Overview
South America is the fourth-largest continent, covering approximately 17.8 million square kilometers, and the fifth most populous, with around 435 million people. It is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Geography and Physical Features
The Andes mountain range, the longest continental mountain range on Earth, runs along the entire western side of the continent. The Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world, dominates much of the north. Other major features include the Pantanal wetlands, the Atacama Desert, and the Patagonian steppe.
Significance
South America was home to several great pre-Columbian civilizations, most notably the Inca Empire. Today, it is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, with the Amazon basin alone containing roughly 10 percent of all known species. Portuguese and Spanish dominate as official languages, a legacy of colonial history.
Notable Facts
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall at 979 meters. The Amazon River carries more water than any other river on Earth. Lake Titicaca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia, is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 meters above sea level.