Continents
South America
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A continent joined to North America by the isthmus of Panama and otherwise bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, dominated along its western edge by the Andes, the world's longest continental mountain range, and drained through its interior by the Amazon Basin, the largest river drainage system on Earth.
Facts
Area (sq km)National Geographic Atlas of the World figure. Population2021 estimate, Wikipedia infobox (5th most populous continent). Highest Point Highest Elevation (m) Lowest PointLaguna del Carbon, Argentina 3 Country Count Tectonic Plate ContextThe South American Plate row of the cited source's table of major tectonic plates. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names South America directly: "largest tropical rainforest outside South America, the Congo Basin, along its equatorial belt."
Antarctica, Continents Why this is disputed. Antarctica and South America were joined within Gondwana and separated as the Drake Passage opened between them, allowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to begin flowing. Published estimates for when the passage fully opened range from about 49 to 17 million years ago; most reconstructions place the main separation between 34 and 23 million years ago, but the exact timing remains an active question in the tectonic literature.
This source names North America directly: "A continent joined to North America by the isthmus of Panama and otherwise bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, dominated along its western edge by the Andes, the world's longest continental..."
Demonstrates
Home To
Sources
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationintroduction, country listQuote, introduction, country list
The continent includes twelve sovereign countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction, continent overviewQuote, Introduction, continent overview
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere.
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, first sentenceQuote, Lead paragraph, first sentence
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere.
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, AreaQuote, Infobox, Area
17,840,000 km2 (6,890,000 sq mi)
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, Population (2021 estimate)Quote, Infobox, Population (2021 estimate)
434,254,119 (2021; 5th)
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Pacific Ocean, Opening section, bordering watersQuote, Associated With: The Pacific Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the Drake Passage.
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Atlantic Ocean, Opening section, bordering watersQuote, Associated With: The Atlantic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the Drake Passage.
1. South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Andes, Geography sectionQuote, Associated With: The Andes, Geography section
The geography of western South America is dominated by the Andes mountains; in contrast, the eastern part contains both highland regions and vast lowlands where rivers such as the Amazon, Orinoco and Parana flow.
2. Aconcagua (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationopening paragraph, summit statusQuote, opening paragraph, summit status
With a summit elevation of 6,967.15 metres (22,858.1 feet), it is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
3. Extreme Points of South America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLowest point entryQuote, Lowest point entry
Lowest point: Laguna del Carbon, Santa Cruz, Argentina at -105 m
4. List of Tectonic Plates (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationSouth American Plate entryQuote, South American Plate entry
Major tectonic plate – 43,600,000 km2 (16,800,000 sq mi)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019World continents area table
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence AgencySouth America, population summaryView the Source United States Geological Survey
Brazil (Wikipedia)
Peru (Wikipedia)
Amazon River (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: The Amazon River, Infobox, Location fieldQuote, Home To: The Amazon River, Infobox, Location field
Peru, Colombia, Brazil
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationDemonstrates: El Nino-Southern Oscillation, Definition and terminology sectionQuote, Demonstrates: El Nino-Southern Oscillation, Definition and terminology section
Peruvian sailors named the warm south-flowing current El Nino, referring to the Christ Child, because it was most noticeable around Christmas.
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
In Category: Continents
The same Americas-combined argument carried on North America own in-category edge applies here: South America is joined to North America by the Isthmus of Panama with no oceanic separation, and six-continent (and the Olympic movement five-continent) models taught widely across Latin America and Southern and Western Europe count the two as one continent rather than two.
A dissenting reading, from Geography curricula of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and other six-continent-model traditions, aEncyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
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