South America: Physical and Human Geography

What is South America: Physical and Human Geography?

Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains South America: Physical and Human Geography. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.

Check that you can explain South America: Physical and Human Geography in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding South America: Physical and Human Geography helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.

South America: Physical and Human Geography in detail

South America has the Andes, the world's longest mountain range, along its western edge, the Amazon basin, the largest rainforest and river by volume, the Atacama Desert, the Pampas grasslands and Patagonia. Most of the continent is in the tropics, with varied climates by altitude.

Population is concentrated along the coasts and in cities such as São Paulo and Buenos Aires, with high urbanisation. Economies depend on farming, mining and oil, and there are big gaps in wealth. The Amazon is vital for biodiversity and climate but faces deforestation. Colonial history shaped languages (Spanish and Portuguese) and culture.

How the interactive helps you understand South America: Physical and Human Geography

Watch the globe in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the globe responds.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of South America: Physical and Human Geography.

Real-life uses and examples

• Interpret a graph or map that shows South America: Physical and Human Geography and say what it suggests.
• Describe a real place where South America: Physical and Human Geography can be seen, using a map or photograph.
• Explain how South America: Physical and Human Geography affects people, jobs and land use in a region.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain South America: Physical and Human Geography.
• Writing general statements without a named place or example.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.