South America
South America is a continent on the western side of the southern hemisphere, between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans and to the south of North America.
Commonly referred to as part of the Americas, like North America, South America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a previously undiscovered New World.
South America has an area of 17,820,000 km² (6,880,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the Earth's surface. As of 2005, its population was estimated at more than 371,200,000. South America ranks fourth in area (after Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America).
South America is salsa, cumbia, samba and tango. Life really swings here. The mixture of African, Indian and European influences have given south-america a very distinct flavour and we like it.
The continent offers incredible precolumbian sights all along the Andes in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. The best known of these are probably the Nazca and Machu Picchu in Peru and Ciudad Perdida in Colombia. Furthermore in every south-american country there are lots of stylish colonial churches and palaces. There is no question the lovers of architecture and history will surely find what they are looking for.
If you are looking for an active holiday: there is good skiing in summer in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina; you can find the biggest rainforest and the longest river in the world in Brazil and there is great wildlife almost everywhere. The Galapagos islands (off the coast of Ecuador deserve a special mention here).
When you want to relax a bit head for the carribean : the coast of Venezuela and Colombia has great beaches and a very good atmosphere. Brazil has great beaches as well.
Those who are into the fast paced life of big cities have a number of cities to choose from: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago or Lima all combine modern life with a south-american touch.
In South America most countries are Spanish speaking, with Brazil as the most notable exception where Portuguese is the main language. Furthermore the three Guyana's ( French Guiana, British Guyana and Suriname) speak the language of their former colonial masters as well as their own languages. In all of South America native Indian languages are still spoken, but they become less frequently so.
Top Destinations in South America
Lima
Santiago
Bogota
Rio de Janeiro
Cuzco
Buenos Aires
Quito
Cartagena
Cali
Ecuador
Sao Paulo
Guayaquil
Iquitos
