Famous people of South America. Famous places of South America. The largest waterfalls on the continent

The first place in the Top 10 attractions of South America is rightfully taken by the foggy city of Machu Picchu, fanned by legends and myths, or Old Mountain in the language of the Quechua Indians. Mysterious ruins that everyone dreams of seeing, whose heart in his youth sank from breathtaking stories about the mysterious civilizations of the past.

Machu Picchu consists of two sectors - urban and agricultural. In the city, you can see the main attractions of this place: the Temple of the Three Windows, the Stone of the Sun and the House of nobles made of polished granite. This city is a living symbol of the ancient history of Peru.

Machu Picchu - city15th century,located on a ridge at an altitude of 2,430 metersabove sea levelv province of Urubamba, 80 kilometers northwest of another South American landmark, the city Cuzco.

2. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

Each of us knows Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution, it was the Galapagos Islands that prompted Charles Darwin to think about the Theory of Evolution.

Although the islands of the Galapagos archipelago are located 1000 kilometers from the continental Ecuador, they are a real attraction in South America. The archipelago consists of 127 islands, islets and rocks, of which 19 are large.97% of the total surface of the Galapagos is declared a national park and only the remaining 3% of the territory can be inhabited by people, and only these 3% of the territory is open to tourists.About 30,000 people live on the islands and about 170,000 tourists visit the islands every year.

It is home to amazing animals such as giant turtles, sea iguanas and Darwin's finches.

3. Amazon rainforest

This attraction of South America is located in several countries, but mainly in Brazil. The Amazon forests make up more than half of the planet's remaining rainforests and are considered the true lungs of the planet, and also include the largest and most biodiverse ecosystem in the world. More than 16,000 species of animals live on the territory of the forests.

4. Angel Falls (Venezuela)

Angel Falls, this is the highest and most impressive waterfall in the world, many tourists will put Niagara Falls first, but believe me, the water falling from a height of almost a kilometer leaves an indelible impression, a sound that cuts to the bone.

Unfortunately, this truly majestic waterfall is located in the impenetrable jungle in a not the most welcoming country in the world, it can only be reached by river or by air.

5. Atacama Desert (Chile)

The Atacama Desert, the oldest desert on Earth, is also the driest place in the world, especially in the vicinity of the abandoned city of Yungai. The average rainfall is about 15 mm per year, and in some places there has never been moisture. Such unique characteristics have developed due to two factors, high location and bedding between two mountain ranges, which complicates the flow of water masses.

6. Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

On the 6th place in our Top 10 Attractions in South America, there is the most famous and famous city in South America, namely the magnificent Rio de Janeiro or simply Rio. If you want to feel the spirit of this continent, feel its atmosphere, Rio will give you such an opportunity, thanks to the enchanting carnivals and the cosmopolitan Copacabana beach.

7. Colca Canyon (Peru)

Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world, more than 3000 meters deep and twice as deep as the most famous canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon in the United States.

8. Los National ParkGlaciares (Argentina)

The largest national park in Argentina, ranked 8th in the Top 10 attractions in South America. This amazingly beautiful place amazes with its majesty, here you understand the insignificance of man and the power of nature.

Los Glaciares is home to the largest ice cap in the world, feeding 47 large glaciers.The most famous of these is the Perito Moreno glacier,unique among glaciers as it moves forward while others retreat.The park is also home to Lake Argentino, the largest in the country.

9. Pantanal (Brazil)

On the territory of Brazil, there are the largest wetlands - the Pantanal, or simply, swamps, but these swamps are home to one of the richest ecosystems in the world. Among the rarest animals inhabiting the wetlands of the Pantanal are the marsh deer, the giant river otter, the crested hermit eagle, the giant anteater and the Paraguayan caiman. The Pantanal is home to one of the largest carnivores on earth, the jaguar.

10. Quito (Ecuador)

The 10th place in our Top 10 attractions of South America is the capital of Ecuador, Quito, it is truly unique among all the capitals of the world.This is the tallest capital in the world was founded by the Spaniards in the distant1534, but the city is unique not for its location above sea level, but for the perfectly preserved colorful old colonial city of Quito. It is in it that you can feel the spirit of the colonialists of South America.

Located in the northern mountainous regions of Ecuador, the city is surrounded by volcanoes that can be seen on a clear day.Quito is the only capital in the world threatened by active volcanoes.

It is South America that is home to many animals and plants that are now common throughout the world. Once these lands were inhabited by numerous Indian tribes, but the European colonialists destroyed the culture of many of them, trying to reshape the new lands in their own way. Some corners of the South American continent are still practically unexplored due to their inaccessibility, and, quite possibly, they still hide many secrets.

South America Facts

• Part of the South American continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth.
• South America is often called Latin, which is fundamentally wrong. South America is a geographic definition and Latin is an ethnographic one.
• In all South American countries, except Brazil, Suriname and Guyana, Spanish has the status of the state language.
• The largest city in South America is the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo ().
• Most South American countries are unsafe to one degree or another, especially large cities. The most criminally calm country on the continent is the Republic of Chile.
• In South America, there is the wettest settlement in the world - the Colombian town of Buenaventura.
• An interesting fact: there is also the driest of the hot deserts in the world, the Chilean Atacama ().
• South America is home to the highest mountain capital in the world, La Paz. Strictly speaking, the city of Sucre is officially considered the capital of Bolivia, but de facto it is La Paz that performs this function.
• The total area of ​​South America is only slightly larger than the area of ​​Russia.
• Four times more people live in China than on the entire South American mainland ().
• Among all South American states, the population of Peru is the least educated. Every tenth Peruvian is not taught to read and write.
• It is through South America that the Amazon, the greatest river in the world, flows. And under it, at a depth of many kilometers, the world's largest underground river flows.
• The first European to visit South America was Christopher Columbus ().
• Anacondas, the largest snakes in the world, live only on this continent.
• The most popular sport in all South American countries without exception is football. Thus, the Brazilian national team holds the record for the number of victories at the world championships.
• Guiana is located in South America, which is de jure part of France. Even the euro is in use here.
• In total, there are 12 independent countries on this continent, the largest of which are Brazil and Argentina.
• Venezuelan Lake Maracaibo is the largest among the lakes of the Earth, as well as the second oldest - it is many millions of years old.
• South America is home to the world's highest waterfall, Angel. Its waters rush down from a height of more than a kilometer.
• South American Bolivia is home to Uyuni, the world's largest salt marsh, a dried-up salt lake.
• Another notable lake in South America is Titicaca. It is surprising in two facts: it is the highest navigable lake in the world (almost 4 kilometers above sea level!), And there are ocean fish that are not known how they got here.
• Volcano Ojos del Salado is the highest active volcano not only in South America, but throughout the world. It is located on the border of Chile and Argentina ().
• Colca Canyon in South America is the deepest in the world. It is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States.
• In South America, there is the Licankabur volcano, in the crater of which, at an altitude of almost 6 kilometers, the highest mountain lake in the world is located. It is covered with ice for most of the year.
• Most of all lightning strikes in one place in the world, located precisely in South America, at the confluence of the Katatumbo River into Lake Maracaibo. On average, there are from 70 to 200 thunderstorm days here annually, and about 250 lightning strikes for each square kilometer of space per year ().
• The South American Iguazu Falls Complex is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
• Located in South America, the Republic of Chile is the narrowest and most southern country in the world. Its southern border is separated from Antarctica by a distance of only 900 kilometers.
• The South American forests are home to the world's largest beetles, the world's most venomous frogs, the largest snakes, the largest butterflies, the most dangerous fish and the smallest monkeys.
• Despite the fact that only one country in South America speaks Portuguese, there are more speakers of Portuguese on the continent than there are speakers of Spanish. The languages ​​of Quechua, Guarani, Aymara and Araucan are also widespread here.
• The basin area of ​​the three largest rivers in South America - the Amazon, Parana and Orinoco - covers more than half of the entire continent.
• Among all the earthly continents, it is South America that is the wettest.
• In the Chilean city of Calama, there has been no rain for about 400 years ().
• One third of the total population of South America is under 15 years old.
• Millions of years ago, this continent was one with Australia, Antarctica and Africa.
• A fair share of the South American population are descendants of Europeans. Mostly Spaniards. Italians, French, Germans, Greeks and Croats. In addition, about 1 million Ukrainians and their direct descendants live in Brazil alone.

The South American continent is rich in unique natural monuments. Choosing the 10 most famous geographical features of South America is not an easy task, since there are much more outstanding landscape complexes there. Many of them, preserving their centuries-old primordiality, are under the protection of UNESCO.

And yet we will try to highlight the most popular and world famous South American geographic objects.

Mountains and highlands of South America

The world's longest mountain ranges are located here.

Andes (Andean Cordillera)

South America is the only continent that is pierced from north to south by one mountain range, rich in volcanoes and the largest glaciers. Her name is Andes. Stretching for more than 7.3 thousand km, it gives rise to most of the continent's rivers. Continuing in North America, the Andes pass into the United States in a ridge called the Cordillera. The peaks of the Andes amaze with their beauty. Their highest point is the 6960-meter peak of Aconcagua (Argentina), although there are dozens of peaks over 6,000 meters in this mountain range.

Patagonia

This area, known to us from the novels of Jules Verne, stretches 1,600 km between the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean at the southern tip of the continent, south of the Rio Negro River. Harsh rocks, interspersed with majestic deep gorges, arid, but no less attractive plateaus, glaciers sparkling under the sun leave no one indifferent.

Guiana highlands

A real Conand Doyle's "lost world" with its amazing outlandish plants and unique fauna. The plateau stretches for almost 1600 km between the south of Venezuela and the north of Brazil. The highlight of this tropical region is a cascade of beautiful rivers and waterfalls. The highest point is Roraima Peak (2810 m).

South American lowlands and plains

The geography of the continent would be incomplete without mentioning these vast territories.

Amazon lowland

The main feature of the Amazon is the world's largest rainforest covering the Amazon basin. It is located between the Andes in the west and the Atlantic in the east, the Guiana Highlands in the north and the Brazilian Highlands in the south. Differs in a huge number of tributaries of the deepest river in the world and extreme humidity.

Llanos

Colombia and Venezuela divide this picturesque fertile plain in the north of the continent with an area of ​​more than 580 thousand km². Its fertility is provided by the high-water Orinoco River and its numerous tributaries. Llanos is characterized by extensive, gently sloping flat areas, cut by river beds, along which gallery forests grow.

Pampas

Among all the geographical objects of South America, the pampa (an area of ​​almost 762 thousand km²) is famous first of all for its agricultural, mainly cattle-breeding opportunities. There are many large ranches where elite livestock (the world famous Argentine beef) are raised. But plant growing is also honored here. This is facilitated by fertile reddish-black soils, the basis for the formation of which were volcanic rocks. There are also large wild steppes and pastures, which, however, often lack moisture. And the farther from the Atlantic Ocean and closer to the Andes, the pampa turns into arid semi-deserts.

Selected geographic features of particular interest

The South American continent, in addition to integral geographic complexes, is also known for its most interesting natural objects. Many of them are under the protection of UNESCO.

Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn

It is the southernmost archipelago of South America and therefore has a harsh cold climate and frequent violent storms. The reason is the proximity of Antarctica. The archipelago was named Tierra del Fuego in 1520 by the legendary Fernand Magellan, who, passing by, mistook the distant fires of the Indians for the fires of active volcanoes. Well, the southernmost point of South America is the rumbling Cape Horn, which is part of the archipelago. Traveling past him along the Drake Passage is the lot of the most daring and desperate today.

Pantanal

This name is the largest swamp in the world, which is located in the southwest of Brazil, and also partially in Paraguay and Bolivia. Its dimensions are staggering: about 195 thousand km² of area in the Paraguay River basin! Despite its not very attractive status, the Pantanal with its unique flora and fauna is a real find for scientists and tourists.

Atacama plateau

In fact, it is one of the most famous deserts in South America. Spread high in the Chilean Andes, 1000 km long and 160 km wide, it is one of the rare deserts on our planet, where there is never any rainfall. If we add here the extremely harsh mountain climate, then an image of a territory that is completely inconvenient for human life is formed. Meanwhile, numerous mines are actively working here, where local residents extract copper, saltpeter, iodine, table salt. For especially adventurous tourists who will have to overcome a difficult path, there are still several "highlights": small picturesque lakes and beautiful salt deposits in the mountains.

The largest waterfalls on the continent

Two waterfalls attract attention here: the highest in the world Angel (height - 1054 m) and one of the most beautiful on the planet Iguazu. The waters of Angel, named after the pilot James Angel, who discovered it in 1933, breaks down from the completely steep slopes of the Auyan-Tepui plateau. The outstanding characteristics of the waterfall were highly appreciated in 1994, when it, together with the Canaima National Park, which houses this wonder of the world, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Book.

The USA is one of the leading and largest countries in the world. The country's population exceeds 300 million. And, of course, outstanding personalities lived and live in this vast country. People who are famous not only in their state, but throughout the world, which allows the American people to feel proud of their compatriots. So who are they - the most famous people in America?

Political figures

The list of famous people of America can definitely include the names of such politicians as:

• George Washington. America's first president to fight for independence, founder of the United States of America.
• Thomas Jefferson. Co-author of the Declaration of Independence. He made a huge contribution to the founding of the country. I bought the state of Louisiana from France.
• Martin Luther King. A bright personality who became famous all over the world thanks to a stubborn struggle for the rights of the black population.
• He was very much loved by his people for liberalism, for caring for ordinary people. He made a great contribution to the development of American astronautics. The day he was killed brought great sorrow to the people.
• Benjamin Franklin. Politician, journalist, scientist. He is famous all over the world due to the fact that his face is adorned with a hundred dollar bill.
• Abraham Lincoln. Acquired the status of a national hero for the liberation of slaves. Similar to John F. Kennedy, he was killed by a pistol shot.
• George W. Bush. A very controversial personality. He took over as president through a major rigging scandal. Accused of drug addiction. He unleashed a war in the territories of Afghanistan and Iraq.
• Barack Obama. The world's first black president.

Athletes

Among the famous people of America, there are many personalities associated with sports. It:

• Michael Jordan. He played in the NBA league as an attacking defender. He is still considered the best basketball player.
• Outstanding tennis player. He won many victories in tournaments.
• Armwrestler who held the title for 23 years.
• Kelly Slater. The most famous and wealthy surfer. Became world champion at the age of 20.
• Jim Brown. became the highest paid in American football.
• Michael Phelps. Swimmer and most titled Olympian.
• Mike Tyson. American boxing champion. He bit off his opponent's ear in battle.
• Muhammad Ali. The most boxer.

Writers, scientists and other celebrities

The list of famous people in America includes writers and other public figures:

• Ernest Hemingway. Nobel laureate, writer and journalist. Thanks to his writing style, the literature of the last century has changed significantly.
• Stephen King. "King of Horrors" - so he was nicknamed for his works. Many of his books have been filmed.
• Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote truly exciting detective stories. And he became the founder of the science fiction genre.
• Mark Twain. Humanist writer and journalist. He has written in various genres, creating stunning stories.
• Stanley Kubrick. Filmmaker. I made films based on real events and every one of them was great.
• Thomas Edison. Thanks to him, the quality of work of many communication devices has improved. Even the first word on the phone "hello" was invented by him.
• John Rockefeller. The richest man on the planet. The owner of the Standard Oil company.
• Bill Gates. An entrepreneur, one of the richest people in the world.
• Steve Jobs. Pioneer of the era of technology, creator of the famous Apple brand.
• Henry Ford. Engineer and inventor. Produced world-famous Ford cars.
• Neil Armstrong. The first person to set foot on the moon.
• Jack London. One of the most published writers outside the United States.
• John Browning. Weapon inventor.
• Sydney Sheldon. The author of detective novels and screenwriter. Many of his works have been transformed into films.

Singers and musicians

It is impossible not to note among the famous people of America talented musicians and singers:

• Michael Jackson. Legendary singer, dancer, king of pop.
• Elvis Presley. The king of rock and roll.
• Frank Sinatra. America's "honey" voice.
• Louis Armstrong. Jazz performer, played the trumpet, led the ensemble, popularized jazz throughout the world.
• Chuck Berry. One of the founders of rock and roll.
• Britney Spears. American princess of pop.
• Jennifer Lopez. Singer and dancer, actress and businesswoman.
• Madonna. American music legend.
• Tina Turner. Singer and dancer with a breathtaking voice.
• Kurt Male. Guitarist and singer from the Nirvana group.
• Ella Fitzgerald. Jazz vocalist.
• Eminem. American rapper.
• Cher. Armenian American, singer and actress.
• Christina Aguilera. Songwriter, singer and dancer.

Media faces

Who, if not a media person, can be the most famous?

• Charlie Chaplin. Comedian and silent movie star.
• Marilyn Monroe. 20th century sex symbol.
• Oprah Winfrey. America's most famous TV presenter.
• Walt Disney. Animator, creator of the studio and the entire Disney era.
• Steven Spielberg. The most successful filmmaker in American cinema.
• Bruce Lee. Actor and director. Introduced martial arts to cinema.

And also: Brad Pitt, Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Angelina Jolly and many, many others.

Of course, all famous people in America speak English. However, with the help of translation, the whole world can read or hear their voice.