Where is South America?

Map of South America

South America is in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
The Pacific Ocean is to the west of South America and the Atlantic Ocean is to the north and east.
The continent contains twelve countries in total, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile.

South America has a very varied landscape.
The world’s largest river system, the Amazon River basin, flowing through the Amazon rainforest.
There is a hot and wet tropical climate in the Amazon rainforest.
The Amazon is the longest river in South America.
The source (start) of the Amazon River is in the Andes Mountain range in Peru.
Piranhas have adapted to live in the Amazon River. Their teeth are designed to tear through plants and animals. Piranhas lose their teeth regularly, with new, sharp teeth growing in their place.

The Andes mountain range is the longest mountain range on Earth.
The Andes was created by a collision of tectonic plates. This helped produce the tall peaks of the Andes mountain range, such as Mount Aconcagua, which stands almost 7,000m tall.
The climate of the Andes mountain range varies: northern parts are wet and warm, southern parts are cold and wet, whilst the central areas are cold and very dry.

South America's largest cities include São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (in Brazil), Buenos Aires (in Argentina) and Lima (in Peru).
Brazil is the largest country in South America and also has the largest population.
Rio de Janeiro is a popular tourist destination with many people visiting every year to see famous landmarks such as Christ the Redeemer and Ipanema beach.
The most widely spoken languages in South America are Spanish and Portuguese.
There are many ports in South America which are important for trade and the economy. Callao Port in Lima, Peru, is the busiest port in South America.