A detailed look at the different landscapes across South America

1. Reported by:
Genevieve C. Serilo BSEd 2D
The Many
Lands of South
America

3. •Today, the larger countries
of this region are
diversifying their economies
and attempting to meet the
demands of rapidly growing
populations.
South America is a continent in
change.

4. Three Sub Regions
of South America

5. •Andes Mountains
System
•Middle-Latitude South
•Brazil

6. 1. The Andes
Mountains System

7. o They rise from the
waters of the
Caribbean in
eastern Venezuela
and curve
southward along the
continent’s west
coast for 4,000
miles.

8. Four Human
Settlements found in
Andes Mts.

9. o Hot and humid
coastal lowlands
o Warm piedmonts
o Cool uplands
o Alpine pastures
predominate
o Lower levels of
oxygen and lower
atmospheric
pressure

10. The Northern Andean
Nations of Venezuela,
Columbia and Ecuador

11. Venezuela
o Caracas, the
capital is located
at an elevation of
3,000 ft. above
sea level.
o The birthplace of
Bolivar, it is one of
the continent’s
leading centers of
education.

12. Oil: Venezuela’s Wealth
o With proven oil reserves
of 60 billion barrels,
Venezuela has the
largest reserves of any
country outside the
Middle East, with the
possible exception of
Russia and Indonesia.
o It is also the second-
largest supplier of oil to
the United States, next
to Saudi Arabia.

14. The Vast Tar deposits along
the Orinoco River

15. A Multi-purpose Dam is being
constructed at Guárico River

16. Today, less than 5 percent of
Venezuela’s labor force is engaged
in industry and its population in the
1990s is growing rapidly.

17. Because the country’s standard of living depends
more on oil than on its productive
capacity, Venezuela is facing low economic
growth, lower standards of living, high levels of
inflation and unemployment.

18. Natural Wonders of
Venezuela
o The Angel Falls
is Venezuela’s
cream of the
crop; it is the
world’s tallest
waterfalls
standing at 979
meters, roughly
a kilometer in
height.

19. Orinoco Delta
o Located in the
eastern side of
Venezuela, the
Orinoco Delta is
a fan-shaped
landscape
perfect for
picnics and
lunch-outs.

20. La Gran Sabana
o Located in the
Brazilian-
Venezuelan
border, this
picturesque
wonder is the
home to some of
Venezuela’s
endemic species.

21. Mochima National Park
o This land
area is so
vast that it
covers
94,930
hectares and
it stretches
itself to
Venezuela’s
northern
shores.

22. Puerto La Cruz
o Puerto La Cruz
is Venezuela’s
prime beach
complex, and is
located in the
eastern part of
Venezuela, just
the neighbor of
the beaches of
Mochima
National Park.

23. Columbia
o Bogotá, the capital,
with a population of 6
million people, is
located at an elevation
of 8, 500 ft. in the
easternmost mountain
range.
o Cotton, sugarcane,
cocoa, cattle and
coffee became the
country’s most
important economic
products.

24. •The forested slopes of the
Pacific coast
•The grasslands east of the
Andes (the Llanos
Orientales)
Two Major Regions of
Columbia:

25. Coca, from which cocaine is derived,
has emerged as a high-value crop
replacing food-producing agriculture.

26. In 1993, however oil began to flow from a large
field located about 100 miles east of
Bogotá, providing the country with its largest
economic bonanza ever.

27. Natural Wonders of
Columbia
o Also known as The
Virgin Nature, Gorgona
is an island about 50
km off the coast of the
Colombian Pacific that
speaks of biodiversity.
o As an oceanic island
sizing up to 24 km2,
85% of it is covered by
thick tropical jungle,
which is home to babilla
alligators, reptiles and
marine turtles.

28. La Tatacoa Desert
o Covering an area of
330 km2, the La
Tatacoa is located near
the municipality of
Villavieja, which is
known to be
Colombia’s
paleontological capital.
o La Tatacoa serves as
an astronomical rise in
which 88 constellations
can be observed.

29. Sumapaz Moor
o A 154 –
hectare marsh
land rich in
diverse fauna
and flora
species, the
Sumapaz Moor
is located in
Bogota, and is
widely
accepted as
the world’s
largest moor.

30. Flamingos Natural
Park
o Since 1977, it has
been a sanctuary
to a huge
American
flamingo
population, which
is easily the main
tourist
attraction, althoug
h many other
varieties can also
be seen.

31. Amacayacu: The
Hammock River
o Covering a 293,500 –
hectare area, the
Amacayacu is truly a
place of adventure and
exploration. Its flora and
fauna is richly luxurious,
and about 486 bird
species have been
recorded to inhabit the
place. Notably, it is also
home to the world’s
smallest primate, the lion
marmoset
(Leontopithecus rosalia).

32. Choco Forest
o Found in Choco,
Colombia, it is
considered as
one of the
natural wonders
of the world.
o It is considered
by many experts
as the richest
lowland when it
comes to flora
and fauna.

33. Ecuador
o In the Andean
highlands, where
most of Ecuador’s
10.3 million people
live, the population
is predominantly
native Indian.
o There is a
subsistence
cultivation of corn,
barley, wheat and
potatoes.

34. On the eastern slopes of the
mountains, the vast tropical forests of the
Amazon River begins, are the homelands
of the Jivaro Indian tribes.

35. Natural Wonders of
Ecuador
o One of the most
famous islands in
the world for all
naturalists,
Galapagos Islands
and its diversely
radiated finches and
turtles gave way to
Charles Darwin’s
crucial insights on
the theory of
evolution and natural
selection.

36. Galapagos Rift
o Galapagos
Rift, Equador is a
volcanic hotspot
located in the East
Pacific Ocean that
resulted in the
formation of the
Galapagos Islands and
Malpelso, Carnegie, C
ocos all which are
aseismic ridge systems
lying on two tectonic
plates.

37. El Oriente’s
Rainforest
o El Oriente will give you
a peek into the
abundance of the
Amazon Rainforest, the
largest rainforest
ecosystem in the world,
featuring its lowland
tropical broad leaf
rainforest that is also
part of the Amazon
Basin.

38. Cuicocha Lakeo Cuicocha Lake is
actually a crater
lake located at the
foot of the already
extinct Cotacahi
Volcano.
o The place has
become a trekking
and hiking area for
nature lovers
because of the
deep blue water of
the lake and the
extraordinary
terrain.

39. Isla de la Plata
o Isla de la Plata
has been
nicknamed
“Silver Island.”
o Either way, the
tour into this tiny,
peaceful island
will give you a
change to sight
numerous
humpback
whales, dolphins
and a variety of
birds.

40. Cotopaxi National
Park
o The experience won’t be
complete without a
glimpse into Cotopaxi
National Park which
boasts one of the tallest
and still active volcanoes
on earth, the Cotopaxi
Volcano.
o Surrounding this
majestic landmass are
beautiful lakes and
mountain scenery with
glaciers that sparkle in
the sun.

41. Ecuador’s Chimborazo Volcano, with
an altitude of over 20, 000 ft., is part
of the Ring of Fire.

42. The Mountain
Republics of Peru
and Bolivia

43. Peru
o Roughly one-
third of Peru’s
population, its
richest
agricultural
land, and most
of the country’s
manufacturing, fi
shing, and
petroleum
production, is
found along the
coast.

44. • 1. Around Lake Titicaca, where the moderating
climatic influence of the lake makes corn
cultivation possible at high elevations;
Three areas of dense settlement are
found in the highlands:

45. Lake Titicaca, world’s highest
navigable lake.

46. 2. Near Cuzco, the old capital of the
Inca Empire

47. 3. At the mining complex of Cerro de
Pasco, inland from Lima

48. Natural Wonders of
Peru
o Alpamayo
Mountain is a
candidate for one
of the Seven
Natural Wonders of
South America.
o Although lower
than some of the
surrounding peaks,
it does reach a
height of 19,511
feet (5,947 m).

49. Gocta Cataracts
o Most of the
waterfalls in the
world only have
a single drop,
but Gocta
Cataracts is
different, it has
two drops which
reach 771
meters in height,
making it the
third tallest free-
leaping waterfall
in the word.

50. El Misti
o Standing at
19,000 feet
above sea
level, El Misti
is a
stratovolcano
located in the
southern part
of Peru.

51. Lake Titicaca
o Lake Titicaca is
divided in to
two sides
where the
eastern side of
the lake
belongs to
Bolivia while
the western
side is for Peru.

52. Manu National
Parko This park
is home to
more than
20,000
species of
flowers
and faunal
species
that would
make you
feel that
you are in
an African
safari.

53. Amazon
Rainforest
o The colorful birds
are perfect for
your kids to
enjoy watching.
Truly, the
Amazon
Rainforest is the
affirmation of
Peru’s innate
wonders.

54. Peru’s Colca Canyon is more than
twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.

55. Bolivia
o The people of
Bolivia, two-thirds
of whom speak
indigenous
languages, are
divided by race,
language and
local economy.

56. Elsewhere, settlement is limited by climate and terrain, and
primary settlement nodes are determined by location of
Bolivia’s mining economy (tin and other metals), which
provides 80% of the country’s export.

57. La Paz is the highest capital
at more than 12, 000 ft. in
elevation.

58. Natural Wonders of
Bolivia
o It is the largest
salt flat on Earth
which was
formerly part of
Lake Minchin, a
prehistoric lake.

59. Lake Titicaca
o Located in
the borders
of Peru and
Bolivia, Lake
Titicaca has
the highest-
point
elevation
among the
lakes in the
world.

60. Los Espejillos
o Despite being a
landlocked
country, Bolivia
possesses a
number of
sparkling
waterfalls. One of
these is found in
Los Espejillos, in
the western part of
Sta. Cruz.

61. Illampu
o Despite being
only the 4th
highest in terms
of
altitude, Illampu
is considered as
one of the most
challenging climb
in Bolivia.

62. Beni
o Much of
Bolivia’s diverse
wildlife and
vegetation is
reflected in the
department of
Beni, part of the
tropical
lowlands of
Bolivia.

63. Yungaso The Yungas acts
like a transitional
zone between
the eastern
forests and the
Andes. It exhibits
neotropic Eco
zones in that not
only is it humid
and rainy, but
also warm.

64. Elongated
Chile

65. The Andes Ranges converge in the south to
form a narrow mountain spine that sweeps 2,
500 miles toward the South Pole. This outlines
the long, narrow Pacific Republic of Chile.

66. Northern Chile
o In Northern
Chile, the
Atacama Desert
extends 600
miles along the
coast.
o Rich nitrate
deposits and
copper ore mines
are the vital
contributions of
the Chilean north
to the national
economy.

67. Southern Chile
o The Southern
extreme of Chile,
from the Bío-Bío
River to the tip of
Tierra del Fuego, is
also thinly
populated.
o It is a region with a
cool, damp
environment of
forests and fjords.

68. Today, forestry on the Pacific coast, sheep
raising in high mountain valleys and petroleum
discoveries in Terra del Fuego have
integrated this region into the national
economy.

69. Punta Arenas, Chile, is the
southernmost city in the
world.

70. Central Valley: the “heartland” of
Chile
o Between the
Northern Deserts
and the Southern
Forests lies the
Central Valley,
where some 65%
of the nation’s
13.5 million
people live.
o Central Valley is
the most favored
agricultural
region of Chile.

71. Natural Wonders found in
Chile
o The Bío-bío River is
Chile’s second longest
river with a length of
380 kilometers.
o River rafting is one of
the most exciting
activities in the river
and you will be
pumped with adrenal
hormones as you
paddle it hard to
conquer the river’s
rapids.

72. Ranco Lake
o Located in the
province of
Ranco in Chile,
Ranco lake is the
fourth largest
lake in Chile and
is a popular
destination for
family outings
and friendly
getaways.

73. Vina del Mar
o The name
itself affirms
nature’s
touch, the
Vineyard by
the Sea.
o Vina del Mar
is a beach
complex
located in
Chile’s central
coast which
faces the
Pacific Ocean.

74. Los Lagos Region
o Los Lagos
Region is a
home to
different
natural
wonders
including the
waterfall that
can be
found in the
Chaicas
River.

75. Osorno Volcano
o Osorno Volcano is
an active volcano in
Chile;famous for its
very distinct white
top covered with
ice. It somehow
resembles the
famous volcano in
Japan, Mt. Fuji.

76. 2. The Middle-
Latitude South

77. The three temperate countries
of Argentina, Uruguay and
Paraguay are part of a middle-
latitude prairie that stretches
from the foothills of the Andes
Mountains eastward to the
coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

79. Argentina in
Development

80. • In Argentina, early colonization of
native Indians, strong European
immigration, and the economic
development of the fertile
grasslands of the pampas have
created a unique land and people
reminiscent of the American
development of the Great Plains.

81. After 1880s, Native Indians were driven
from the pampas, and cattle ranches
were founded to feed the expanding
populations of industrial Europe.

82. The pampas are now the core of
Argentina. Two-thirds of Argentina’s
population of 33.5 million people live on
this grassland, which produces 80
percent of the nation’s exports.

83. Buenos Aires, with a population near 12
million, is a primate city which is much
larger than any other city in the country.

84. • The scrub forests of the Chaco in the
north,
• The Andean foothills in the west, and
• Windswept Patagonia to the South
- Now contribute to the national
economy.
The three less-developed
regions of Argentina:

85. The Chaco is now a pioneer region where
logging and cattle-raising are
supplemented by cotton, sugar and
tobacco.

86. In the foothills of the Argentine
Andes, sugar, grapes and other fruit
crops are grown.

87. On the barren tablelands of Patagonia, which stretch
1,000 miles south from the pampas to the tip of the
continent, population growth has been limited by
political enmity between Chile and Argentina and by
environmental constraints.

88. The “Train of the Clouds” crosses the viaduct of
Polvorilla in northern Argentina. South
American railways are among the highest in the
world.

89. Natural Wonders of
Argentina
o It is a complex
system of waterfalls.
There are some
noting that Iguassu
Falls is made up of
275 separate
falls, however the
locals say there are
75 separate falls.
o Iguazu Falls is one of
the Seven Wonders
of South America.

90. Rio Correntoso and Lacar
Lake
o Rio Correntoso
and Lacar Lake
are two water
related facets of
nature located in
Patagonia,
Argentina and is a
home to different
kinds of flora and
fauna.

91. Mar del Plata
Beacheso Mar del Plata is the
best place for
those who want to
spend quality time
with the waves of
the Atlantic Ocean.
o Sunrise in the Mar
del Plata beach
area is also very
tranquil; it makes
you feel that the
heavenly bodies
are getting close to
nature.

92. Bariloche
o Bariloche is a
mountain province
located in the
western part of
central Argentina.
o The place is
perfect for taking a
variety of
landscape
photographs with
lakes, mountains,
glacier ice, forests
and more.

93. Patagoniao In areas where
temperature is
not
freezing, Patago
nia has several
lakes and
streams for you
to ford.

94. The La Plata
Countries of
Paraguay and
Uruguay

95. • Uruguay, with its mild climate, low-rolling
terrain, and rich grasslands, is a buffer
zone between the two large and powerful
nations of Brazil and Argentina.
• Originally settled by the Portuguese, then
taken over by Spain, Uruguay revolted
against both countries and eventually
became independent in 1825.
Uruguay

96. The introduction of sheep and
immigration from Spain and Italy
are keys to Uruguay’s modern
development.

97. Its economy is deeply engaged in animal
husbandry. In fact, sheep and cattle
outnumber people by ten to one in
Uruguay, and about 70 percent of the
territory of the country is in pasture.

98. The Uruguayans, half of whom live in the
primate city of Montevideo(population of 1.6
million), have the highest literacy rate, the
lowest rate of natural increase, the best diet
and one of the highest standards of living of any
South American country.

99. Natural Wonders of
Uruguay
o A popular resort
town in the
south-eastern
side of
Uruguay, Punta
del Este is high-
class holiday
relaxation
experience with
a variety of
beaches and
shorelines to
discover.

100. Lunarejo Valley
o Its ravines and prairies
have become home
hundreds of bird
species (with only
about 150 identified),
amphibians and
reptiles. This biological
richness has made the
valley a valuable area
not only as a
sightseeing site but
also as a habitat for
many organisms.

101. Vulture Gorgeo Containing the
largest canyon in
the country that has
an outgrowth of a
subtropical forest at
the foot of the
gorge, Vulture
Gorge, or Quebrada
de los Cuervos to
the
natives, resembles
a figure of a throat
and is close to
Treinta-y-Tres.

102. Esteros de Farrapos
National Park
o Alongside Esteros
de Farrapos are 24
other islands
enclosed in the
protective
measures.
o There are also over
200 bird species
identified in that
park with a number
of mammals,
reptiles, amphibians
and butterflies.

103. Rocha o A mix of
spectacular
landscapes
and
waterscapes
as well as a
wide diversity
of flora and
fauna is the
features you
would find
upon arriving
in this
department.

104. Rocha
o A hidden gem
inside Rocha is
Cabo Palonio
where you can
find sea lions
lazing about in
the sand dunes.
There’s just so
many things to
discover in Rocha
which makes it an
unlimited
experience.

105. • The eastern third of Paraguay, with its
rich soils, luxuriant grasslands, and
gentle terrain, was settled by the
Spanish.
• The western two-thirds of the country,
the wilderness scrub forest known as the
Chaco, was brought into the Spanish
domain by the Roman Catholic
missionaries.
Paraguay

106. Currently, the only productive agricultural zone
in Paraguay is located near the capital city of
Asunción where cotton, tobacco, and market
gardening are important.

107. Throughout the remainder of Paraguay,
extensive cattle ranches and slash-and-
burn agriculture of cotton, corn, manioc
and beans are found.

108. Asunción

109. Natural Wonders of
Paraguay
o Being a UNESCO
World Natural
Heritage site, the
Iguassu Falls
carries a stunning
and wonderful
beauty with the
waters running
down such a wide
cliff that is twice
the width of
Niagara Falls.

110. Gran Chacoo Found on the
lowland region of
Rio de la Plata
basin, this
sparsely populated
plain gives an
excellent home to
over 5000 species
of which almost
500 of them are
relatives of the
cultivated species
but is wild.

111. Mbatoví Eco-
Reserve
o Endangered species
are also found here
such as the Chachi
fern. The waters in
the reserve is
unpolluted that is
why species in the
area has been
flourishing. Birds,
reptiles and
mammals are also
abundant in Mbatoví
eco-reserve.

112. 3. Brazil

113. Discovered by accident in 1500 by the
Portuguese explorer Pedro Cabral, Brazil is the
5th largest country in the world and the largest
in Latin America.

114. • The old Northeast on the country’s Atlantic “shoulder”;
• The East, focused on the throbbing industrial
heartland of São Paulo and the traditional capital, Rio
de Janeiro;
• The South;
• The wilderness of the Central West, brought into the
modern age by the construction of the new capital of
Brasília; and
• Amazônia, the world’s largest drainage basin and
rainforest, a region now threatened by increasing
human activity.
Five Basic Regions found
in Brazil:

115. The Northeast

116. The old
Northeast, surrounding the
shoulder of Brazil, is the
culture hearth of Portuguese
America.

117. •The warm, rainy coasts of the
Northeast are well suited to sugarcane
cultivation, and the Northeast still
produces one-third of Brazil’s
agricultural harvest.
•In some places, the fertile red soils of
the coastal lowlands have been
producing cane and cacao for 400
years. Recently, cotton has been
introduced in the drier coastal areas
and in the fringes of the upland
interior.

118. The bulk of the Northeast’s population of
44 million lives east of a line drawn
across the shoulder from the northerly
city of Fortaleza (population of 2 million)

119. To the southerly city of
Salvador (population of
2.3 million).

120. Recife, long the most important
settlement in this region, has a
population of 2.5 million today.

121. The culture of Brazil was largely formed
in the backcountry of the Northeast, in
what Brazilians call their sertao.

122. The sertao is a barren land covered
by dry land grasses and thorny
scrub.

123. The coast and the
sertao are quite
different.

124. •The cyclic nature of
drought, worsened by
deforestation in the
sertao, makes this
region overpopulated.

125. •In the coastal lowlands, the
persistence of rigid social
barriers, absentee
landlords, and exhaustion of
the soil have encouraged
migration out of the
Northeast to the more
dynamic regions of
contemporary Brazil.

126. •More than 3.5 million
Brazilians have emigrated
from the Northeast in the
last generation to escape
one of the most poverty-
stricken areas in the
hemisphere.

127. The East

128. Eastern Brazil makes up
one-tenth of the land area
of Brazil, but has nearly
one-half of the country’s
population.

129. Four of every ten
Brazilians live in densely
settled countryside
around the nation’s two
largest cities,

130. São Paulo (population of 19
million)

131. Rio de Janeiro (population of
12 million)

132. In 1910, the discovery of rich
mineral deposits north of Rio
de Janeiro led to a flood of
international investment in the
region.

133. The world’s largest reserves
of iron ore are found in
Brazil, which is both the top
exporter and producer of iron
ore in the world.

134. •A basic problem
for Brazil has been
energy sources.

135. The Brazilian
South

136. •The Brazilian South, which
supports one-sixth of the
country’s population,
experienced a different
pattern of colonization than
elsewhere in Brazil.

137. •The first to penetrate the
interior of the South were
the Germans, who grew
corn, rye, and potatoes,
and raised pigs.

138. •Italian immigrants later
extended the frontier,
clearing the forests and
planting vineyards deeper
in the interior.

139. •As high-technology farming
envelopes the Brazilian
South, people with small
farms are being driven out,
and the South is beginning
to bear the mark of a
fundamental Brazilian
problem – landlessness.

140. The Itaipú Hydroelectric
Dam

141. The Central
West

142. •The “first front” of the
Brazilian frontier in the
middle 1960s extended into
the Central West, which
surface geography is largely
composed of exposed rock.

143. Vegetation tends to be a mix of
savanna and scrub woodland known
as the Campo Cerrado.

144. Despite these conditions, farming
expanded throughout the region, but
the main stray of the Central West
soon became livestock raising.

145. Symbol of the Brazilian desire (and need)
to conquer the wilderness, Brasília was
founded in 1959 as a planned, forward
capital.

146. Brasília

147. Amazônia

148. The vast Amazonian interior has
been hailed as one of the world’s last
frontiers.

149. •The region’s tropical
environment stubbornly
resisted all but the most
determined efforts at
permanent European
settlement until recently.

150. Belém (population of 1.2 million), gateway
to the Amazon, is the focus for the
development of the Eastern Amazon.

151. Iron ore and hydropower are under
development in the state of Pará.

152. Inland, the 3,900 mile-long river
passes by Manaus, capital of Brazil’s
largest state, Amazonas.

153. The continuously hot, humid climate and
infertile soils of the tropical rain forests
that cover the Amazon basin kept it
almost unoccupied by Europeans until
modern times.

154. The construction of a Trans-Amazonian
Highway Network linking the major
regions of the Amazon.

155. •Amazônia is Brazil’s
hope for the future.
Mining and selling the
minerals of Amazônia
are seen as a way to
pay off the country’s
soaring debts.

156. Natural Wonders of
Brazil

157. Iguassu Falls
o These waterfalls
are found in the
province of
Misiones that
splits the Iguazu
River into two
parts, the upper
and lower Iguazu.
o Iguassu Falls is
one of the Seven
Wonders of
South America.

158. Chapada dos Veadeiros
National Park
o Almost 200
kilometers north
of Brasilia, this
park covers
231,000 square
miles of vast
floras and
faunas, along
with the different
vegetation it
possess.

159. Fernando de
Noronhao Fernando de
Noronha is an
archipelago
consisting of 21
islands, about 350
kilometers off the
Brazilian coast.
o Fernando de
Noronha is also a
UNESCO World
Heritage site, and
visitation of the
archipelago is
limited to few visits.

160. Atlantic Forest
o Animals are
abundant in this
forest including
about 200 endemic
bird species and
harbors 5% of the
vertebrates on the
planet. The Atlantic
Forest is also home
to about 8% of the
plants in the world,
with some 450
species of trees
recorded.

161. Flooded Forest
o The Flooded
Forest is
300,000
square
kilometers,
comprising
6% of the
total
ecosystem
of the
Amazon
basin.

162. Sugar Loaf Mountain
o The peak is the
only example of
the monolithic
morros made of
granite and quartz
that mount directly
in a straight form
from the edge of
the water from the
mouth of
Guanabara Bay.

163. The Guianas
(Guyana,
Suriname and
French Guiana)

164. French Guiana
o It is an overseas
region of France.
o Its 83,534 km2
(32,253 sq mi)
have a very low
population
density of less
than 3 km2
(1.2 sq mi).

165. Half of its 236,250 people in 2011
live in the metropolitan area of
Cayenne, its capital.

166. A large part of the department's
economy derives from the presence of
the Guiana Space Centre, now the
European Space Agency's primary
launch site near the equator.

167. In 2008, the GDP of French Guiana at market
exchange rates was US$4.72 billion (€3.21
billion)ranking as the largest economy in the
Guianas, and the 11th largest in South America.

168. French Guiana is consists of
two main geographical
regions: a coastal strip where
the majority of the people
live, and dense, near-
inaccessible rainforest which
gradually rises to the modest
peaks of the Tumac-Humac
mountains along the Brazilian
frontier.

169. Tumac-Humac
Mountains

170. French Guiana's highest peak is
Bellevue de l'Inini in Maripasoula
(851 m (2,792 ft)

171. Other mountains include
Mont Machalou (782 m
(2,566 ft)

172. Mont St Marcel (635 m
(2,083 ft)

173. Mont Favard (200 m
(660 ft)

174. Montagne du Mahury (156
m (512 ft)

175. The three Îles du Salut
(Salvation Islands)

176. Devil's Island

177. Prison Block

178. Îles du Connétable Bird
Sanctuary

179. Île Royale

180. The Petit-Saut dam hydroelectric
dam in the north of French Guiana
forms an artificial lake and provides
hydroelectricity.

181. Waki River

182. The Guiana Amazonian Park,
one of the nine national parks
of France.

183. Suriname
(formerly
Dutch Guiana)

184. Suriname
o At just under
165,000 km2
(64,000 sq
mi),
Suriname is
the smallest
sovereign
state in South
America.

185. Suriname has a population of approximately
560,000, most of whom live on the country's
north coast, where the capital Paramaribo is
located.

186. The economy is dominated by the mining
industry, with exports of alumina, gold, and oil
accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of
government revenues, making the economy highly
vulnerable to mineral price volatility.

187. Highest point: Juliana Top -
1,230 meters (4,040 ft)

188. Guiana Shield

189. Bakhuys Mountains

190. Mt. Tafelberg at 1,026
metres (3,366 ft)

191. Mount Kasikasima at 718
metres (2,356 ft)

192. Voltzberg at 240 metres
(790 ft)

193. Coppename River
Watershed

194. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve is
a UNESCO World Heritage Site cited for
its unspoiled forests biodiversity.

195. Wia Wia Natural
Reserve

196. The country has one large
reservoir, the Brokopondo
Reservoir.

197. Brownsberg Natural
Reserve

198. Guyana
(formerly British
Guiana)

199. Guyana
o Guyana is a
developing nation
on the north coast
of South America.
o The vast majority
of Guyanese
nationals live
along the coast,
leaving the
interior largely
unpopulated and
undeveloped.

200. Around one-third of the
population (230,000) live in the
capital, Georgetown.

201. In 2011, the GDP of Guyana at market
exchange rates, at PPP, was $5.783
billion (total) and $7,465 (per capita)

202. The country can
be divided into five
natural regions:

203. • A narrow and fertile marshy plain along the
Atlantic coast (low coastal plain) where most
of the population lives;
• A white sand belt more inland (hilly sand and
clay region), containing most of Guyana's
mineral deposits;
• The dense rain forests (Forested Highland
Region) in the southern part of the country;
• The desert savannah in the southern west;
• And the smallest interior lowlands (interior
savannah) consisting mostly of mountains
that gradually rise to the Brazilian border.

204. Mount Ayanganna (2,042
metres / 6,699 feet)

205. Monte Caburaí (1,465
metres / 4,806 feet)

206. Mount Roraima (2,810 metres / 9,219 feet
– the highest mountain in Guyana) on the
Brazil-Guyana-Venezuela tripoint border,
part of the Pakaraima range.

207. Pakaraima Range

208. Guyana's table-top
mountains (tepuis)

209. Rupununi Savanna and
Kanuku Mts.

210. Kanuku Mountains

211. Kaieteur Falls

212. Essequibo River at 1,010 kilometres
(628 mi) long.

213. The Courantyne River at 724
kilometres (450 mi).

214. The Berbice River at 595
kilometres (370 mi).

215. The Demerara River at 346
kilometres (215 mi)

216. Shell Beach
o The 145 km
(90 mi) wide
Shell Beach
lies along the
northwest
coast, which
is also a major
breeding area
for sea turtles
(mainly
Leatherbacks)
and other
wildlife.

217. Kaieteur National
Park

218. Historic Georgetown