Largest cities in South America. The largest cities in South America by population

South America - part of the world, which is located mostly in the southern hemisphere. Its smaller part is located in the Northern Hemisphere - the territories of Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana, Suriname, partly Brazil and Ecuador.

The area of ​​South America is 18 million square meters. km, which is almost twice more area Europe.

Thanks to the travels to both Americas by the Italian traveler Amerigo Vespucci, this continent today bears his name, as well as North America.

List of states and dependent territories South America compiled based on Wikipedia data

States of South America
Flag	A country	Capital	Cities and resorts
Dependencies
Flag	Territory name	Capital	A country
	french guiana	cayenne	France
	Falkland (Malvinas) Islands	Stanley	Great Britain
	South Georgia and South Sandwich islands	Grytviken

South America is washed by Pacific Ocean, and from the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean. In the south of the continent, these two oceans meet each other, forming a conditional border.

South America is a very interesting part of the world. It is from here that it is closest to get to the icy and lifeless Antarctica - the distance from Cape Horn on the South American continent to the northern tip of Antarctica is only 1300 kilometers.

The population of South America is 400 million people.

The most north point South American continent - Cape Gallinas - is located on the northern coast of Colombia.

The southernmost point of South America is Cape Forward. Located in Chile on the coast of the Strait of Magellan.

Extreme western point mainland - Cape Parinas, located in Peru on the Pacific coast.

Extreme eastern point This is Cape Seixaz. Is located northeast coast Brazil on the coast Atlantic Ocean.

The most high point South American continent is Mount Aconcagua, which is located in Argentina, in the Andes. The height of this mountain is almost seven kilometers, to be exact - 6962 meters.

South America has a lot big rivers. Here flows the largest and longest river in the world - the Amazon. The length of the river is over 7000 kilometers!

Other major South American rivers include: Orinoco, Paraguay, Uruguay, Parana, Magdalena, Tocantis, San Francisco.

There are several on the mainland large lakes: Maracaibo (in Venezuela), Titicaca (in Peru and Bolivia), Poopo (in Bolivia) and Buenos Aires (in Argentina and Chile).

Glaciers in South America are found only in the Andes, at an altitude of over 5000 meters above sea level. Almost the entire mainland is occupied by lush tropical forests and fertile plains, reminiscent of Ukrainian Kherson or Russian Kuban steppes.

The largest deserts in South America are the Atacama Desert and the Patagonian Desert. Atacama is located in Chile and is strongly elongated from north to south along the Andean ridge. The Patagonian Desert is located in southern Argentina. During the winter months (June, July and August in the Southern Hemisphere), there are quite severe frosts at night in these places.

South America is divided into six natural areas, each of which has its own climate: the zone of equatorial forests, the zone of subequatorial forests, the zone rainforest, zone of subtropical forests, zone of steppes and sandy deserts, a zone of deciduous forests (in the extreme south of the mainland). Since the mainland is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the warmest areas are near the equator (in the north of the continent), and the coldest - in the south. In the astronomical winter months, in the extreme south of Chile and Argentina, it even snows and frosts persist, but this climate zone occupies a very small part of the continent, while in the rest of South America summer reigns all year round.

The largest mountain range South America is the Andes. The Andes stretch from north to south for almost seven thousand kilometers - across the entire mainland!

Christopher Columbus discovered both Americas - both North and South. He also became the first Spanish conquistador on South American soil.

South American Indians have lived in these lands for a long time. After the arrival of the Spaniards on the mainland, the assimilation of Indian tribes with the Spaniards began, and today the pure Indian race on the South American continent no longer exists, it has mixed with the Spaniards and the Portuguese.

Story various countries South America is very similar - Spanish and Portuguese colonists ruled everywhere on their territories, for almost four centuries a tough struggle was waged in all countries against the Spanish yoke for independence and this continued until the start of the First World War.

During the Second World War, all the countries of South America remained neutral and did not conduct direct hostilities.

South America is notorious for the fact that after the war in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, a number of high-ranking leaders of the fascist Reich managed to escape - Bormann, Schellenberg and the infamous doctor from Auschwitz, Dr. Mengele.

The second half of the twentieth century was marked by a military coup in Chile and the establishment of the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.

And in 1979, a real military conflict broke out between Argentina and Britain over Falkland Islands in which Argentina was defeated.

Currently, the standard of living in South America is lower than in North America, but the leading countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela - are steadily demonstrating their growth in technological progress.

South America is traditionally considered the world leader in drug trafficking. Most drugs are illegally supplied from Colombia. The whole of South and North America is waging an uncompromising and fierce struggle with drug dealers from Colombia.

In South America, the Ukrainian and Russian diasporas are traditionally strong and numerous. Settlers from former USSR there's a lot here.

South America is rich in minerals. There are both gold and silver mines here (Argentina, Chile and Brazil).

The largest deposits of coal are in Colombia. The main coal mines in South America are concentrated here. Small deposits of coal are also found in Brazil and Venezuela.

But the leaders in natural gas production on the continent are Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil. These countries are fully self-sufficient in blue fuel. In addition to these three countries, natural gas production is also carried out in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Equatorial Guinea.

The largest oil reserves are concentrated in Venezuela and Brazil. Oil is also produced by Argentina, Equatorial Guinea, Bolivia and Suriname.

The climate of South America is quite diverse, but is not characterized by such a large variation in average annual temperatures as in Europe or North America. The territory of the mainland is not included in the southern polar region (does not lie beyond the Antarctic Circle). Most of South America is not affected seasonal change seasons - three-quarters of the territory is dominated by summer all year round. Only in the south of Chile and Argentina is the change of seasons pronounced - in these countries there is also a snowy winter. It should be noted that calendar summer and calendar winter do not coincide with astronomical summer and astronomical winter due to the fact that the continent is in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, astronomical winter here falls on June, July and August. Snow may fall in southern Argentina and Chile during these months. The astronomical summer in South America begins in December and ends in February - it is during these months that almost the entire continent is covered with summer heat. In winter, tropical rains and thunderstorms continuously occur in the equatorial part of South America.

Most Big city by population in the entire South American continent - São Paulo. The city is located in Brazil. The population is 11.25 million people. This metropolis is one of the 15 largest settlements peace. Sao Paulo is the capital of the state of the same name and business center the entire mainland.

The capital of Peru is inferior to Sao Paulo in terms of citizens living in it. However, this city of 8.5 million people is the second most populous in all of South America. In the past, the city was the capital of the Spanish lands on the mainland. Lima is located on the Pacific coast.

Another capital of the state of South America in order to enter largest cities mainland. We are talking about the Colombian capital of Bogota, which is the third largest. The population of this metropolis is 7.6 million people. The city is located on western slope Eastern Cordillera.

One of the most famous cities Brazil - Rio de Janeiro. It occupies the fourth position with a population of 6.3 million people. The city is famous for its cultural and historical heritage, world-famous beaches, famous sports facilities ( football stadium"Maracana"), majestic religious buildings.

The Chilean capital of Santiago ranks fifth among South American cities with the largest. The city is home to 5.3 million inhabitants. Santiago is located at the foot of the Andes and is one of the most densely populated in the entire South American continent.

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There are many ratings that indicate the most densely populated cities peace. Someone takes into account only the total population, someone looks at the density of accommodation. We have collected information about the most amazing cities where the population exceeds 10 million people.

Instruction

According to scientists at the beginning of 2014, Tokyo is considered the largest settlement in terms of the number of inhabitants. It is the capital of Japan, located on the island of Honshu. The number of people in the territory is 37,555,000 people. At the same time, the density is very high square kilometer- 4400 people. Tokyo is not really a city, but a metropolitan area, consisting of several parts. Today, the Japanese government is creating artificial islands to increase the area of ​​the settlement, to improve living conditions.

Jakarta is the second largest year in the world. It is the capital of Indonesia, in which 29 million 959 thousand people live. The area of ​​this district is not large, so the population density is higher than in Tokyo. There are 9,900 people per square kilometer. This is the largest economic center, which over the past 50 years has increased its population by more than 17 times.

The third place is occupied by the capital of India - the city of Delhi. It's not the biggest locality in this state, in area it is inferior to Mumbai, but in terms of the number of inhabitants it is much superior. More than 24 million people walk the streets of the Indian capital every day, and that's not counting the thousands of tourists who arrive every day to see the many historical monuments. The population density is 11,600 people per square kilometer.

The fourth place is occupied by the capital South Korea- City of Seoul. The total population is 22992 thousand people according to estimates for 2014. This is about half of the entire population of this state. There are 10,100 people per square kilometer. On a par with Seoul is Manila, its population is less than 200 thousand people. This is the capital of the Philippines, which for 15 recent years increased its population by 10 million people. Today, 22,710 thousand people live in this district.

Fourth in terms of area and population, this continent is the first in the list of the most desirable for most travelers. Indeed, who in childhood would not want to visit the slopes of the Andes or go canoeing along one of the many tributaries of the Amazon, get acquainted with the Quechua and Guarani cultures or set foot on the rocks of Cape Horn. Later, the carnival in Rio and the beaches of Copacabana, the sizzling steaks of Byres and the matches of the Libertadores Cup were added to this list of childhood desires - and South America became no less, but even more desirable than before. Even though she herself south point turned out not to be Cape Horn, but the Diego Ramirez Islands, a hundred kilometers southwest of the legendary Horn.

South America was once the only one: North America began to call America only from 1541. The very word "America" ​​appeared on the maps of the European conquerors almost half a century earlier - with the light hand of the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, who was impressed by the brochure published by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci, which proved that the Mundus Novus he discovered was another continent previously unknown to Europeans. As you might guess, Waldseemüller named this continent on his drawings by the name of Vespucci (although now historians are not so sure whether he was the author of that very pamphlet).

The European invasion of South America put an end to the development of local civilizations - the very ones that created Machu Picchu and Cusco, the most visited points of the South American continent by tourists. As you know, the colonialists rushed into New World for gold, platinum and other precious metals, of which there were many. On the map of South America, you can still read dozens, if not hundreds, of "jewelry" names - from "Argentina" to "La Plata", which is also associated with silver, only named not in Latin, but in Spanish. The fruits of colonization are tomatoes and peppers, vanilla pods and peanut grains, and even - in part - strawberries (without an accidental crossing with the Chilean "sister", European wild strawberries would not have turned into large and juicy strawberries).

Europeans, of course, also brought something with them - apricots and onions, wheat and coffee, peas and rice have taken root on the continent, without which many Iberoamerican cuisines are now unimaginable - all these transatlantic agrarian transactions habitually bear the name of "Columbian exchange" However, it is still not worth calling the forced removal of one and the planting of the other an exchange. How not to proclaim a "cultural exchange" organized by Europeans traffic of slaves from the slave markets of Africa to the plantations of South America, although it was this traffic that gave rise to not one, but all the cultures that exist today on the South American continent.

Despite the definition of “Hispanics” (or “Ibero-Americans”) that unites all the inhabitants of the continent - and even goes beyond its strictly geographical boundaries - it is difficult to find two really similar cultures in South America. Starting with the fact that in reality not all the inhabitants of the continent speak Ibero-Romance languages ​​- Spanish and Porto: apart from them, English (in Guyana), French (in French Guiana) and even having nothing to do with "Latin » languages ​​Dutch (in Suriname). Some native languages ​​​​of the local Indians have survived to this day, and two of them - Quechua and Guarani - now have official status: Guarani - in Paraguay and Bolivia, and Quechua - in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. By the way, the last two states are concurrently the most "Indian" countries of the continent - and the two the only states world where Indians make up the majority of the population. Of course, it is here that you should go to get acquainted with traditional Indian crafts (for example, woolen clothing from the Peruvian Andes is loved by many advanced travelers for a reason: it is incredibly warm, bright, comfortable, and also ethical) and taste the traditional Indian gastronomy - in which maize, tomatoes, beans and chili peppers still reign.

In other countries of South America, gastronomic adventures invariably taste like a detective investigation - not because of national stereotypes, of course, but because the story of almost any dish that comes from here looks like a heavily involved detective story. If suddenly, for example, in Brazil, something - lush cheese buns for breakfast or a good portion of cabbage in feijoad - reminds you of something that you have tried somewhere in Bavaria or on the Ruhr, do not be surprised. The answer is that almost every tenth Brazilian family has a German ancestor. And the most multinational of the countries of South America is to proclaim Chile: in addition to the descendants of Indians, African slaves and Spanish colonialists, here you can also find those who descend from the British, Germans, Swiss, Italians, French. About 5% of current Chileans are descendants of Eastern Christians, Armenians, Syrians and their immediate neighbors, about 3% are descendants of Croats, and at least another 10% are from the Basque Country. Of course, these are not just curious facts: a complex ethnic history is exactly what makes Chile the Chile that thousands of travelers aspire to.

Of course, not only cultural riches (including gastronomic ones) attract tourists to South America. Hiking the slopes of the Andes, the rain forests of the Amazon, the incredible streams of the Iguazu Falls, which fall down with such force, as if the Flood is coming or the birth of new world. And also - the Martian landscapes of the Atacama Desert, in the sands of which a sculpture in the form of giant hand, symbolizing the helplessness and loneliness of man among the dunes. Or no less alien landscapes of the Perito Moreno glacier. Or Bolivian salt marsh Salarde Uyuni, which turns into a very shallow mirror lake during the rainy season. Or the "red lagoon" - that's what the Colorado lagoon is called - in Brazil: into the water, which has exactly the shades that Mars or Jupiter are usually painted in, thousands and thousands of graceful flamingos descend from the sky. In a word, South America is fraught with many wonders. And yet - an impressive part of the countries located on the continent are visa-free for Russians. So going here, you should stock up not with a visa, but with a healthy dose of curiosity. You will need it.

Santa Fe is the capital of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located in the northeast of Argentina, near the intersection of the Parana and Salado rivers on the shores of Lake Setubal, opposite the city of Parana, with which it is connected under the Parana River by a tunnel named after Raúl Uranga - Carlos Sylvestre Begnis (Spanish: Túnel subfluvial Raúl Uranga - Carlos Sylvestre Begnis), former Hernandarias, opened in 1969. Santa Fe has approximately 369,000 residents (2001 census). The agglomeration with a population of 630,500 (2008) makes it the ninth most populous city in Argentina. The city is located on a vast plain, which makes it difficult to runoff with the corresponding formation of lakes, streams and marshes. Distances to the city of Rosario - 165 km, 340 km to Cordoba, 475 km to Buenos Aires and 25 km from the city of Parana. Santa Fe is the commercial and transportation center of an affluent agricultural area that produces grain, vegetable oil, and meat.

Sao Paulo is a city in the southeast of Brazil, the capital of the state of the same name. The most populated city within the country, the continent, the Portuguese-speaking community and the entire Southern Hemisphere. Located in the valley of the river Tiete, 70 km from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The motto on the coat of arms: lat. NON DVCOR DVCO - "They don't control me, but I control." The area of ​​the city is 1523 km², and the population is 11.3 million people (according to IBGE data for 2011), which makes it the most populated city in the Western Hemisphere (with suburbs - about 20 million). The architectural image of the city is created by a mixture of different eras and styles. There are many preserved in Sao Paulo ancient buildings, museums and churches. At the same time, Sao Paulo is one of the most modern cities, the main part of which is built up with skyscrapers made of glass and metal (such as Avenida Paulista), including the most high skyscraper Brazil - Miranti do Vali. Such a neighborhood of styles does not look far-fetched and alien - on the contrary, ancient church can harmoniously look against the background of the most modern building.

Ciudad Bolivar is a city in Venezuela. Capital of the state of Bolivar. Population - 338 thousand inhabitants (2005), the second largest city in the state after Ciudad Guayana. The city is located on the right bank of the Orinoco River, 330 km from its mouth, 450 km southeast of Caracas. The city was founded in 1764 as San Tomás de la Nueva Guayana "(San Tomás de la Nueva Guayana), also known as Angostura. In the 1840s it was renamed in honor of Simon Bolivar. Large industrial centre And River port a region where gold, diamonds, iron ore and timber are mined, as well as animal husbandry is developed. Not far from the city is the airport "Ciudad Bolívar - Tomás de Jerez".

Cordoba is a city in Argentina, the capital of the province of the same name. The city is located in the Pampas region, east of the Sierras Cordobesas hill range (dividing the Pampas into dry western and humid eastern zones), 700 km northwest of Buenos Aires, near the Sicuya River. The height of the terrain ranges from 352 to 544 meters above sea level ( most of- at an altitude of 390-400 meters). Main environmental issues Cordoba are the pollution of the Sicuya River and the gassiness of the air in the city center.

The city of La Plata (Argentina) is located near the capital of Argentina, not far from the coast of La Plata Bay. Connected to Buenos Aires by highway. Is administrative center province of Buenos Aires. The population of La Plata is just over 700 thousand people. The administrative offices of the province of Buenos Aires are located in La Plata, one of the most prestigious universities is also located here. educational institutions Argentina - National University La Plata. The climate here is subtropical. average annual temperature about sixteen degrees above zero. This green City with numerous plantations of trees, parks and other places for recreation. From the main architectural sights: Cathedral- most great cathedral in Argentina; Governor's Palace City Hall; Moreno square. From others interesting places worth visiting for tourists, zoo, Museum of Natural Sciences, Museum national history, amusement park Ciudad de los Nicos.

South America is the fourth largest continent belonging to the group southern continents: the map shows that most of it is located in the southern hemisphere, and only a small region of it is in the northern hemisphere. On total area 17,800 sq. km there are 12 countries of South America, as well as 3 independent territories, and each of the countries has its own official language, flag, currency, culture and customs. Let us consider in more detail which states are part of South America.

general characteristics

South America is characterized by an amazing diversity and indescribable flavor of absolutely all countries located on the continent.

Before the conquest of the mainland in the 16th century by the Spanish conquerors, Indians lived here. After a while, the Portuguese and Spaniards brought Africans to the continent as a labor force. Subsequently, many regions of South America were settled by immigrants from Western and of Eastern Europe. Despite the great differences in culture, religion and the general way of life, different peoples live on common territory surprisingly calm, without serious conflicts.

Rice. 1. The population of South America

On a racial basis, the entire population of the mainland can be divided into three main types:

• Indians;
• Europeans;
• black people.

In Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Ecuador local population mostly represented by mestizos - descendants of Indians and Europeans. In Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia, there are quite a lot of representatives of the Negroid race, and in Chile, Uruguay and Argentina - the advantage is for the Europeans. And only in Peru and Bolivia do indigenous peoples of South America form the majority.

The most widely spoken languages ​​are Spanish and Portuguese. However, the population of South America is so diverse and many-sided that here you can hear English, French, German, Italian speech - these foreign languages are the most popular and are taught in school. Russian is spoken only by tourists and immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union. Often on the streets you can hear the colorful speech of the native Indians: Aymara, Quechua, Guara, Araucan.

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Rice. 2. South America on the map

Table “List of South American countries and their capitals”

Brief overview of the countries of South America

Each country of the continent has its own characteristics.

• Brazil It is the largest country in terms of area and population. Known throughout the world for its first-class beaches and carnivals in Rio de Janeiro.

Rice. 3. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

• Argentina - notable for its capital Buenos Aires, which annually hosts the famous carnival procession.
• Bolivia - Sucre is officially considered the capital of the country, but the local government prefers the largest and beautiful city in Bolivia, La Paz.
• Venezuela - a country in which the north comes into its possession. On the outskirts of Caracas is located national park with untouched tropical nature.
• Guyana - This is a country of constantly wet jungle. Up to 90% of the territory of Guyana is occupied by dense forests.
• Guiana – despite the fact that this is the territory of South America, however, without a visa to this french region impossible to get in.
• Colombia - is different big amount museums, which contain the richest cultural and historical heritage. This country is a symbiosis of two cultures - Indian and European.
• Paraguay - a country that does not have its own access to the sea. In the capital - Asuncion - there are many original architectural monuments.
• Peru – Mountain country located in the Andes west coast. She is full of mysteries and amazing stories, because it was here that the Inca civilization once developed.
• Suriname - most small state South America, which has preserved a unique colonial style.
• Uruguay - the country is famous, first of all, thanks to its traditional carnival, which in its significance and scope is in no way inferior to the Argentinean.
• Chile the country is located in a very picturesque place, along Pacific coast, partly in highlands Andes.
• Ecuador - an equatorial country in which monuments have been preserved ancient culture, museums.