Grade Six Social Studies
I hope you had a very productive week at school. I hope you are intensifying your studies. As you know, your examination is fast approaching. Please take time to revise all your subjects, work with your personal study timetable and your study journal. Use your journal to paraphrase work given by your teachers, try to practice past examination questions, this would help greatly in preparation for NGSA.
Topic: Continents of the world Sub-Topic: South America
In our last lesson we looked at the Continent of Europe. We discussed that Europe is the second-smallest continent. The name Europe, or Europa, is believed to be of Greek origin, as it is the name of a princess in Greek mythology. The name Europe may also come from combining the Greek roots eur(wide) and -op (seeing) to form the phrase “wide-gazing.”
Europe is often described as a “peninsula of peninsulas.” Europe is a peninsula of the Eurasian supercontinent and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas to the south.
This week we are going to learn all about the Continent of South America. Specifically, we will:
1) Discuss key facts about the Continent of South America. 2) Identify Countries in South America.
3) Highlight important landmarks in South America.
Fact/Tip: Our beautiful country Guyana is in the Continent of -South America. Also, Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America.
Let’s Discuss Key Facts about South America!
South America, the fourth largest of the world’s continents. It is the southern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas.
History:
Evidence of human life in South America dates to 10,000 BC. One of the earliest South American civilizations are recorded in Peru. South America was colonized from the late 15th century by foreign conquistadores mainly from Spain and Portugal, but also from the Dutch, British and French.
People of South America: The Incas were the largest group of indigenous people in South America when the Europeans arrived. The Incan Empire lasted from 1438 until 1533. Indigenous cultures still are present in South America, but the numbers are diminishing. There are still Arawaks and Caribs in Venezuela as well as Guarani in Brazil.
Languages in South America:
The Inca people
Spanish is the main language in South
American countries, only in
Brazil people speak
Portuguese and in Surinam, formerly a Dutch colony, the official language is still Dutch.
Many people speak also
English as a second language. Quechua, the language spoken by the Inca, is the most common indigenous language. Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America.
Let’s Look at the Countries in South America!
The continent generally includes twelve sovereign states:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela; two dependent territories:
NOTE: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands; and one internal territory: French Guiana.
Let’s Examine Some Additional Facts!
1. Largest Country: Brazil. The country covers more than half the continent’s landmass.
Did you know that… Brazil is only slightly smaller than the USA?
2. Largest City: Sao Paolo in Brazil. With more than 22 million inhabitants (2021) Sao Paulo is also one of the ten biggest cities in the world.
3. Smallest Country: Suriname. The country is one of the 10 most sparsely populated countries in the world.
4. Biggest Island: Tierra del Fuego (Spanish meaning: Land of Fire), at the southern tip of Argentina and Chile
5. Longest River: Amazon River (6,437 km/ 4,000 miles).
FACT/TIP: The Amazon is not only the second longest river in the world after the Nile, but also the Amazon carries more water than the world’s other 10 biggest rivers combined!
Highest Mountain: Aconcagua in Argentina. The mountain (6,961 m/ 22,837 ft) is located in the Andes Mountain range.
Fact/Tip: The Aconcagua is considered the second highest of the world’s Seven Summits after Mount Everest which is in Asia.
Biggest Lake: Lake Titicaca (shared by Bolivia and Peru)
Lake Titicaca
Did You Know?
Driest Place: While South America’s rain forests also are some of the wettest places on the earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile is considered the driest place on earth.
Atacama Desert in Chile
Biggest Cities: The most populous city in South America is Sao Paulo. Almost half of the population of the South American continent lives in Brazil.
Other big cities in South America are:
1) Lima (Peru)
2) Bogota (Colombia)
3) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 4) Santiago (Chile) 5) Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Interesting Fact!
There are two landlocked countries in South America: Paraguay and Bolivia are in the interior of the continent and have neither access to the Atlantic Ocean nor to the Pacific Ocean.
Let’s Look At Religion In South America!
Religion: Most of the South American people are Catholics (90%), some Protestants, Jews and some indigenous people have their indigenous beliefs.
Did you know? The southernmost city in the world is on the South American continent! The city is called Ushuaia, is located on the Argentinian part of the Tierra del Fuego and more than 55,000 people live there.
Animals: In South America there are tapirs, piranhas and anacondas and many other animals.
South America is also home to many endangered animals such as the jaguar, the giant otter, or the Amazonian manatee.
Jaguar in the Pantanal region of the Amazon Basin
Main natural resources in South America are minerals such as iron ore (used to make steel), gold, diamond, oil, copper, and agricultural produce such as corn, rice, sugarcane, coffee, wheat, soybean, and cocoa.
South America’s landscape is dominated from mountains and highlands such as the Andes, river basins such as the Amazon and Orinoco and coastal plains where the Atacama Desert also belongs to.
Hope you had fun learning about our beautiful continent-South America. In our next lesson, we are going to explore the Continent of Africa.
Until Next Time
Bye, Boys and Girls