Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Areas in South America;
Mains level: NA
Why in the News?
South America, known for its diverse landscapes and cultures, also harbors several disputed territories, each with its own historical, geopolitical, and economic significance. These disputes often arise from conflicting territorial claims, historical grievances, or resource-rich areas.
Diverse Landscapes of South America:
- The Pacific Coastal Strip:
- Between the ocean and the Andes mountain Range.
- The coastline of South America is smooth and regular. At the river mouths, some inlets are used as harbors. The southwestern coast of the continent has fiords or deep inlets of the sea.
- Andes Mountain Range:
- The Andes stretch through the entire continent, running in the north-south direction from the Isthmus of Panama to the Strait of Magellan. The second-highest mountain system in the world.
- Mount Aconcagua (an extinct volcano lies in Argentina)
- Mount Ojas del Salado is the highest active volcano in the world of Argentina.
- Part of seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
- They form a chain of ranges and knots with enclosed intermontane plateaus namely in Ecuador and Bolivia.
- Being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, there are many volcanoes and frequent earthquakes in this region. Mount Cotopaxi and Mount Chimborazo are active volcanic peaks, which is the highest peak in South America.
- About the Amazon River:
- It is the world’s largest and second-longest (6,400 km) river in the world after the Nile.
- Its journey begins high in the Andes Mountains. The river then makes its way east through thousands of miles of rainforests and lowlands until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil
- Its watershed spans the countries of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
- It has more than 1,100 tributaries, which include the rivers like the Rio Negro, the Madeira River, and the Xingu River, etc.
- The Amazon Rainforest, which represents about half of the Earth’s remaining rainforest, also constitutes its single largest reserve of biological resources.
- It is sometimes referred to as the “lungs of the Earth” due to its role in regulating the planet’s oxygen and carbon cycles.
Disputed Areas in South America
| Countries Involved | Key Points | Geographical Features | |
| Gulf of Venezuela | Colombia, Venezuela |
|
Surrounded by coastal mountain ranges with waters fed by several rivers |
| Essequibo Region | Guyana, Venezuela |
|
Diverse landscapes including rainforests, savannahs, and mountains with the Essequibo River |
| Atacama Desert | Peru, Chile |
|
Bordered by the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean with salt flats, sand dunes, and volcanic formations |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Argentina, UK |
|
Consists of two main islands with rugged coastlines and low mountains |
| Darien Gap | Colombia, Panama |
|
Part of the Darien National Park with dense rainforests, mangroves, and steep mountain slopes |
| Arroyo de la Invernada or Rincon de Artigas… | Brazil, Uruguay |
|
Rolling hills, grasslands, and small rivers with the Invernada River |
| New River Triangle (Tigri Area) | Suriname, Guyana |
|
Dense rainforests, mountain ranges, and numerous rivers |
| Isla Brasilera/Ilha Brasileira | Brazil, Uruguay |
|
Small island located in the Uruguay River with lush vegetation |
| Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-mirim | Bolivia, Brazil |
|
Riverine island characterized by tropical vegetation and wetlands |
| Southern Patagonian Ice Field | Argentina, Chile |
|
Vast expanse of ice and snow covering rugged mountain ranges and deep valleys |
| Lithium Triangle | Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile |
|
Key reserves of Lithium include:
|
Note: Bolivia and Paraguay are land-locked countries in South America
| PYQ:
[2013] “Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.” The above statement best describes which of the following regions? (a) African Savannah (b) Central Asian Steppe (c) South American Tropical (d) Siberian Tundra |
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