Major
Landforms of South America
Amazon River
The Amazon River of South America is
the second longest river
in the world and by far the largest by water flow It has the largest drainage basin in
the world, about 7,050,000 square kilometres (2,720,000 sq mi),
accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow.
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range.
It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America.
This range is about 7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, about 200 km
(120 mi) to 700 km (430 mi) wide (widest between 18 degrees South
and 20 degrees South latitude),
and of an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft).
Brazilian Highlands
The Brazilian Highlands or Brazilian
Plateau (Portuguese: Planalto
Brasileiro) are an extensive geographical region,
covering most of the eastern, southern and central portions of Brazil,
in all approximately half of the country's land area, or some
4,500,000 km² (1,930,511 sq mi). In addition, the vast majority of
Brazil's population (190.755.799 2010 census) lives in the highlands or on
the narrow coastal region immediately adjacent to it.
Guiana Highlands
Guiana
Highlands mountainous tableland, c.1,200 mi (1,930 km) long and from 200 to 600
mi (322-966 km) wide, N South America, bounded by the Orinoco and Amazon river
basins, and by the coastal lowlands of the Guianas. It
is located in SE Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and N Brazil. The
Pacaraima Mts., which culminate in Mt. Roraima (9,219 ft/2,810 m high) on the
Venezuela-Guyana-Brazil border, form the highest section of the
highlands.
Llanos, (Spanish:
“Plains”) wide grasslands stretching across northern South America and occupying western Venezuela and northeastern
Colombia. The Llanos have an area of approximately 220,000 square miles
(570,000 square km), delimited by the Andes Mountains to the north and west, the Guaviare River and the Amazon River basin to the south, and the
lower Orinoco River and the Guiana Highlands to the east.
The Pampas of
South America are a grassland biome.
They are flat, fertile plains that covers an area of 300,000 sq. miles or
777,000 square kilometers, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains. It
is found primarily in Argentina and extends into Uruguay. The word Pampas comes
from the Guarani Indian word for level plain. The Argentinean Pampas are the
home of the 'Gaucho', the original South American cowboy. The pampas is located
just below Buenos Aires, between 34° and 30° south latitude, and 57° and 63°
west latitude.
Patagonias
Patagonia is an area at the southern cone of
Argentina and Chile, which covers around 300,000 square miles.
It is dotted with deep blue lakes, white glaciers,
endless grassy plains, long-forgotten roads
and some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
and some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
Encyclopedia
Britanica (2011)Llanos. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/345113/Llanos
Claire l. (2011)
The Pampas . Retrieved from:
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/pampas.htm
