South America 101-: Interesting and Little Known Facts

South America is full of surprises, not the least of which is its location. Many of us believe South America is directly South of North America and the United States, when in fact it is further to the Southeast. Most, for example, don’t realize that Cleveland, Ohio is further west than most of South America. That’s just the start of some interesting and little known facts about South America.

• South Americas major exports aren’t manufactured products but primary commodities like fuel, plants and food.
• Brazil is the 8^th largest auto producing country in the world.
• The two most spoken languages in Brazil are Portuguese and German.
• South America consists of twelve countries with Portuguese and Spanish being the primary languages.
• In Paraguay visitors don’t knock on doors or ring door-bells. Instead, they announce their arrivals by clapping hands.
• South Africa’s Andes mountain range is the world’s longest at over 4,300 miles.
• Bolivia is home to the world’s largest salt flat.
• Charles Darwin was only 26 years old when he first visited the Galapagos Islands.
• Every country in South America borders Brazil with the two exceptions being Chili and Ecuador.
• The highest point in South America is in Argentina in the Andes Mountain.
• There are still indigenous ethnic groups in South America that have no contact with civilization.
• At almost 12,000 feet, La Paz, Bolivia is one of the highest elevated cities in the world and is the world’s highest capital city.
• About 70% of South Americans have smartphones with that number expected to increase to 80% by 2025.
• Venezuela is the largest oil-producing country in South America and one of the largest producers of petroleum on the planet.
• About 76% of all South Americans have access to the internet. That compares to about 54% of those across the globe.
• Argentina was one of the first countries in the world to have radio broadcasting. It also has had two female presidents.
• The southernmost point of South America is known as Cape Horn, and is noted for its unpredictable and dangerous weather and waters.

With over 300 languages spoken, South America is a large and diverse continent that has some of the planet’s driest areas, the tallest mountains, the largest rain forests and the longest river. It is worth knowing more about.