Nature of South America. The nature of South America is a unique plant and animal community

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere of our Planet. It is crossed by the Equator line and divides this continent into two parts. One part (largest) – refers to Southern Hemisphere, and the second (smallest) – to the Northern Hemisphere.

The mainland ranks 4th among the continents in terms of its area - 17,840,000 km². On its territory, including adjacent islands, there are 15 states, three of which are dependent. By following the link you can see detailed list countries of South America in a table with capitals and characteristics. The population is approximately 400 million people.

In the west, the continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the north by the Caribbean Sea, which is the border between North America and South America.

Extreme points of the continent of South America

Northern point - Cape Gallinas is located in Colombia on the Caribbean Sea.

Southern (mainland) point - Cape Froward is located in Chile on the Brunswick Peninsula on the shores of the Strait of Magellan.

Southern (island) point – Diego Ramirez – is the southernmost point of America and Chile, which consists of a group of islands occupying an area of ​​just over one square kilometer.

The western point, Cape Parinhas, is located in Peru.

The eastern point is Cape Cabo Branco, located in Brazil.

Relief of South America

The continent of South America is divided by relief into the Mountain West and the Plain East.

The Atacama Desert is located in Chile and is the driest place on our Earth. There are places in the desert where rain falls once in several decades. Here is the most low humidity air. The only vegetation found is cacti and acacias.

The western part of the continent consists of mountain system The Andes, stretching across seven states of South America, and the eastern plains. In the North there is the Guiana Plateau, 1930 km long and 300–1000 m high.

In the east of the mainland is the Brazilian Highlands, whose area is about 4 million km2. 95% of Brazil's population lives here. Highest point This highland is a mountain - Bandeira. Its height is 2897 meters. Because of the huge natural diversity The Brazilian Highlands are divided into three parts: the Atlantic, Central and Southern Plateaus.

To the south of the Brazilian Highlands is the Laplata Lowland, on the territory of which states such as Paraguay and Uruguay, the northern part of Argentina, the southern part of Brazil and the southeast of Bolivia are located. The area of ​​the lowland is more than 3 million km2.

The Amazonian lowland is a lowland covering an area of ​​over 5 million km2. It is the largest lowland on our Planet.

South American climate

There are 6 climate zones in South America: North and South subequatorial belt, Equatorial, Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate zones.

The climate of South America in most of its parts is subequatorial and tropical, in which dry and wet seasons. Equatorial humid climate characteristic only of the Amazonian lowland. In the south of the continent, a subtropical and temperate climate prevails. Temperatures in the northern plains all year round 20-28 degrees. In the Andes, temperatures decrease with altitude. Even frosts are possible. On the Brazilian plateau, temperatures in winter can drop to 10 degrees, and on the Patagonian plateau to zero degrees.

River systems of South America.

The following river systems are located on the mainland: Parana, Orinoco, Amazon, Paraguay, Uruguay.

The Amazon is the world's largest river by basin area (7,180 thousand km²), formed by the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers. Considered one of the seven natural wonders Sveta. Brazil owns most of the basin. It flows mainly through the Amazonian lowland and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Paraná is the second longest river on this continent, flowing in the southern part of the continent. It flows through the territory of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Just like the Amazon flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Paraguay is a river that is a right tributary of the Paraná. Divides the Republic of Paraguay into Northern and Southern Paraguay, and also in its southern part is state border between Paraguay and Argentina.

Uruguay is a river originating in Brazil and formed by the confluence of the Canoas and Pelotas rivers. Is the border between Brazil and Uruguay. Her river system is the country's main source of water supply. Here is located largest hydroelectric power station countries.

The Orinoco is a river that flows through Venezuela and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its peculiarity is the bifurcation of the river. The Casichiare River separates from it, which flows into the Rio Negro River. This river is home to the white river dolphin or Amazonian and one of the largest - the Orinoco crocodile.

Lakes of South America

Maracaibo (translated as “Land of Mary”) – large lake with brackish water, located in Venezuela. The depth of this lake differs significantly in its southern and northern parts. The northern one is shallow, and the southern one reaches (according to various sources) from 50 to 250 meters. This lake is also one of the oldest lakes.

Titicaca (titi - puma, caca - rock) is the largest lake in terms of reserves fresh water and the second largest city after Maracaibo. More than three hundred rivers flow into this lake. It is navigable. Archaeological research shows that the city of Wanaku is located at the bottom of the lake.

Patos is a lake located on the coast of Brazil. Its length is 280 km and its width is 70 km. It is separated from the ocean by a sand spit 8 km wide. Large hydroelectric power stations are located on it. Salt, fish and oil are mined here.

Flora of South America

Thanks to the warm climate and huge amounts of rainfall, the plant world in South America is very diverse. For each climate zone has its own flora. Large area occupy the jungle, which is located in tropical zone. Here grow: chocolate and melon trees - papaya, rubber trees, various palm trees, orchids.

To the south of the jungle, deciduous and evergreen plants grow in equatorial forests. Here grows a tree called quebracho, which has a very durable wood. IN subtropical zone You can find vines and cacti. Further, moving south, there is a steppe zone where feather grass and various grasses grow. Beyond this zone, deserts and semi-deserts begin, where dry shrubs grow.

Fauna of South America

Animal world The continent is as diverse as its vegetation. The tropics are home to monkeys, sloths, jaguars, anteaters, parrots, hummingbirds, toucans and many other animals. In the Amazon jungle there are crocodiles, anacondas, piranhas, the rodent - copybara, river dolphins. Only here you can meet wild cat- an ocelot, similar to a leopard. The savannah is inhabited by: armadillos, peccary pigs, spectacled bears, ostriches, pumas, foxes and maned wolf. The plains area is home to: deer, llamas, and pampas cats. Only in South America can you find deer - pudú, only 30-40 cm high. Huge tortoises live on the Galapagos Islands, which belong to South America.

The selva is formed on vast low-lying areas of land under conditions of constant freshwater moisture, as a result of which the soil of the selva is extremely poor minerals, washable tropical rains. In the rural areas there is often severe swampiness. The flora and fauna are distinguished by a riot of colors and a variety of species of plants, birds and mammals.

The Argentine pampa is the meadow steppes of the mainland. They have fertile reddish-black soils, the vegetation is dominated by grasses. They serve as a wintering site for North American birds. Plants Feather grassBeardgrass Fescue Animals Possum (marsupial rat) Pampas deer and cat Llamas

Patagonia is Mountain country, stretching for 1,770 kilometers along the Pacific coast of South America from south to north, starting from the Strait of Magellan. It occupies the arid southeastern part of South America, lying within Argentina. Patagonia is a land of glaciers, lakes, tiny and big islands, canals, fiords, mountain rivers, virgin thousand-year-old forests. The landscapes of Patagonia are unforgettable in their beauty and color. Plants Xerophytic shrubs Low-growing cacti Cereals Animals Armadillo Rodents (nutria and viscacha) Puma

Driest place in the world, average annual precipitation

Plants Up to 3 km - mountain forests Above - alpine meadows 4.5 km - bare rocks Above 5 km - glaciers Animals The lower tier corresponds to a flat natural zone Spectacled bear Maned wolf LamaGuanacoChinchilla Condor bird - the largest flying bird on the planet

Mount Corcovado is even more famous not in itself, but as the world's largest pedestal for a huge sculpture - the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio. But Corcovado is a landmark itself. In Portuguese, its name means "hunchback". The green asymmetrical block in the middle of the capital attracts attention. But Corcovado is a landmark itself. In Portuguese, its name means "hunchback". The green asymmetrical block in the middle of the capital attracts attention. A train with tourists runs along the gently curved “back” of the hunchback, and climbers make numerous routes along the steep granite “belly”.

Guanabara Bay Guanabara Bay is an intricate alternation of islands, hills and bay waters. But the most amazing and exotic of all is Sugarloaf, behind which the beaches of Rio de Janeiro begin. Sugarloaf Sugarloaf is not very high - only 396 meters - but its walls are completely vertical, almost devoid of vegetation. Therefore, conquering Sugarloaf is not an easy task.

Queimada Grande – official name this island, but it is much more widely known as Snake Island. What they say about it looks like cheap horror. Queimada Grande is the official name of this island, but it is much more widely known as Snake Island. What they say about it looks like cheap horror. It is forbidden for humans to set foot on this islet off the southwest Brazilian coast - it is forbidden in their own interests. Snakes have settled here (the island snake is one of the most poisonous snakes). This is an unprecedented case - reptiles have completely survived from a human island. This is an unprecedented case - reptiles have completely survived from a human island.

Here is one of the wonders of Brazilian nature - an amazing area that combines dunes up to 40 meters high of the whitest sand on the planet and framed by the brightest freshwater lakes on Earth. This is a real living illustration of the fact that everything in the world is short-lived and unique. This is a real living illustration of the fact that everything in the world is short-lived and unique. The landscape has an area of ​​more than 1,550 km² and extends 270 km inland

This glacier is one of Argentina's most important tourist attractions, containing 250 km² of ice that is fed by Andean ice. The Perito Moreno Icefield is the third largest freshwater reservoir. The Perito Moreno Icefield is the third largest freshwater reservoir. Its ice rises to a height of 74 meters above sea level, and the ice depth is 170 meters.

The completely white desert seems snowy at first glance. But this is a deceptive impression - the heat here can rise to 45 0 C. This desert is salt. It occupies 8900 km². This desert is salt. It occupies 8900 km². People use this area only for mineral extraction. Chloride and sulfate of soda, potash and borax crystallize here directly on the hard white crust. All that remains is to scrape them off.

Chimborazo is an extinct volcano, which at one time was so violent that it became the main bulge of the planet, or rather, an icy tip. The height of this mountain is 6384 meters, but it is still far from the Himalayas. The height of this mountain is 6384 meters, but it is still far from the Himalayas. What helped her to be the farthest from the center of the planet was the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere, and Chimborazo was lucky that she was located in a good place. – the farthest point from the center of the planet

Perhaps they were already known to the ancient Incas, but their official discovery was made by Bishop Fray Thomas de Berlanga of Panama. In 1535, he set foot on the land of these islands and dubbed them the Enchanted Islands: they only briefly appeared from the dense clouds of fog. In 1535, he set foot on the land of these islands and dubbed them the Enchanted Islands: they only briefly appeared from the dense clouds of fog. Today, scientists count almost 60 species of birds and 875 species of plants here, and 228 of them are not found anywhere else except this archipelago. The diversity of species under the surface of the sea is also amazing: in addition to fattened sharks, whales, puffers, on some shores they live in huge colonies seals And sea ​​lions. The diversity of species under the surface of the sea is also amazing: in addition to fattened sharks, whales, puffers, fur seals and sea lions live in huge colonies on some shores.

In ancient times, South America was inhabited by kind, peaceful and hardworking people - the Incas, who left behind a rich heritage in the form of interesting and mysterious monuments, such as Machu Picchu - the observatory city.
Now on the continent live the descendants of the Incas and Portuguese, Spanish and French colonialists, as well as black slaves who were brought here to cultivate huge plantations. The nature of South America is emerald tropical forests, endless pampas and the youngest mountains of our planet Earth - the Andes.
It was this continent that at the beginning of the 16th century, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, when drawing up a map of the world, named America in honor of the great traveler Amerigo Vespucci, who guessed that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were not India, but a completely new continent. With its outlines on the map, South America resembles a drop of water.
Is this why it is the wettest and rainiest continent on our planet? The fact is that the continent is almost entirely located in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical zones(only a small part lies in the zone temperate climate) and is washed on both sides by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. And the winds blowing across their expanses bring a huge amount of moisture, thanks to which the green lungs of the Earth exist - rain forests in the floodplain great river Amazons.
The climate is largely determined by the unusual geographical structure: in the west, along the coast Pacific Ocean, fencing off the interior of the continent from it, the Andes mountain range stretches. This miraculous “Great Wall” is more than 9,000 kilometers long, and some of its peaks rise up to 7,000 meters. The Andes are the youngest mountains of our planet, so powerful earthquakes sometimes occur here , but the rest of the continent is relatively calm.
To the east of the Andes there are continuous plateaus and huge lowlands, and if there are mountains, they are very low. The endless steppes - pampas, are covered with magnificent herbs - the most luxurious pastures in the world. It is not surprising that the economies of a number of countries are largely focused on livestock breeding, and local cows are truly the best in the world. Amazon River - longest river in the world (7000 km.) crosses the entire continent, and its water system contains a sixth of the fresh water of all the rivers of our planet.
At the same time, the river is incredibly dangerous: it is inhabited by huge crocodiles And predatory piranhas, a flock of which can instantly gnaw at an unwary swimmer. Along its banks lies the selva - endless tropical forests, where many trees reach a height of up to one hundred meters - real skyscrapers. And under their emerald cover hides mysterious world, which has not yet been fully studied. Indian tribes live in the jungle, who have preserved the primitive way of life and to this day do not know civilization.

On east coast there are luxurious beaches, the golden sand of which goes into warm waters ocean.Here in the huge metropolis of Rio de Janeiro is the longest beach in the world.The nature of South America, i.e. the flora and fauna are simply unique. It is here that humanity has found many valuable There are not many large and dangerous animals here, except for the jaguar, puma and pampas cat. The only local bear is a spectacled bear and that one is rare.
But in South America there live many unusual animals that you will not find anywhere else. Sloths are the slowest animals on earth SlothSloth are anteaters capable of emptying huge anthills with their long noses, gentle llamas, which are used as transport, because... There were no donkeys or horses here before. And of course fluffy chinchillas. ChinchillaChinchilla There are many people living here wild monkeys, but unlike their Old World relatives, they have very beautiful and brightly colored fur. And in the north of the Andes is the wettest place in the world. It almost always rains here, and if the water did not flow into the ocean, it would completely flood the entire planet, and in western Chile the Atacama Desert is considered the driest place; There has been no rain here for decades. Lake Titicaca is the largest alpine lake on Earth. Lake TiticacaLake Titicaca Hidden in the tropical forests of Venezuela is the tallest waterfall in the world - Angel. The height of Mount Auyantepuy, from which it falls, is almost a kilometer! Angel FallsAngel Falls And on the border between Brazil and Argentina there is a chain of Iguazu Falls, which is considered the most powerful in the world.
This is the simply gorgeous nature of South America! But this is just a drop in the ocean, because... It is impossible to capture all the splendor and diversity of this continent here.

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Nature of South America

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere, the shores of which are washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east, in the north - Caribbean Sea, and in the south by the Strait of Magellan. South America is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama. The area of ​​this continent together with the adjacent islands is like an archipelago Tierra del Fuego, Galapagos, Falkland (Malvinas) Islands and others - 18.3 million km2. The greatest length of this continent from north to south is 7150 km, and the width from east to west is 5100 km.

The relief of South America is very diverse. In the north and west of the continent there is a powerful Andes mountain belt with highest peak 6960 meters above sea level (Aconcagua), and the east is a flat-platform platform, in the northeast of which the Guiana Plateau with Mount Neblina (3014 m) stands out, in the east - the Brazilian Plateau (Bandeira, 2890 m) , which are separated from each other by a trough occupied by the Amazonian lowland (Amazonia). The marginal and foothill troughs of the South American continent between the plateaus and the Andes are occupied by plains and lowlands: the Orinoco and Interior Plains (Pantanal, Gran Chaco, Mesopotamia and Pampa). The southeast of the mainland is occupied by the Patagonian plateau, which rises to an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. In the depths of the plateaus of South America, large deposits of iron and manganese ores, bauxite, non-ferrous and rare metals have been explored; and in the foothill and intermountain troughs of the Andes, oil and gas deposits were discovered; in mountainous areas there are deposits of copper ores, polymetals, tin, etc.

The climate of South America is mostly subequatorial and tropical, in the south of the continent it is subtropical and temperate, and in the Amazon Valley it is constantly humid and equatorial. All northern flat part South America to the southern tropics has average monthly temperatures 20-28 °C. Therefore, the entire Amazon, as well as the eastern slopes of the plateaus and Andes (up to 18 ° S) are covered with evergreen moist equatorial and tropical forests. In summer (which falls here in January), as you move south, the air temperature drops to 10 °C, and in winter (in July) on the Brazilian plateau to 12 °C, in Pampa to 6 °C, on the Patagonian plateau to 1 °C and below . The soil cover in the hot zone is dominated by lateritic (ferrallitic and ferritic) red soil types, in the subtropics - reddish-black and gray-brown, in temperate latitudes - brown (forest in the west and semi-desert in the east). On these lands in the tropical forests of South America, many valuable species of trees grow, such as Hevea rubber, mahogany, cocoa, cinchona and others.

In a year greatest number precipitation - up to 5-10 thousand mm falls on the windward slopes of the Andes in Colombia and Southern Chile, 2-3 thousand mm falls in the Western Amazon and the adjacent slopes of the Andes and the eastern slopes of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus. In the rest of eastern South America up to 35°S. w. 1-2 thousand mm falls per year.

More arid (150-200 mm or less) areas west of Pampa, Patagonia, south Central. The Andes and especially the Pacific slope between 5-27 °S. w. Therefore, savannas and woodlands are located here on the plains and plateaus; in subtropical areas - prairies, steppes and semi-deserts, in the west in the temperate zone - evergreens mixed forests with an admixture of deciduous, and in the east - shrubby semi-deserts.

Most of the rivers of South America belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin, where the largest of them carry their waters: the Amazon, Parana with its tributary Paraguay, and Orinoco. These lowland rivers are navigable. There are many rapids on the rivers of the plateaus and, therefore, here, as in the Andes, they are very rich in hydropower.

The fauna of South America is very rich and unique and it belongs to the neotropical region of Neogea. In general, the fauna of the mainland is different big amount endemics. Only here you can find sloths, anteaters, armadillos, broad-nosed monkeys, pumas, jaguar, peccaries, nutria, Guinea pigs and other types of animals. Birds include rheas, hoatzins, toucans, etc. The fauna of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and especially insects and other groups of invertebrates is very diverse.

The nature of South America, a report for grade 2, will briefly talk about the uniqueness of this part of the world. Also a report on nature North America can be used during preparation for class.

The unique nature of South America

The peculiarity of South America is that it has a huge extent in the direction from north to south. This determined the location of the mainland in 5 climatic zones. Thanks to the varied climatic conditions, a large number of natural areas, and, as a result, the diversity of nature in South America is simply amazing.

So the northern part of the continent was occupied by wet equatorial forests. They are called “selva” and translated from mainland Portuguese means “forest”. The territory of the jungle covers almost the entire Amazonian lowland. It is the largest tract of rain forest on the planet. Wet forests are somewhat reminiscent African jungle, however, it rains more here, and unique trees grow, reaching up to 80 m in height - ceibas. These trees, along with hevea and cocoa, are “indigenous” representatives of the continent’s flora. The animal world is also affected: monkeys, snakes, frogs. There are a lot of them here. The most big snake- Anconda. The length of her body is 8.5 m. In depth Amazonian jungle there are many birds. The smallest bird in the world, the hummingbird, will live in South American forests. In addition to it, there are parrots, toucans and a huge number of insects.

The farther from the equator, the rain forests are gradually replaced variable-humid forests, and then savannas. The famous Quebracho tree gives the savannahs its special features. The fauna is represented by anteaters, armadillos, and rhea ostriches. There are no large animals here. In South America, savannas are called llanos or campos.

The southern part of the mainland is occupied steppes- pumpami. It is predominantly inhabited by mammals such as deer and llamas. The pampa has many open spaces and fertile soils. It doesn't rain that much a large number of as in the north, so humus is not washed out from the ground as intensively.

Most southern part cover desert. They are called Patagonia. Here are the most unfavorable climatic conditions, there is little precipitation, and prevailing frosty winters. The flora is represented by cereals, evergreen shrubs, and the fauna is mainly small rodents.

We hope that the report on the topic “The uniqueness of the nature of South America” helped you prepare for the lesson, and you learned a lot of useful information about the flora and fauna of this part of the world.