South American continent consists of 12 countries. Located at the southernmost corner of the world, Punta Arenas is a city in South America.
Amazon, the largest river in the world is also situated in the South American continent. Your South America vacation can include a visit to the rainforests of this continent. South American continent is connected to the continent of North America by the narrow cape of Panama and includes few island groups.
Falklands or the Malvinas Islands are few of the prominent islands that are considered part of the continent of South America.
The Andes is the most prominent mountain range of South America. The extension of the Andes is also greater than any other mountain system of the world. The narrow belt of the three connected ranges of the Andes stretch from the Caribbean Sea to the Tierra del Fuego island, more than 8000km in length.
The Andes Mountains of South America were formed during the Cretaceous Period due to the movements of the tectonic plates. The sedimentary layers of the earth's crust make up the folds of the mountains. The living South America Mountains still experience earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The three parts of the Andes are the northern arc made up of three parallel ranges, Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental; the central part with two ranges enclosing within them Altiplano, a vast plateau; and the southern part, the lower regions. The highest peak of South America is Aconcagua in Argentina with a height of 6,960m.
The rivers on the east of the Andes are fed by the moisture bearing westerly winds and feed the Amazon, the Orinoco and other rivers. Among the lakes in the Andes is Lake Titicaca, in the plateau of the Andes.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is another mountain range of South America.
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