20 terms
South America Geography
Altiplano
a broad, high plateau that lies between the ridges of the Andes
South America archipelago
A group or chain of islands
canopy
Dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees
Pampas
A grasslands region in Argentina and Uruguay
Patagonia
A large platuea in southern Chile and Argentina
plateau
A large area of flat land elevated high above sea level
rain forest
Dense forest that receives high amounts of rain each year
savanna
An area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes
tributary
A stream or river that flows into a larger river
tropical
warm, moist climate zone near the equator
Andes
A large system of mountain ranges located along the Pacific coast of Central and South America
Aconcagua
Highest peak in Andes mountains in Argentina
Amazon River
A major river in South America that flows through Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil.
Orinoco River
a river mainly in Venezuela and part of South America's northernmost river system
Rio de la Plata
estuary where the Parana River empties into the Atlantic Ocean
estuary
A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean.
Atacama Desert
a desert located in northern Chile near the border with Peru
Falkland Islands
a group of over 100 islands in the southern Atlantic off the coast of Argentina
Lake Titicaca
highest navigable lake in the world
Galápagos Islands
group of 16 small volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean 966 kilometers (600 miles) off the west coast of South America, where Darwin made some of his most important observations during his voyage on the HMS Beagle