The
Tower of David boasts the dubious honour of being the tallest
vertical slum
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 can also be considered as a subcontinent
of the Americas.
It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the
north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the
Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. It includes twelve sovereign
states – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela – and
two non-sovereign areas – French Guiana, an overseas department
of France, and the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory
(though disputed by Argentina). In addition to this, the ABC
islands of the Netherlands may also be considered part of South
America.
South America has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000
sq mi). Its population as of 2005 has been estimated at more
than 371,090,000. South America ranks fourth in area (after
Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after
Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America).
Most of the population lives near the continent's western or
eastern coasts while the interior and the far south are sparsely
populated. The geography of western South America is dominated
by the Andes mountains; in contrast, the eastern part contains
both highland regions and large lowlands where rivers such as
the Amazon, Paraná and Orinoco flow. Most of the continent lies
in the tropics.
The continent's cultural and ethnic outlook has its origin
with the interaction of indigenous peoples with European conquerors
and immigrants and, more locally, with African slaves. Given
a long history of colonialism, most South Americans speak Portuguese
or Spanish, and societies and states commonly reflect Western
traditions.
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