It would seem that from the moment when the bulletin on the ship “Santa Maria” shouted: “Earth!”, A lot of time passed. Today, the continent of South America no longer looks as mysterious as before. But this does not mean that one should not be interested in its history and geography. Although now there will be no talk about the history of the continent. We just figure out what the extreme southern point of South America is called and which place is considered the most northern on the mainland. And also tell about the western and eastern points of this continent.
General information
In the western hemisphere of the Earth is the fourth largest continent, which is called South America. The total area of the continent is 17.7 million km². With all the islands, the area is slightly larger - 18.28 million km². The Pacific Ocean beats on the west coast of South America, and the Atlantic splashes from the east. The northern part of the continent is bounded by the Caribbean Sea. Here passes the Isthmus of Panama, connecting South America with North. Well, now more about the coordinates of the extreme points of South America.
Extreme point coordinates
If you draw a direct road across North America from the northern to the southern edge, then its length will be 7350 km. The same road in a straight line from the west to the east coast along the widest part of the mainland will stretch for more than 5 thousand km. The extreme points of mainland South America are:
- northern ledge - Cape Gallinas (12 ° 27 ′ north latitude and 71 ° 39 ′ west longitude);
- in the southern mainland - Cape Froward (53 ° 54 ′ south lat. and 71 ° 18 ′ west long);
- in the southern island part, Cape Horn (55 ° 59 ′ south lat. and 67 ° 17 ′ west long.);
- in the western part - Cape Pariñas (4 ° 40 ′ south lat. and 81 ° 20 ′ west long.);
- there was confusion with the eastern point - this is Cape Cabo Branca (7 ° 09´ south latitude 34 ° 46) or Cape Seycheas (34 ° 47 west longitude).
Now that you know the coordinates of the extreme points of South America, it is worth telling what can be seen in these places. Maybe this information will be useful.
Cape Gallinas
The northernmost point of South America is in Colombia at Cape Gallinas. This is part of the Guajira Peninsula. The name was given to the cape by the Spaniards. Translated, this means "chicken." Why are the Spaniards? The fact is that the northern coast of the mainland, including Cape Gallinas, was opened by the Spanish expedition Alonso Aheda, of which Amerigo Vespucci was a member. Unlike the extreme southern point of South America, the northern is arbitrary. On the peninsula, the coastline is smooth, there are no sharp bends on it.
Approximately in place of the northernmost point in 1989 a lighthouse was built. This is a simple metal structure that does not attract tourists in any way. But a little away from this point is an interesting settlement. Here lives a small Vayu Native American community.
Cape frostard
Mentally transported to the Brunswick Peninsula, which is the coastal part of the strait, named after the great navigator Fernand Magellan. Here is the mainland extreme southern point of South America. The name of Cape Froward is translated from English as “rebellious”, “masterful”, “unfavorable”. This name first appeared in 1587, it was invented by the Englishman - the sea robber Thomas Cavendish. It’s clear from the name of the cape that it’s quite difficult for ships to pass by it.
The extreme southern point of South America is located in Chile. In 1987, a commemorative metal sign was installed in the form of a huge volume cross.
Cape Parignas
The extreme western point of South America lies in Peru. Cape Parinhas is a low-lying ledge of the coast on which the lighthouse operates. The nearest settlement is more than 5 km from here. A little south of the extreme point is a wonderful seal bay, where you can watch these pinniped animals in natural conditions.
The Europeans, or rather the Spaniards, discovered the cape in 1527. The honor of the discovery belongs to the expedition of Francisco Pissarro.
A little confusion with the eastern point
The easternmost point of the continent lies in Brazil. For a very long time they thought that this was Cape Cabo Branco, that is, the “White Cape”. A beautiful lighthouse with a memorial sign was built here. Nearby, literally eight kilometers away, is the city of João Pessoa. Initially, the cape was given the name San Augustine. The honor of the discovery belongs to the Spanish team led by Diego Lepe. This happened in 1500. But it was bad luck, it was later established for sure that the extreme eastern point is the neighboring Cape Seishas.
Both points are nearby. The distance between them is approximately 500 m, in fact they are part of the territory of the nearby city (Juan Pessoa). Seychas is a high rock extended into the sea. The height of this place is about 100 m. Around the sandy beaches.