Autumn 2 Knowledge Organiser Fact Box Soulful South America Spanish is the main language in South American countries, Physical Features only in Brazil people speak Portuguese. Amazon Rainforest This is the world’s largest rainforest, 90% are Catholic. taking up 5.5million km² and most of north-western Brazil, extending into Colombia, Peru and other countries. Key Vocabulary It is famous for its biodiversity. archipelago sea or stretch of water having many islands The Andes The Andes are the longest mountain Atlantic Ocean covers 20% of the Earth’s surface and lies range in the world forming a between the Americas and Europe/Africa continuous highland in the west, Atacama West of the Andes and one of the driest places on passing through 7 countries from Desert Earth Venezuela in the north to Chile and biodiversity the variety of plant and animal life uppermost branches of trees in a rainforest Argentine in the south. canopy El Nino an event every 2-5 years where the Pacific Ocean Part of the Republic of Ecuador, this Galapagos Islands warms, causing more rain in the Americas volcanic archipelago are known for their evolution idea that animals adapt and humans developed many species of plants and animals from apes studied by Charles Darwin which landlocked Countries surrounded by only land (e.g. Paraguay) contributed to his theory of evolution. mining Chile has the largest open pit and underground Lake Titicaca A large, deep lake in the Andes on the mines in the world, for mining copper and iron border of Peru and Bolivia. Once inhabited native original inhabitants of an area by the Incas between 1200A.D. and Pacific Ocean covers 30% of the Earth’s surface and is the 1400A.D., they have even found an largest, deepest ocean on the planet separating underwater temple here. the Americas with Asia/Australasia Climate There are 4 main climate zones which include Human Features reforestation the process of replanting an area with trees tropical, cold, dry and temperate. The countries which are on Rio Carnival annual festival held in the Brazilian capital of Rio Deforestation Industrial-scale cattle ranching, soybean the Earth’s equator (Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia) are humid de Janeiro before Lent (Christian religious production and logging for wood (e.g. observance) and wet. Summers are very hot and winters are mild/warm. mahogany) for the world market means temperate non-extreme temperatures, neither too hot or cold the Amazon has lost 20% off its trees in tropical wet and dry seasons, frost-free with high Longest Rivers Largest the last 40 years at a rate of 20,000km² temperatures Populations per year. Amazon (Brazil) – 6400km Machu Picchu Located in southern Peru, on a 2430m Brazil high mountain ridge, archaeologists Fauna (animals) (204 million people) Paraná (Brazil/Paraguay) – 4880km believe it was constructed as an estate for an Inca emperor. Built around 1450A.D., it could home up to 750 people, mostly Madeira (Brazil) – 3380km working as servants to the emperor and Colombia Tallest Mountains keeping llamas and alpacas. (48 million people) Flora (plants) Colonisation In 1498 Christopher Columbus, on his third voyage to the Americas, landed in Examples: sloths, jaguars, caiman, tapirs, llamas, parrots and Venezuela. Portuguese and Spanish ships capuchins (also – toucans, giant anteaters and capybaras). arrived, began to claim the land as their own, introducing western diseases, and Argentina contributed to the rapid decline of the (43 million people) native populations. Aconcagua Ojos del Salado Monte Pissis Rubber tree orchids Kapok tree cacao tree coffee plant (Argentina) (Chile) (Argentina) 6962m 6893m 6793m .