Category:South America



South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It became attached to North America only recently, geologically speaking, with the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. The Andes, likewise a comparatively young and seismically restless mountain range, run down the western edge of the continent; the land to the east of the Andes is largely tropical rain forest, the vast Amazon River basin. Most countries in South America are Spanish speaking; Brazil is the only nation in the Americas where the official language is Portuguese.
 * Note: South America does not fully include Latin America'' and is not fully part of it.