South America
Brief Description
The South American continent is the southern portion of the larger American continent. The equator passes through the continent yielding a tropical climate to much of the landmass with temperate conditions possible in the south. The indigenous people of South America may have migrated south from North America although the majority of its current 371 million residents are of European descent. The population bases are largely along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts with large portions of the inland regions hosting small and widely spread populations. South America includes the Andes Mountains which comprise the longest range of peaks in the world. The continent is home to llamas and alpacas that originally were wild but became domesticated nearly 5,000 years ago. Colonization efforts by Spanish and Portuguese explorers ultimately lead to the prevalence of those languages on the South American continent.
Climate
The climate in most of South America is usually tropical. It is humid (dry) tropical and tropical savanna in the north. It is humid subtropical in the southeast. Rainfall is different depending on the place.
Tourism
Tourism has increasingly become a significant source of income for many South American countries.Historical relics, architectural and natural wonders, a diverse range of foods and culture, vibrant and colorful cities, and stunning landscapes attract millions of tourists every year to South America. Some of the most visited places in the region are Recife, Olinda, Machu Picchu, the Amazon Rainforest, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Maceió, Bogota, Lima, Florianópolis, Isla Margarita, Natal, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Angel Falls, Nazca Lines, Cuzco, Lake Titicaca, Medellín, Patagonia, Cartagena and the Galápagos Islands