In ancient times, South America was an integral part of other land masses. After their split and drift to the southwest, the mainland existed for a very long time in isolation from other continents. Until the beginning of the 20th century, two continents in the Western Hemisphere were connected by the Isthmus of Panama. Then a navigation channel of the same name was laid through it. To a large extent, the modern look determines not only the geographical position of South America (GP) and its geological structure, but also the activities of the population.
General information about mainland South America. Territory size
The territory of the continent (including adjacent islands) is 18 million km 2 (the fourth largest). In ancient times, strong tectonic shocks caused a split of land and the drift of the South American plate far to the west - towards the Nazca plate. The result of this oncoming movement was a powerful collision of the massifs of the lithosphere, the formation of folded mountains (Andes). The climate has become warmer, the Amazon has changed, there was severe waterlogging and overgrowing with moist impenetrable forests of its valley in the middle and lower reaches. Due to the remote location in the organic world of South America, endemic and relict species of plants and animals have been preserved. A description of the geographical location of South America will help to understand what factors are decisive for the formation of the modern climate and natural zones, the activities of the population.
The geographical location of South America. Plan
The shape of the continent is similar to a drop, the tip of which faces the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Pole. The wide base is located north of the equator, and in the subtropics - a narrow part. The mainland's GP characteristic includes a listing of the main elements of its placement on the globe and map, and neighboring geographical objects. A number of actions are required:
- To study the position relative to the equator, the initial meridian.
- Determine the coordinates of the most extreme northern, southern, western and eastern points.
- Briefly describe the coastline, the oceans washing the mainland, the largest seas, straits and bays.
Description of the geographical location of South America
The main massif of the continent is located south of the parallel 0 ° (equator), and in the northern latitudes - a small area. Meridian 0 ° does not pass through this continent.
Latitude South America
- 12 ° C w. - m. Gallinas in the north;
- 54 ° S w. - m. Froward on the southern edge of the mainland;
- 56 ° S w. - island point - metro Diego Ramirez in the south.
The geographical position of South America in longitude is the coordinates of the two extreme points in the east and in the west:
- 35 ° C. d. - metro Cabo-Branco;
- 81 ° C. d. - metro Parignas.
On a 10 ° parallel, the distance on the mainland reaches 4655 km, and 5150 km is the largest latitudinal dimension of the continent of South America. The position relative to the equator of this territory is 5 ° S. w.
Nature of the coastline
The western edge of the mainland is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its cold Peruvian current. This is a slightly indented part of the coast. Here are the highest and longest mountain ranges of the Andes. South America and Antarctica are separated by a strait, which was named after the pirate of the Middle Ages Francis Drake. The water surface stretches for 460 km from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The width of the strait is from 818 to 1120 km, its depth is from 276 to 5249 m. The geographical location of the mainland of South America near Antarctica caused harsh conditions in the south of the continent, in the Strait of Magellan and on the islands of Tierra del Fuego archipelago. The nature of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) is also influenced by the southern polar region. In the east, the coast is washed by the Atlantic, in the north - by the Caribbean Sea.
Swimming Columbus
On the ancient Greek maps and drawings of Ptolemy, continents in the Western Hemisphere are not plotted. There are a number of traditions and hypotheses based on evidence of sailing to the islands and coast of America of the ancient peoples of Eurasia (Phoenicians, Egyptians, Vikings), residents of Oceania. Scientists and travelers of that time assumed that there was a western path to the rich states of the East. The physical and geographical position of South America led to the long isolation of this continent from the Old World, its poor knowledge until the XV century. During this period, Europeans began to colonize and develop America. The navigator and merchant Christopher Columbus, under the flag of the Spanish crown, four times (1492–1504) visited the New World. For the first time he traveled far west at the head of a small sailing squadron - to search for the shortest route to India. During the expedition he discovered one of the Antilles. In August 1498, the ships of Columbus entered the mouth of the Orinoco, marking the beginning of the conquest of the mainland by Europeans. The mariner, landing on uncharted shores, was sure that he had reached India. Aborigines with a light hand Columbus began to be called Indians.
Brief information about the colonization of the mainland by Europeans
Amerigo Vespucci was the first to guess that Columbus had discovered an unknown land. In honor of the mariner's brilliant assumption, the southern continent was called America (1507). Vespucci visited America several times in his life. He made maps and described them. For two centuries, Spaniards and Portuguese have mastered spaces in the central and southern parts. They ruined the ancient Indian cities built by the civilizations of the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans. In the sixteenth century, the French, British and Dutch joined the large-scale colonization of South America by immigrants from the Iberian Peninsula. Mariners circled the continent, plunged into the impenetrable jungle of the central part in search of the treasures of Eldorado, as well as a source of water that gives eternal youth. Expeditions climbed the peaks of the Andes, went up and down the Amazon, Parana, and other rivers. The legendary Spanish conqueror F. Orellana crossed the continent (1542), sailing along the Amazon from the headwaters in the Andes to the delta on the Atlantic coast.
Studies of South America (XVII – XX)
The German geographer A. Humboldt, in the course of his scientific expeditions, drew up a detailed map of the mainland and ocean currents off its western shores. He was the first to find out the importance of cold flows for the formation of the Andes climate, described the altitudinal zonality and vegetation of the mountains (together with the Frenchman E. Bonplan). He studied the nature of South America in the XIX century, the famous British natural scientist Charles Darwin. Observation of unusual animals of the Galapagos volcanic islands led the researcher to the idea of the evolution of organisms. Russian scientists G. Langsdorf and N. Rubtsov explored the interior of the Brazilian Plateau in the 19th century. Expeditions led by A. Voyeykov and N. Vavilov studied the centers of origin and distribution of the most important agricultural crops (1932-1933).
The diversity of the mainland
Within the South American continent there are significant differences in nature, due to several factors. The most important among them is the influx of solar radiation, which depends on geographical latitude. The nature of the mainland is affected by:
- geographical features of South America;
- size of the territory;
- atmospheric circulation;
- surrounding oceans;
- warm and cold currents;
- underlying surface (mountains, plains, deserts).
In South America, the climate is not as dry as in Africa. We list the main zones (from north to south): equatorial, tropical and temperate, transitional - subequatorial and subtropical.
Conclusion
The characterization of the geographical position of South America is an important element in the study of the continent. In ancient times, the mainland was not in the part of the Earth that it occupies now. He went a long way of development - from the component part of Pangea and Gondwana to the modern geological era.
The continent is located in the Western Hemisphere, mainly - south of the equator. In the west is a mountain belt - the Andes. Near the coast there is a deep-water trench, which arose as a result of the collision of two lithosphere blocks. There are active volcanoes in this region, devastating earthquakes occur that complicate the life and work of the population.
The modern inhabitants of the mainland are the descendants of the Indians, Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, slaves brought to work on plantations. The total population of 12 countries of the continent exceeds 380 million people. The mainland is rich in attractions, among which are the highest mountain peaks, waterfalls, the remains of ancient cities, many other objects of domestic and international tourism.