South America - The Highlands And Plateaus, The Andes, The Amazon Basin, The Climate, Venezuela, Ecuador - The continent, The countries, Uruguay
colombia american regions range
The South American continent stretches from about 10° above the equator to almost 60° below it, encompassing an area of about 7 million sq mi (18 million sq km). It is divided into ten countries. The continent can be divided into three main regions with distinct environmental and geological qualities: the highlands and plateaus of the east, which are the oldest geological feature in the continent; the Andes Mountains, which line the west coast and were created by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the continent; and the riverplain, between the highlands, which contains the Amazon River. The South American climate varies greatly based on the distance from the equator and the altitude of the area, but the range of temperatures seldom reaches 36°F (2°C), except in small areas.
The continent of South America extends over 68° of latitude, and encompasses an area of 6,880,706 sq. mi (17,821,028 sq. km). This is almost 12% of the surface area of the earth. It is about 3,180 mi (5,100 km) wide at its widest point.
Colombia
Colombia borders on Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, and encompasses an area of 440,831 sq. mi (1,141,748 sq. km). It is found where Panama of Central America meets the South American continent, and its location gives it the interesting feature of having coastal regions bordering on both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. It is a country of diverse environments, including coastal, mountain, jungle, and island regions, but in general can be considered to consist of two major areas based on altitude: the Andes mountains and the lowlands.
The Andes in Colombia can be divided into three distinct ranges, which run approximately from north to south in parallel ridges. The Cordillera Occidental, or westernmost range, attains a maximum altitude of about 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The Cordillera Oriental, which is the eastern range, is much higher, and many of its peaks are covered with snow all year round. Its highest peak is about 18,000 ft (5,490 m) high, and it has many beautiful waterfalls, such as the Rio Bogota which falls 400 ft (120 m). The Cordillera Central, as its name implies, runs between the Occidental and Oriental Cordilleras. It contains many active volcanoes as well as the highest peak in Colombia, Pico Cristobal Colon, which is 19,000 ft (5,775 m) high.
The lowlands of the east cover two thirds of Colombia's land area. It is part of the Orinoco and Amazon basins, and thus is well-watered and fertile. Part of this region is covered with rich equatorial rain forest. The northern lowlands of the coastal region also contain several rivers, and the main river of Colombia, the Magdalena, begins there.
Uruguay, which is 68,037 sq. mi (176,215 sq. km) in area, is a country bounded by water. To the east, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, and there are many lagoons and great expanses of dunes found along the coast. In the west, Uruguay is bordered by the river Uruguay, and in the south, by the La Plata estuary. Most of the country consists of low hills with some forested areas.
Additional Topics
The Eastern highlands and plateaus are the oldest geological region of South America, and are believed to have bordered on the African continent at one time, before the motion of the earth's crust and continental drift separated the continents. They can be divided into three main sections. The Guiana Highlands are in the northeast, in the Guianan states, south Venezuela and northeastern Bra…
The great mountain range of South America is the Andes Mountains, which extends more than 5,500 mi (8,900 km) all the way down the western coast of the continent. The highest peak of the Andes, called Mount Aconcagua, is on the western side of central Argentina, and is 22,828 ft (6,958 m) high. The Andes were formed by the motion of the earth's crust, which is cut up into different tectonic…
The Amazon basin is the largest river basin found in the world, covering an area of about 2.73 million sq. mi (7 million sq. km). The second largest river basin, which is the basin of the River Zaire in the African Congo, is not even half as large. The water resources of the area are spectacular; the volume of water which flows from the basin into the sea is about 11% of all the water drained from…
Venezuela covers an area of 352,144 sq. mi (912,0250 sq. km). It is the most northern country of South America, and can be divided up into four major regions. The Guiana Highlands in the southeast make up almost half of Venezuela's land area, and are bordered by Brazil and Guyana. It is here that the famous Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, is found. The Northern Highlands (w…
Ecuador received its name from the fact that it straddles the equator. Its area is 103,930 sq. mi (269,178 sq. km), making it the smallest of the Andean countries. Its eastern and western lowlands regions are divided by the Andes Mountains, which run through the center of the country. This part of the Andes contains an extremely active volcano region; the world's highest active volcano, Cot…
Peru covers an area of 496,225 sq. mi (1,285,216 sq. km), making it the largest of the Andean countries. Like Ecuador, it is split by the Andes mountain into two distinct sections. The eastern coastal region is mostly covered with mountains, and in many places the ocean borders on steep cliffs. In the northern part, however, there is a relatively flat region which is suitable for agriculture. In t…
Chile is the longest, narrowest country in the world; although it is 2,650 mi (4,270 km) long, it is only about 250 mi (400 km) wide at its greatest width. It encompasses an area of 284,520 sq. mi (736,905 sq. km). The Andes divides into two branches along the eastern and western edges of the country. The eastern branch contains the highest of the Andean peaks, Aconcagua, which is 20,000 ft (6,960…
Argentina, the second-largest of the South American countries, covers an area of 1,073,399 sq. mi (2,780,092 sq. km). The Andes Mountains divide western Argentina from Chile, and in the south, known as Tierra de Fuego, this range is still partly covered with glaciers. A large part of Argentina is a region of lowlands and plains. The northern part of the lowlands, called the Chaco, is the hottest r…
With an area of 3,286,487 sq. mi (8,511,965 sq. km), Brazil is by far the largest country in South America, taking up almost half of the land area of the continent. It can be divided into two major geographical regions: the highlands, which include the Guiana Highlands
South America. Illustration by Hans & Cassidy. Courtesy of Gale Group.
in the far north and the Brazilian Highlan…
East of Suriname is the country of Guyana, with a land area of 83,000 sq. mi. (215,00 sq. km). In the western and southern parts of Guyana are the Guiana Highlands. As with Suriname and French Guyana, these are cut up deeply by steep and sudden river valleys, and covered with dense rain forest. The western part of the Guiana Highlands are called the Pakaraima Mountains, and are much higher than th…
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