1. South America Team 4 Geography

2. South America Venezuela, Columbia, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

3. Brazil Land  The Amazon is the world’s second largest river. (4,000 miles)  The Amazon Basin covers the northern half of Brazil.  The Brazilian Highlands, the largest highland area begins south of the Amazon River Basin and cover most of east central Brazil.

4. Brazil Economics  Farming and Ranching employs the largest number of Brazilians. (Soybeans)  Ranching in the South in the Brazilian Highlands.  Brazil has one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world.

5. Brazil People  Native Americans, Africans and Portuguese have shaped the culture of Brazil.  76% of Brazilians live in cities today. The two largest are Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro.

6. Venezuela The land is a mixture of coastal lowlands and interior highlands. The majority of Venezuela is covered by Tropical Rain Forests. Venezuela's economy depends on oil. Venezuelan culture is a mixture of Spanish, African and Native American.

7. Guyana Guyana is just north of the equator. It is covered by thick rain forests. The people who live there are a mixture of Native American, European, Asian and African. 1/2 have Asian and 1/3rd have African ancestry.

8. Suriname Suriname is the smallest country in South America in area and population. Suriname depends on its agriculture. Rice is its largest crop, but it also has a thriving forestry industry.

9. French Guiana French Guiana was settled by the French originally. They used African slaves to work in sugarcane plantations. Today French Guiana is still considered part of France.

10. Uruguay Uruguayan economy is based on raising cattle and sheep. Uruguay won its independence from Spain in 1811. Uruguayan people have Spanish and Italian ancestry.

11. Paraguay The Paraguayan economy is founded in the forestry and farming activities. The people of Paraguay are mostly Spanish and Native American in ethnicity.

12. Columbia Colombia’s landforms are varied depending on the area. Tropical rainforests spread across the southeast and mountains cover the western coastline. Colombia’s is entirely in the tropics, yet it does not have a totally tropical climate. The high altitudes of the Andes Mountains rarely allow for tropical weather.

13. Columbia Most Colombian’s earn their livings as farmers, factory workers or miners. Columbia provides 90% of the world’s emeralds, and is the 2nd largest provider of Banana’s in South America. The illegal drug trade has created an increasingly difficult problem for the country.

14. Peru Dry deserts and snow topped mountains and humid rain forests greet you in Peru. The Andes lie in the center of Peru. In southern Peru you will find Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Peru’s native inhabitants were called the Inca’s. Peru has the largest Native American population in the Western Hemisphere.

15. Ecuador Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America and gets its name from its location. Ecuador’s land is a mixture of the Andean Mountains and fertile plains. Ecuador’s capital, Quito lies more than 9,000 feet above sea level.

16. Bolivia Bolivia has mountains, plains and rain forests. It also shares Lake Titicaca with Peru. The economy of Bolivia is dependent on its mineral resources. This country is one of the world’s leading producers of tin. Bolivia is the only country in South America with two capitals. La Paz the highest capital in the world and the city of Sucre.

17. Chile Chile is a very long and thin country. It’s average width of the country is only 100 miles. The Atacama Desert, one of the world’s driest places, is located in Northern Chile. The Andes Mountains stretch along the border with Argentina. Chile has the fastest growing economy in Latin America. Copper is the countries leading resource. About 75% of the population is of mixed ancestry. Native American and European. Almost 20% are purely of European ancestry.

18. Argentina Argentina has varied landscapes.  The North – Waterfalls and Lowland areas.  The Andes – The western part of Argentina has the Andes Mountains. Mount Aconcagua at 23,000 feet is the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.  The Pampas – The center of Argentina has a treeless plain called the Pampas. The Pampas are home to the ranches and farmers of Argentina.  The Patagonia – South of the Pampas is a dry plateau that has poor soil. Since farming is difficult raising sheep is the regions major economic activity.

19. Argentina The Economy  Agriculture – Argentina’s major farm products are beef, corn and wheat. Gauchos, or Argentinean cowboys work on the huge Estancias or ranches in the Pampas.  Manufacturing – Argentina is one of the most industrialized countries in South America. Argentina’s leading manufactured goods are textiles, and leather products. Oil is its most valuable mineral resource.

20. Argentina The People  Almost everyone in Argentina has European ancestry. Very few Native Americans lived in Argentina prior to Spanish exploration.  As is the case for most South American’s, the people of Argentina speak Spanish and are primarily Roman Catholic.