A short presentation providing details of people and places including culture and geography of South America

1. South America People and Places
Javed Mohammed, 2019

2. South America Fast Facts
▪ 12 Countries
▪ Amazon River RunsWest-East 4,000 miles long through Peru, Columbia, Brazil.
▪ Amazon Basin with all its tributaries is huge and what empties into the Atlantic Ocean
is only 1/5th of its total volume.
▪ Andes Mountain range run North to South, 4500 miles throughVenezuela, Columbia,
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Highest point almost 23,000 feet.
▪ Pampas are the plains from Central to Southern tip including the famous Patagonia
▪ The term Ecuador means equator in Spanish which passes through it.
▪ In theWar of theTriple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil,
and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory”…

3. Ancient Civilizations
▪ Three Important Native Indian civilizations include the Maya, Aztec and Inca.The
Maya lived in southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Their civilization was at its
peak around 250 - 900 AD.
▪ Aztec lived in central Mexico Mexico City now stands on the ruins of the Aztec capital.
▪ Both Mayans and Aztecs practiced sacrifice and built large pyramids
▪ The Aztec empire flourished from 1400 to about 1520, when it was overthrown by the
Spanish.
▪ Incan Civilization was a dominant force in South America. In the 1500's, Spain and
Portugal colonized much of South America.
▪ The capital of the Inca civilization was the city of Cusco in the Andes.

4. Ancient Civilizations
▪ Inca Empire: stretched from Ecuador to Chile---Machu Picchu in Peru is most well known
city
▪ The least warlike, outstanding accomplishments in art and agriculture
▪ They have retained their culture, their lifestyle, and their artistic pursuits to this very day.
▪ Inca were skilled engineers---built roads throughout empire (later used by Spanish). No
written language (used storytelling)
▪ The Inca built a system of roads through the Andes Mountains to connect their empire.
▪ The Inca did not have a writing system but they kept records with a complicated system of
ropes with knots.
▪ Silver and gold were important to the Inca’s.This attracted Spanish conquistadors who
defeated Inca and imprison their leader, Atahualpa (1532)

5. European Colonization
• Spain colonized Mexico and most of Central
America and South America.
• Portugal colonized Brazil.
• Native populations converted to Roman Catholic
• The most wide spoken languages are Spanish
and Portuguese.
• Europeans brought Africans to work on sugar
plantations as slaves.
• In 1820sVenezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and
Colombia won independence from Spain by
“The Liberator” Simón Bolívar.
• Similary José de San Martín won independence
for Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina also in
1820s.

6. There are 4 Regions in South America
Brazil
Caribbean North
§Colombia
§Venezuela
§Guyana
§Suriname
§French Guiana
Southern Cone
§Argentina
§Chile
§Uruguay
§Paraguay
Andean West
§Peru
§Ecuador
§Bolivia

7. 12 Latin Countries
Venezuela
Colombia
Ecuador
Perú
Bolivia
Paraguay
Chile Uruguay
Argentina
Brazil

8. ™ Longest mountain range in the world
4,000 miles North to South
™ Spans seven countries —Venezuela,
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Chile and Argentina
™ It’s slow-melt is the major source for
the Amazon river
™ In Chile, it rises to over 20,000 feet.
™ Also known for volcanoes and ruins
of long-ago civilizations
Andes Mountains

9. ▪ TheAmazon River basin has an area of almost
2.7 million square miles,
▪ It is the largest watershed in the world.
▪ The basin, which covers most of northern South
America, is fed by tributaries from the glaciers
of theAndes.
▪ Every second, theAmazon River empties
209,000 cubic meters (7,381,000 cubic feet) of
freshwater into theAtlantic Ocean.
▪ TheAmazon River is the life force of the equally
vast Amazon rain forest, which makes up about
half of the rain forest of the entire planet.
Amazon Basin

10. AMAZON RIVER
▪ Begins on eastern edge of the Andes
▪ Lifeline of Amazon Rainforest
▪ Largest river basin in world: Covers c.
40% of South America (2,722,000 sq.
miles) and size of 48 Contiguous US
Stats
▪ 4,300 Miles Long (2nd largest after
Nile)
▪ Flows through 6 countries

11. South America: A melting pot of people who based on
ethnic groups share language, physical appearance,
customs, and traditions
Country Ethnic distribution in South America
Argentina 85%White, 14% Mestizos
Bolivia 55% Amerindians, 12%White, 30% Mestizos
Brazil 47%White, 23% Mestizos, 20% Mulatos
Chile 52%White, 44% Mestizos
Colombia 37%White, 49% Mestizos, 8% Mulato
Ecuador 39% Amerindians, 10%White, 41% Mestizos
Guyana 10% Amerindians, 30% Black, 40% Asian
Paraguay 20% White, 75% Mestizos
Peru 34% Amerindians, 23%White, 38% Mestizos
Suriname 15% Multaos, 21% Black, 43% Asian
Uruguay 88%White, 8% Mestizos
Venezuela 42%White, 50% Mestizos, 7% Mulatos
Mestizos: of mixed European & Native Indian ancestry
Mulato of mixed African & European descent

12. Major Population Densities
Country Population (2019)
Brazil 211,049,527
Colombia 50,339,443
Argentina 44,780,677
Peru 32,510,453
Venezuela 28,515,829
Chile 18,952,038
Ecuador 17,373,662
Bolivia 11,513,100
Paraguay 7,044,636
Uruguay 3,461,734
Guyana 782,766
Suriname 581,372
French Guiana 290,832

13. Language and Faith
▪ South America is predominantly
Spanish speaking
▪ Brazil the largest country in South
America is Portuguese speaking
▪ The only exception is the North East
(French and British Guyana and
Suriname) where there is French and
English
▪ Most of South America is Christian,
Catholic followed by Protestants,
Atheist/Agnostic.There are small
minorities of other faiths including,
Jews, Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim

14. Natural Resources
▪ Gold, silver, copper, iron ore, tin, bauxite
▪ Gas and petroleum.
▪ Coffee beans, cocoa beans
▪ Bananas
▪ Timber, rubber
▪ Spices and Salt

15. Popular Culture

16. Latin America Food and Cuisine
▪ Latin American cuisine is diverse and influenced by:
▪ Native American + African + European + Asian
influence
▪ Cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas,
pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas
and other condiments (guacamole, pico de gallo,
mole, chimichurri, chili, aji, pebre).
▪ Beverages include coffee, mate, hibiscus tea,
horchata, chicha, atole, cacao and aguas frescas
▪ Desserts include dulce de leche, alfajor, rice
pudding, tres leches cake, teja and flan.

17. Football (Soccer)
▪ Football is the most popular sport in South
America
▪ South America hosted its first Olympic Games
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 and theYouth
Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina in
2018.
▪ FIFAWorld Cup history Brazil holds the record
with 5 titles ,Argentina and Uruguay have2
titles each.
▪ Copa América is longest running
international football tournament since 1916.
Uruguay has won it 15 times

18. Beauty Pageants and SuperModels
▪ 7 Miss Universe titles (Venezuela is the
undisputed queen of beauty pageants in
▪ 6 MissWorld titles from 6 South American
counties
▪ 3+ SuperModels from Brasil
▪ 2 Miss Earths.

19. Latin Dance
▪ Latin dance influences by Native
American, European, and African .
▪ Tango birthed in Argentina and
Uruguay, but influences global. A
dance of emotion and depth and relies
deeply on improvisation.
▪ Samba is of Afro-Brazilian origin a
lively, rhythmical dance
▪ There are many other Street Latin
dances including cha-cha-cha, rumba,
salsa, mambo, merengue

20. THE END
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