McGraw-Hill SocialStudies 2003 Return to Unit List
Grade 5
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Unit 9: Our Neighbors in the Western Hemisphere
Part 4: South America
 
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South America's Land

Most of South America is in the Southern Hemisphere and lies in the . It has large areas of mountains, rain forests, deserts, and plains, which are known as the Pampas. The is the second largest river in the world, and the Amazon Basin contains the world's largest rain forest.

South America's Past

What is known today as Peru was the location of South America's first empire, which was ruled by the . In 1531, Pizarro conquered the Incas, and the empire became a colony. Portugal founded , which became the largest colony in South America. The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France also started colonies on the continent. and Colombia gained independence from Spain when Simon Bolivar's army defeated the Spanish army in 1819, and in 1824 Bolivar defeated the Spanish in Peru. Jose de San Martin won battles in and Chile. Brazil gained its independence in 1825.

South America Today

South America is made up of a mix of Indian, mestizo, African, and European cultures. It is rich in natural resources such as and timber. Sugar, coffee, cacao, and are grown for export. Even so, most South American countries cannot afford the price of the that are produced.

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