South America: Location, Area, Political and Physical Features
ICSE Class 6 · Geography · Chapter 10
What this chapter covers
- Introducing South America
- Location of South America
- Boundaries and area
- Political divisions: countries and capitals
- Major physical features
Key points
- South America is shaped like a triangle and was once part of Gondwanaland.
- It lies in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn both cross the continent.
- It is bounded by the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Drake Passage.
- The Isthmus of Panama joins it to North America.
- With about 17.8 million square kilometres, it is the fourth largest continent.
- It has 12 independent countries; Brazil is the largest, and its capital is Brasília.
- Bolivia and Paraguay are landlocked.
- The Andes, the longest mountain range on land, run along the west; Aconcagua is the highest peak.
- The Amazon basin is the largest river basin, and the Amazon carries the most water of any river.
- The Brazilian and Guiana Highlands are old plateaus in the east and north; Angel Falls is the highest waterfall.
- The Llanos, Gran Chaco and Pampas are the main plains.
Questions answered
In which two hemispheres does most of South America lie?
In the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Name the two important lines of latitude that cross South America.
The Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Which sea passage separates South America from Antarctica?
The Drake Passage.
Which narrow strip of land joins South America to North America?
The Isthmus of Panama.
Name the capitals of Brazil, Argentina and Peru.
Brasília, Buenos Aires and Lima.
Name the two landlocked countries of South America.
Bolivia and Paraguay.
Give one difference between the Andes and the Brazilian Highlands.
The Andes are young, high fold mountains with sharp peaks, while the Brazilian Highlands are an old, worn-down plateau that is much lower.
What is a river basin? Name the largest river basin in the world.
A river basin is the area of land drained by a river and all the rivers that flow into it. The Amazon basin is the largest in the world.