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Amazon Basin

Andes Mountains

Amazon River

Atacama Desert

Pampas

Guiana Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Llanos

Patagonia

Angel falls

Aconcagua

Amazon Basin• Largest drainage basin in the world• 1.7 billion acres

– 1.4 billion acres are rainforest

• Largely unexplored because of dense rainforest

• Tons of life

Amazon River• Largest river by volume

– Average 7,734,000 cubic feet/second– Up to 11,000,000 in rainy season

• 2nd longest river in the world– 4,400 miles

• Can be up to 120 miles wide

Andes Mountains

• Longest continental mountain range– 4,300 miles long, 430 miles wide,

13,000 ft tall

• Many active volcanoes

Aconcagua22,841 ft

Atacama Desert

• Driest desert in the world– Dry as .04 inches a year

• Caused by rain shadow– Humboldt Current

• Cold water keeps air cold which cannot hold moisture

Llanos• Tropical grassland

• Scarlet Ibis

Pampas• Fertile lowlands• Mild climate with 34 inches of rain

average• Frequent wildfires so little trees• Gauchos (Cowboy)

Patagonia• Combinations of Andes and plateaus• Vast differences in landscapes

• Torres del Paine

Angel falls

• 3,212 ft tall