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South America

Equator passes from which countries of South America?

Tropic of Capricorn passes from which countries of S. America?

Important Cities located near to equator and tropic of Capricorn in S. America

South America

Map

Physical geography of South America

Western High lands

Eastern region

Parana-Paraguay region

Northern Cordillera

Wes

tern

cord

iller

aCe

ntra

l cor

dille

ra

Easte

rn co

rdill

era

Mt. CotopaxiMt. Chimborazo

Bolivian plateau

Bolivian Plateau

Atac

ama

dese

rt

Lake Titicaca

Lake Poopo

Highlands of North

Guiana Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Amazon river Basin

Plateau of Mato Grosso

Plateau of Borborema

Highland/plateau ImportanceGuiana Highlands Craton, abundance of rain, tropical rainforest,

gold, diamond and iron ore reserve. World’s highest fall – Angel’s fall on Caroni river

Plateau of Mato Grosso

Ancient erosional plateau, savannah, cattle raising, gold and diamond reserve

Plateau of Borborema

Semi-arid, deciduous-thorny scrub

Brazilian highlands Lava plateau, Minas Garais region- iron and gold reserve

Importance

Grassland and vegetation of north

Guiana Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Llano

s

Selvas

Cating

aCa

mpo

sSe

rtao

Llanos Selvas

Treeless Savannah, Swampy grass Equatorial Rainforest

Catinga Campos

Deciduous, thorny scrubland Tropical grassland

Sertao

Dry scrubland, sparsely populated

Parana region

Gran Chac

oEn

tre Rios

Pam

pas

Pata

goni

a

Gran Chaco Entre Rios

Hot, semi-arid forest region ‘Between the rivers’

Pampas Patagonia

Temperate Grasslands Rain-shadow cold desert

Rivers of South America

•Equatorial rainforest•Navigable till Manaus•Petroleum at mouth•Natural Rubber•Amazon rainforest – deforestation due to cattle ranching and soya beans field

Amazon river

•From source to its junction with Paraguay – known as alto Parana•Numerous water falls in alto Parana – then navigable•Useful for HEP, irrigation •Wheat cultivation in Pampas region

Parana river system

Para

na Para

guay

• Joins Parana river – to form Rio de la Plata estuary• Important for irrigation and HEP •Not useful for navigation due to numerous rapids

Uruguay river system

Uruguay

Climatic regions of S. America

Desert

Mediterranean type

British type

Equatorial Rainforest

Tropical Grasslands

Monsoon

Temperate Grasslands

Desert

Agriculture of S. America

Mediterranean agriculture

Equatorial agriculture

Equatorial and Tropical Agriculture

Temperate Grasslands

•Cocoa (native crop of Brazil) – grown in Amazon basin, Bahia region•Avocado – origin Amazon basin•Pineapple – native to south Brazil and Parana river basin

Agriculture: Equatorial crops

•Coffee – Columbia (central cordillera), Brazilian highlands•Columbian coffee- mild•Upper Parana basin – yerba mate •Rubber – amazon basin

Agriculture: - Equatorial crops

• Sugarcane •Grown in large Frazendas• Tropical variety – maritime climate – high sucrose content•Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Santos, Rio de Janeiro• Sao Paulo – Sugar bawl of the world

Agriculture: Tropical crops

•Corn – native crop of S. America – Argentina major exporter of corn•Potato – origin Andes-•Tomato – western coast of South America•Tobacco- Brazil and Columbia

Agriculture: Tropical crops

•Parana-Paraguay region•Wheat cultivation and cattle rearing•Montevideo (Cap. Uruguay), Bueno Aires (Cap. Argentina) – wheat and meat exports

Agriculture: Pampas

•Mediterranean climate in middle Chile•Valparaiso and Santiago cities of Chile•Viticulture and Wine making

Agriculture: Mediterranean

•Commercial livestock ranching •Huge estancias (estates)•Most of the livestock rearing in Pampas•Argentina and Uruguay•Llanos – over grazing

Livestock rearing

Petroleum reserve

Orinocco riverLake Maracaibo

Tupi Oil field

Jupiter oil field

Copper reserve

Chile- one of the largest

producer of copper in the

worldChuquicamata

ChuquicamataCollahuasi

EscondidaLomas Bayas

Industrial centers

Sao Paulo

Santiago

Belo Horizonte

Bueno Aires

Belem

Caracas

Rio De Janeiro

cities ImportanceSao Paulo Automobile and aviation industriesRio de Janeiro Financial center of Brazil, metallurgy and engineering Belo Horizonte Distribution and processing center of agriculture and

mining products of Minas Garais, steel and automobile manufacturing

Belem Port, exports resources found in Amazon basin- aluminum, iron, Brazilian nuts

Caracas Financial center of Venezuela, chemical industriesSantiago Industrial and financial center of Chile Bueno Aires Major port of South America, food processing, oil refining

and heavy industries

Industrial centers of S. America

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