South American Geogrpahy

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It may be considered a subcontinent of the Americas, or America, by some geographers.

South America has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi). Its population as of 2016 has been estimated at more than 420 million. South America ranks fourth in area (after Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America).

The geography of South America contains many diverse regions and climates. The northernmost part of the continent is occupied by the tropical Amazon rainforest, while the southern and central regions are home to the drier Atacama Desert. The Andes mountain range, which runs along the west coast of the continent, is the world's longest mountain range and contains some of the highest peaks on Earth, including Aconcagua (6,962 m, or 22,841 ft) and Mount Everest (8,848 m, or 29,029 ft).

South America is home to some of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Brazil alone contains almost 60% of the Amazon rainforest, which is the world’s largest tropical forest. The Amazon rainforest is home to an estimated 400 billion trees and thousands of plant and animal species.

Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador are also home to large tropical forests. The Andes mountain range runs along the entire western coast of South America. This range contains the highest peak in the world outside of Asia, Aconcagua, which stands at 6,962.8m.