...uiana and Brazilian Highlands. The Mantaro Valley hydroelectric scheme in the Andes of Peru provides most of Limas electricity.South America has fe large lakes. Many of the large permanent lakes are situated at relatively high elevations in the Andes. Among the largest are Lake Titicaca and Lake Poop in Bolivia Buenos Aires, Argentino and Nahuel Huap lakes in Argentina and Lake Valencia in Venezuela.Vegetation The vegetation zones of South America correspond closely ith the climatic zones. The areas of et tropical climate have a dense cover of rain forest, or selva. The largest forest area in the orld, this rain forest covers much of equatorial South America, including the Brazilian coast and the loer slopes of the Andes, and contains tropical hardoods, palms, tree ferns, bamboos, and lianas. Open forests and brushlands are found in the areas of inter drought chiefly on the Venezuelan coast, in northeastern Brazil, and on the Gran Chaco. Beteen these drier areas and the rain forest are zones of tall grass savannas, or campos and of scrub and grass campos cerrados. Mixed containing both deciduous and evergreen trees and deciduous forests occur in southern Brazil and along the slopes of the Andes. In Brazil the forest grades, to the south, into areas of rolling prairie interrupted by ooded hills. The Gran Chaco is characterized by grassy plains and open thorn scrub forest. The flat Pampas of east central Argentina is the largest midlatitude grassland of South America. To the south a zone of scrub steppe monte marks the transition to the lo brush and bunch grass that cover the drier and cooler Patagonia region. Along the Pacific coast, the vegetation grades northard from forest to open oodland, to shrubs and grass in central Chile, and eventually to the scrub and desert vegetation that prevails into northern Peru and up to the mountain flanks.Animals South America, Central America, the lolands of Mexico, and the est Indies may be classified as a single zoogeographic region usually called the Neotropical Region. Fauna is characterized by variety and a singular lack of affinity ith the fauna of other continents, including North America north of the Mexican Plateau. Found throughout are families of mammals absolutely confined to the region, including to unique species of monkey, bloodsucking bats, and many unusual rodents. The region has only one kind of bear, the spectacled bear no horses or related animals, aside from one species of tapir and no ruminants, except lamoids members of the camel family, hich include alpacas, llamas, and vicuas. Also characteristic of the continent are jaguar, peccary, giant anteater, and coati. Birds display still greater isolation and singularity. About 23 families and about 600 genera of exclusively Neotropical birds occur, as ell as the greater part of other important families, such as those of the hummingbirds 500 species, tanagers, and macas, together ith a great variety of sea fol. The largest birds include the rhea, condor, and flamingo. Reptiles include boas and anacondas iguanas, caimans, and crocodiles are found in many areas. Freshater fish are varied and abundant. Regional exclusiveness also characterizes insects and other invertebrates. On the hole, South American fauna is more local and distinct than that of any continent other than Australia probably more than four-fifths of its species are restricted to its zoogeographic boundaries. The Galpagos Islands are the habitat of reptiles and birds that are unknon elsehere, including the Galpagos giant tortoise, Darins finches, and the Galpagos penguin.Mineral Resources South America has diverse mineral resources, many of hich have not been extensively exploited. Mineral deposits are idely distributed, but certain areas of the continent are particularly renoned for their ealth. In the Andes placer gold has been orked in various areas since before the colonial era. The mountains beteen central Peru and southern Bolivia produced silver and mercury in the colonial era, and such industrial minerals as copper, tin, lead, and zinc today. Copper is orked at large deposits in northern and central Chile and in central and southern Peru. A highly mineralized area containing bauxite, iron ore, and gold lies beteen Ciudad Bolvar and northern Suriname, near the northern margin of the Guiana Highlands. In east central Brazil rich gold and diamond strikes occurred in the colonial era, some of these mines are still producing. Although South America is a major producer of rare metals, the large reserves of high-grade iron ore and smaller reserves of bauxite are more important to the emerging industrial poer of the continent.South America is lacking in large coal reserves. Coal is found in scattered and relatively small deposits in the Andes and in southern Brazil. Coal has been an important fuel for industry and transportation primarily in Chile, Colombia, and Brazil. Petroleum, hoever, is idely distributed. Most of the continents reserves of petroleum and natural gas lie in structural basins located mostly along the eastern margins of and in the Andes, from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. The largest knon fields are in the Lake Maracaibo area of Venezuela. Other deposits occur in northern Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, south of the Andes in eastern and central Venezuela, and just east of the mountains in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.Agriculture Most crop and livestock production in South America is for home consumption and domestic markets. Nevertheless, revenues from agricultural exports are very important in many South American countries. The processing, internal marketing, and exporting of agricultural products account for a substantial part of commercial and manufacturing activity. Although agriculture, together ith hunting, fishing, and forestry, accounts for about 12 percent of the gross domestic product GDP ithin the continent, it accounts for more than 30 percent of the labor force in Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Ecuador, beteen 20 percent and 30 percent in Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana, and less than 20 percent in Suriname, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, and French Guiana.The most intensive forms of commercial agriculture are concentrated near cities. Perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy items, are the principal products here. The production of such staples as root crops, beans, and corn is more dispersed. In many areas these crops are raised by subsistence farmers under unfavorable climatic or soil conditions. heat and rice tend to be produced herever conditions are most suitable. The nonexport beef-cattle industry is dispersed idely the raising of beef cattle for export is of particular importance in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia. Export-oriented agriculture is pursued in the tropical areas and midlatitudes, here arable land and access to ports are optimal. Among the tropical crops, coffee is the most important. It is produced in the h...
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