- Bolivar

Physical Characteristics Four distinct regions a)Highlands of the Andes mountains along the Colombian border b)Maracaibo Lowlands c)Central Plains in the LIanos region d)Guayana Highlands over the south eastern half of the country

Tourism Characteristics Highest percentage of visitors travelling for business in South America Europe and the US annually account for more than two-thirds of total visitors Encouraged the development of hotels and resorts in an effort to increase the number of visitors to reduce the export dependency on oil

Tourist Destinations and Attractions Superb beaches surrounded by backgrounds of beautiful mountains and forests Caracas, important tourist center, modern city with botanical gardens, museums, parks, and a cable-car trip to the top of Mount Avila that offers a breathtaking view

Tourist Destinations and Attractions Los Roques islands (requiring an overnight trip) provide beautiful islands with long stretches of white beaches and coral reef Bolivar known for handicrafts in gold, excellent excursions into the Indian villages

Argentina Capital :- Buneos Aires Government : Republic Size : 1,056,636 square miles Language : Spanish, English, Italian, German and French Ethnic Division : 85% European, 15% Mestizo, Indian, other

Argentina Tourist Season : Year-round Peak Tourist Season : Dec through Mar Population : 37.5 million Currency : Austral

Physical Characteristics Rich plains of the Pampas, Southern Argentina is dominated by the flat-to- rolling plateau of Patagonia Mostly temperate, with subtropical and steppe climates dominating

Tourism Characteristics Engaged in promoting tourism Sought assistance form the Organization of American States for technical advice on the preservation of its colonial cities and towns Improved economic conditions have brought an increase in domestic tourism and more travel.

Tourism Characteristics Well-developed tourism infrastructure Excellent accommodations to support the largest and most rapidly growing tourist industry 4.9 million visitors in 1998 represent an 80% increase over 1990

Tourist Destinations and Attractions Variety of landscapes, from tropical rain forests to the glaciers of Antarctica Most famous tourist attraction is the capital city of Buenos Aires, location of the world’s widest thoroughfare World’s largest opera house

Tourist Destinations and Attractions Some of the attractions would include :- Tigre is a popular weekend and holiday spot Long coastal areas offer a number of excellent seaside resorts with casinos and wide, sandy beaches

Summary We understand South America continent better in terms of landform and tourism characteristics South America continent has many attractions to offer from the tourists’ perspectives