– the fourth largest continent on Earth.
Its area is 17.7 million square meters. km, but if we count all the adjacent islands, then this value is slightly larger - 18.28 million square meters. km. With its contours, South America resembles a triangle. The continent is located mainly in the Western and Southern Hemispheres and partly in the Northern.
The continent of South America is surrounded on all sides by water. It is washed from the east by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and from the west by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. From the north, South America is washed by the Caribbean Sea, which is the natural border between the two Americas.
The Isthmus of Panama in the northwest connects South America with North America.
Location of the extreme points of the continent
In degrees, the location of the extreme points of the continent is as follows:
- in the north – Cape Galinas (12° north latitude and 72° west longitude);
- on South – Cape Froward (53°54′ south latitude and 71°18′ west longitude);
- in the West – Cape Parinhas (4°40′ south latitude and 81°20′ west longitude);
- in the east there was confusion - this is Cape Cabo Branca (7°09´ south latitude 34°46) or Cape Seixas (34°47 west longitude).
History of the discovery of South America
The continent of South America was first seen by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci.
This is the Florentine traveler, after whom America was presumably named. By origin, Vespucci is a Florentine. He is a member of several Spanish and Portuguese expeditions to the shores of South America. Amerigo was the first to suggest that these lands were a new part of the world, and he proposed calling them the New World. But in 1507, cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, in his book “Introduction to Caomography,” named the land America after Amerigo Vespucci.
South American climate
South America is the wettest continent on earth. In terms of natural conditions, it is similar to Africa - wet forests with colorful birds and monkeys and endless grassy plains. But South America has far fewer deserts and far more mountains.
Thus, in most of South Africa the climate is subequatorial and tropical, in the south of the mainland it is subtropical and temperate.
If we talk about climatic zones, then there are deserts in South America.
Semi-deserts, tropical and equatorial forests, and pampas (steppes) are also found in South America.
Pampas - a space devoid of woody vegetation Winter in the tropical zone is as hot as summer. Direct sunlight heats the earth's surface all year round. But this does not mean that there are no seasons at all. They are simply not cold or warm, but dry or wet.
Combining incredible historical events, civilizations and... This place is the land of the ancient Incas, the great Amazon, rare species of animals and tropical forests. The mainland is surrounded by Atlantic and Pacific waters, which also hide many unique and yet unexplored things. South America - which is ranked 4th in size after Eurasia, and.
Continental extremes of South America
- Northern. It is located on Cape Gallinas, which is located on the Guajira Peninsula (12°27"31" north latitude and 71°40"8" west longitude).
- South. Located on the Brunswick Peninsula, Cape Forward (53°53"47" south latitude and 71°40"8" west longitude).
- Western. Located on Cape Parinhas in Peru (4°40"58" north latitude and 81°19"43" west longitude).
- Eastern. Located at Cape Seixas, Brazil (7°9"19"N latitude and 34°47"35"W longitude).
Extreme islands of South America
- The northernmost point is on Santa Catalina Island (13°23"18"N latitude and 81°22"25"W longitude), which is part of the Colombian Department of San Andres and Providencia. The island is connected to Providencia Island via a 330-foot pedestrian bridge.
- Aguila Islet, Chile (56°32"16"S latitude and 68°43"10"W longitude) is the southernmost point of the continent and is part of the Diego Ramirez Island group. Aguila is located approximately 800 km from the closest Antarctic areas such as Greenwich Island and the South Shetland Islands. It is also only 950 km from the mainland.
- Darwin Island (01°40"44"N, 92°00"33"W), the smallest island in the Galapagos archipelago, can be considered the westernmost point of South America. The island covers an area of only 1 square. km, and the Pacific waters surrounding the island are teeming with wildlife.
Taking into account Easter Island, the westernmost point of the South American continent can be considered the island of Motu Nui, which belongs to Chile. The island serves several species of seabirds. This is a volcanic islet with a peak located at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. - The island of Ilha do Sul (20°29"50" south latitude and 28°50"51" west longitude) is considered the easternmost island point of South America. It is located in the Trindade and Martin Vas archipelago, which is part of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. If the South Sandwich Islands are taken into account as part of the territory of South America, then Montagu Island (58°30"43" south latitude and 26°16"7" longitude) can be considered as the easternmost point of the continent.
Extreme settlements of South America
In the north of the mainland, the most extreme permanent settlement has preserved its originality and ancient traditions. This is the village of Vayu, where the Indian people of the same name live. Only 100 people live in the village, and the total number of this people is no more than 300,000 people. In the south, the most extreme city is Punta Arenas, which belongs to Chile and serves as the administrative center of the commune of the same name. Just over 130,000 people live in the city.
South America is the fourth largest continent on the planet. In the east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the west by the Pacific, and the northern coast belongs to the Caribbean Sea. Let's take a closer look at the extreme points of South America - the wettest continent on the globe.
Geographic coordinates of the extreme points of the continent of South America
The area of the mainland is 17.7 million square meters. km, but if we count all the adjacent islands, then this value is slightly larger - 18.28 million square meters. km.
The continent's topography is very diverse and contrasting. The east is dominated by plateaus, lowlands and high plains, while the Andes mountain ranges are located in the west. The highest point is Mount Aconcagua - it rises above sea level at 6959 m.
Rice. 1. Aconcagua
If you draw a straight line along the continent from the southernmost point to the northern, then this distance will be 7350 km. The length from the east coast to the west in the widest part of South America will be just over 5 thousand km.
In degrees, the location of the extreme points of the continent is as follows:
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- in the north - Cape Gallinas (12° north latitude and 72° west longitude);
- on South - Cape Froward (53°54′ south latitude and 71°18′ west longitude);
- in the West – Cape Parinhas (4°40′ south latitude and 81°20′ west longitude);
- in the east - Cape Seixas (7°09′ south latitude 34°47′ west longitude).
Cape Gallinas
The northernmost outlying point of the mainland is located in Colombia on Cape Gallinas, which belongs to the Guajira Peninsula. This point in the north is very arbitrary, since the coastline has smooth contours.
Cape Galinas is notable for the fact that not far from it there is an ancient settlement of indigenous people - the Wayuu Indians. Despite all modern achievements, they continue to live like their ancestors, observing ancient traditions and rituals.
Cape Froward
On the territory of Chile, on the small Brunswick Peninsula, the southernmost point of the mainland is located.
The name of the cape first appeared in 1587 and in translation it means “wayward”, “rebellious”. This is how the famous sea pirate Thomas Cavendish christened the cape, and this directly indicates the fact that it was not at all easy for medieval ships to pass by the cape.
Rice. 2. Cape Forward
In 1987, Cape Froward received its “insignia” - an impressive cross made of metal alloys.
Cape Parinhas
In the west, the outlying point of South America is Cape Parinhas, which belongs to Peru. It is a coastal ledge on which the lighthouse is located.
Parinhas is a fairly secluded place: the distance to the nearest settlement is more than 5 km. But precisely because of this, here you can observe seals in their natural habitat, which have chosen the neighboring bay.
Rice. 3. Cape Parinhas
Cape Seixas
There has been some confusion regarding the definition of the extreme point in the east. For a long time, geographers were sure that this was Cape Cabo Branco, which belonged to Brazil. A lighthouse was even built here as a memorial sign. However, later, during more accurate measurements, it was recorded that the extreme point is located nearby - it is Cape Seixas.
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The fourth largest continent by area. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. On its territory there are 12 states, where more than 387 million people live. In this article we will look at the coordinates of the extreme points of South America and their names. We will pay special attention to Cape Horn.
Historical summary
According to historical data, the South American continent was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Columbus, who mistakenly believed that he had reached India. Amerigo Vespucci told us that this was a completely new continent, previously unknown to the European community. As a result of colonization, the local population was destroyed, and these lands were settled by conquistadors. A little later, numerous states grew on this territory.
Previously, in order to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, sailors had to go to the extreme southern point of South America. Here is the Drake Passage, where the currents of these two giant bodies of water meet. This was the only sea route until 1920. During this period, the Panama Canal, located on the isthmus of the same name connecting North and South America, was put into operation. The southernmost point has since become less attractive for navigation, since this route was much longer and more dangerous.
Northern point
Cape Gallinas is the northern tip of the mainland. It is located on territory that belongs to the state of Colombia. The shores of the cape are washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea.
The northernmost point of South America has the following coordinates: 12°27′ N. w. and 71°39′ W. d.
Western point
The western tip of the mainland is called Cape Parinhas. It was discovered by the Spaniards in 1527. Geographically, the cape belongs to Peru. The settlement of Negritos is closest to the westernmost point. It is located 5 km from Cape Parinhas, washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and has the following coordinates: 4°40′ S. w. and 81°20′ W. d.
Eastern point
The eastern tip of the mainland is located in Brazil. It is called Cabo Branco, which translates from Portuguese as “white cape”. Not far from this place (8 km) is the city of Joao Pesão. The discoverer of the cape was Diego Lepe, a Spanish navigator who arrived on the coast of South America in 1500. There is a lighthouse and a memorial plaque here, which indicates that this is the easternmost point of the continent. However, in our time, scientists have found that in fact this title belongs to Cape Seixas, which is located approximately half a kilometer from Cabo Branco. The coordinates of the point are 7°10´ S. w. 34°47´ W d.
Southernmost point of South America
It is worth noting that there are several southern ends:
- Cape Froward;
- Diego-Ramirez;
So which option is right? Let's start in order.
Cape Froward is the southernmost point of South America, which is located directly on the mainland. Its coordinates are 53°54′ S. w. and 71°18′ W. d. It is located on the Brunswick Peninsula, which territorially belongs to the state of Chile. The cape is washed by the waters of the Strait of Magellan. The English pirate T. Cavendish gave the cape this name in January 1587. The word forward is translated from English as “unfavorable”, “willful”. The closest settlement is located at a distance of 40 km.
Another extreme point is the Diego Ramirez island group. They are located southwest of Cape Horn. The distance between these geographical objects is about 100 km. Based on these data, the rocky island of Aguila, part of the Diego Ramirez group, can be considered the southernmost island point.
Many people consider Cape Horn to be the southernmost point. However, this is fundamentally wrong. To understand the issue, you should carefully study the map of the continent. In fact, the southernmost point of South America is Cape Froward, located in Chile on the Brunswick Peninsula. The island tip is Aguila (Diego-Ramirez group).
Nevertheless, Cape Horn itself and its history are of great interest.
Cape Horn
The Tierra del Fuego archipelago consists of many islands, the southernmost of which is Horn Island. Quite often this group of islands is called “the edge of the world.” They are separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. Cape Horn is considered the southernmost limit of the archipelago. The group of islands became part of the Cabo de Hornos National Park.
If you calculate the distance from the southern tip of the archipelago to the coldest continent on Earth - Antarctica, it will be slightly less than 800 km. In 2005, UNESCO declared Cape Horn a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
This place was discovered in 1616 by Dutch sailors who were looking for a new route to India. The expedition was led by Willem Schouten from the town of Horn. Crossing the Strait of Magellan, the ships went around a rocky island, behind which the vast Pacific Ocean opened up to the sailors. The leader of the expedition decided to name it Hoorn - in honor of the Dutch city.
Bad reputation
Cape Horn has a bad reputation, since the route that runs past it is one of the most difficult. Until 1920, it was possible to get from one ocean to another only by passing the islands of Tierra del Fuego. The northern route was even more difficult to maneuver. The only chance to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean is to cross the Drake Passage.
Weather conditions in this region are very unfavorable. The weather here is rainy about 280 days a year, and cyclones occur unpredictably. Western winds form a rapid current. Near the islands of the archipelago, the mouth of the stream narrows, which is why the largest rapids appear along the route. Due to the continental shallows, the ocean swells break, which contributes to the formation of large waves whose height reaches 18 meters.
There is a huge ship graveyard here. Their death is associated with the harsh nature of these places. According to scientists, about a thousand ships found their refuge here.
It would seem that a lot of time has passed since the moment when the messenger on the ship “Santa Maria” shouted: “Earth!” Today, the continent of South America no longer looks as mysterious as before. But this does not mean that its history and geography are not worth being interested in. Although now there will be no conversation about the history of the continent. We'll just figure out what the southernmost point of South America is called and what place is considered the northernmost on the mainland. We’ll also tell you about the western and eastern points of this continent.
A little confusion with the eastern point
The easternmost point of the continent lies in Brazil. For a very long time it was believed that this was Cape Cabo Branco, that is, the “white cape”. A beautiful lighthouse with a memorial sign was built here. Nearby, literally eight kilometers away, is the city of Joao Pessoa. Initially, the cape was given the name San Agustin. The honor of the opening belongs to the Spanish team led by Diego Lepe. This happened in 1500. But bad luck, later it was precisely established that the easternmost point was the neighboring Cape Seixas.
Both points are nearby. The distance between them is approximately 500 m, in fact they are part of the territory of the nearby city (João Pessoa). Seixas is a high rock jutting out into the sea. The height of this place is about 100 m. There are sandy beaches around.
