About one half of the western coast is a dry desert. The trade-winds from the east, in crossing the Andes south of the Equator, become extremely dry, and, passing down to the Pacific, cause a rainless coast nearly two thousand miles long. A large district of the high plateau of Bolivia is called "the Despoblado," or "the Uninhabited," from the dryness and severity of its climate. 8. Vegetation.-The richness and variety of the tropical vegetation are indescribable. The dense forests of the plains and mountains abound in India-rubber and palm trees, and in rose wood, mahogany, and dye-woods. Other products, such as coffee, cocoa, indigo, tapioca, cotton, and sugar, are limited only by the amount of labor and cultivaarea covered by vegeta- tion bestowed upon them. 9. Animals. Among the remarkable animals are the llama, a beast of burden, and the alpaca of the Andes; they are something like small camels. Besides these are the puma, the jaguar, and the monkey, the boa, the condor, the nandu, or American ostrich, the penguin, and the humming-bird. Insects are more numerous and brilliant than in any other continent. Horses, cattle, and sheep were introduced from Europe. Questions (I.)-1. What is the shape of South America? Its area? Population? -2. Into how many parts is its surface divided? What are they? What is said of the Andes Mountains? What is between them?-3. What is said of the Great Central Plain? How is this plain drained?-4. What is the character of the northern part of the Great Central Plain? What is it called? What is the meaning of llanos? What is its area?-5. Which is the largest part? What is the central part called? What is the meaning of selvas?-6. What is the area of the southern part? What is it called? What is the meaning of pampas ?-7. What is the climate of the greater part of South America? Of the table-lands of the Andes? Of the southern part of the continent? of the western coast?-8. What is said of the vegetation? In what do the forests abound? What is said of other products ?-9. Which are the most remarkable animals? What is said of the insects? Of the horses, cattle, and sheep? (II.)-1. What is the character of the coasts of South America ?-2. What is said of the Andes Mountains? Where are they highest? How high are the highest peaks? Where are they broken? What do they contain?-3. How far does the Great Central Plain extend towards the east? To what causes is the rain-fall due? 4. What is the condition of the northern part of the plain at the close of the rainy season? What does it support? What is its condition before the end of the dry season? What is done with the horses and cattle during the drought?-5. Describe the central part of the plain? What is the extent of the great forest?-6. To what is the southern part of the plain similar? What does it support? What is said of the animals of the llanos and the pampas ?-7. What is the cause of the moist climate of the plains? What do the table-lands of the Andes contain? Why? What is the cause of the rains west of the Patagonian Andes? Of the dryness east of these mountains? What is the condition of these plains farther to the north? What is the cause of the extreme dryness of so large a part of the Pacific coast of South America? What name has been given to a part of the plateau of Bolivia? 78 General. POLITICAL SOUTH AMERICA: QUESTIONS ON THE MAP.-REVIEW EXERCISES.--DESCRIPTION. LXXVII. QUESTIONS ON THE MAP. What countries of South America border on the Caribbean Sea? On the Atlantic Ocean? On the Pacific? Through what countries do the Andes extend? What countries are drained by the Orinoco and its branches? By the Amazon? By the La Plata? What countries are crossed by the Equator? By the Tropic of Capricorn? Brazil. What countries border on Brazil? Which country of South America does not border on it? What river drains the northern part of Brazil? Which is its chief northern branch? Its chief southern branch? What island just south of the Equator? Between what two rivers? What mountains near the northern boundary? What mountain chains near the eastern coast? What river breaks through the Serro Espinhaco Mountains? What branches of the La Plata rise in Brazil ? What city is the capital? What cape is near it? What city south of Cape St. Roque? On the Para? Between Para and Pernambuco? Between Pernambuco and Rio Janeiro? On what bay? Guiana. How many divisions in Guiana? To whom do they belong? What is the capital of each? Venezuela.-What countries border on Venezuela? What sea on the north? What lake and what gulf in Venezuela? What large river? What island near its mouth? What city is the capital? What town is its port? What other port on the coast? What town on the Orinoco? Colombia.-What countries border on Colombia? What cape at its northern extremity? What waters? Which is its chief river? What city near its mouth? What city is the capital? What city in the southwest? What isthmus in Colombia? What two ports on it? By what railroad are they connected? (See small map.) Ecuador. What countries border on Ecuador? What gulf on its shores? What volcanoes are in Ecuador? What city is the capital? How situated? What city is its port? Peru. What countries border on Peru? What lake partly in it? What cape in the northwest? What islands near Cape Blanco? What city is the capital? What city is the port of Lima? What city northeast of Lima? What city in the southwest? What city north of Arequipa? Bolivia.-What countries border on Bolivia? What mountain near Lake Titicaca? What city is the capital? What other cities in Bolivia? Chili. What countries border on Chili? What country is partly included in the southern portion of Chili? (Patagonia.) To what country does the rest of Patagonia belong? What large island belongs to Chili? What small islands west? For what is one of these islands famous? (For having been the solitary residence of Alexander Selkirk, whose story was afterwards written as Robinson Crusoe.) What desert west of the Andes? In what part of Chili is the Desert of Atacama? What group of islands south of Patagonia? What group east? What cape south of Tierra del Fuego? What city is the capital of Chili? What large city is its port? What port north of Valparaiso? Argentine Republic.-What countries border on the Argentine Republic? What rivers form parts of its boundary? What city is the capital? What city near the centre? North of Cordova? Southeast of Cordova? Near the Andes? Uruguay. What countries border on it? What rivers? What city is the capital? Paraguay. What countries border on it? What rivers form parts of its boundary? What city is the capital? Cities and Towns.-In what part of the country? How situated ?— CARACAS? La Guayra? Maracaybo? Angostura? BoGota ? Popayan? Cartagena ? Panama? Colon? QUITO ? Guayaquil ? LIMA? Callao? Pasco? Cuzco? Arequipa? Sucre? LA PAZ? Cochabamba? Potosi? SANTIAGO? Valparaiso? Coquimbo? BUENOS AYRES? Rosario? Mendoza? Cordova? Tucuman? MONTEVIDEO? ASUNCION? RIO JANEIRO? Bahia? Pernambuco ? Maranham ? Para? Santos? GEORGETOWN? PARAMARIBO? CAvenne? Islands. Where situated?-Trinidad? Joannes? Tierra del Fuego? Falkland? Chiloe? Juan Fernandez? Lobos Is. Mountains. Where are they?-Andes? Pacaraima? Serro Espinhaco? Cotopaxi (v.)? Chimborazo (v.)? Sorata? Seas, Gulfs, and Bays.- Where is it?-Caribbean? Darien? Venezuela? All Saints? Guayaquil? Panama? Rivers. Where does it rise? In what direction does it flow? Through what countries? Into what body of water ?-Magdalena? Orinoco? Amazon? Negro? Para? Madeira? San Francisco? La Plata? Uruguay? Parana? Paraguay ? Lakes. Where situated? What outlet ?-Maracaybo? Titicaca ? POLITICAL LXXIX. DESCRIPTION. SOUTH AMERICA. 1. South America, like the northern continent, was settled and occupied by emigrants from Europe. Almost all of the civilized people are found in a broad band which surrounds the continent, and crosses its narrow southern part from Santiago to Buenos Ayres. The large cities of the northern and western countries are in the high and cool table-lands; those of the eastern are sea-ports of the Atlantic. There are millions of Indians, the greater part of whom are halfcivilized, the rest of them being savages. 2. South America has had a comparatively limited commerce. It is now rapidly increasing, especially in Brazil, the Argentine Republic, and Chili. The tropical climate and frequent civil wars have tended to repress commercial enterprise, and the grandest system of navigable rivers on the globe is yet but little used. There are about 17,000 miles of railway; chiefly in Brazil, the Argentine Republic, Chili, and Peru. There are no good common roads. 80 BRAZIL. THE GUIANAS.-SPANISH SOUTH AMERICA: VENEZUELA.-COLOMBIA. The Panama Railroad crosses the isthmus. It is the most important railway in South America, being the shortest trade route between the Atlantic and the Pacific. 3. The countries of South America may be considered under three divisions: 1st, Portuguese South America, or the Republic of Brazil; 2d, the Guianas, or European colonies; and, 3d, the nine Spanish Republics. 4. Portuguese South America.-Brazil is the largest and most important country of South America. It comprises more than two fifths of the continent, and is about the Brazil has about 6000 miles of railroad. The Amazon and its Other important ports of Brazil are Bahia, the second city, Pernambuco, Maranham, Santos, and Para. 5. The Guianas are colonies of Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands. The chief exports are indigo, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and other tropical productions. The ports of Georgetown, Cayenne, and Paramaribo are the capitals and the chief centres of commerce. 6. Spanish South America comprises nine independent republics, viz., Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Argentine Republic, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Each republic consists of a number of states under a general government, as in Mexico. The Andean portion is so rugged that the back of an Indian or of a sure-footed mule is almost the only means of travel and traffic over the rude and dangerous mountain roads. The Argentine Republic has about 7000 miles of railway, Chili 1800, Peru 1700, and Bolivia none. The others have from 50 to 300 each. These republics were once colonies of Spain. The language spoken by the civilized inhabitants is Spanish. In all the republics of Spanish America, from Mexico to Chili, the Spanish creoles are greatly outnumbered by the Indians and mixed races. This fact has an important influence upon the enterprise, commerce, and social and political condition of these countries. 7. Venezuela.-Venezuela exports coffee, cocoa, and other tropical products from La Guayra and Maracaybo on the Caribbean Sea, and the cattle products of the llanos from Angostura on the Orinoco. Caracas, the capital and larg est city, is 3000 feet above the sea. 8. Colombia.- Colombia. is the most important of the five northern republics. This is due to its geographical position. It contains the Isthmus of Panama, which is the most direct route for the rapidly increasing commerce between the countries bordering the two great oceans. A short railroad from Panama to Aspinwall is now the route of this commerce. A great canal for the largest sea-going vessels is projected across the isthmus between these cities. The work of excavation was carried on for several years under French direction. In 1889, however, after an expenditure of nearly $200,000,000, all work was suspended owing to lack of funds. Magdalena River is the chief artery of internal commerce. The chief exports are Peruvian bark, from which qui ECUADOR. PERU.-BOLIVIA.-CHILI.-ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.-URUGUAY.-PARAGUAY. nine is extracted, coffee, and tobacco. Bogota, the capital and largest city, is nearly 9000 feet above the sea Popayan is the second city. Cartagena, Savanilla, Barranquilla, Panama, and Colon, are the chief ports. 9. Ecuador.-The exports of Ecuador are cocoa, Indiarubber, Peruvian bark, and vegetable ivory nuts. Guayaquil is the chief port. Quito is the capital and largest city. INDIA RUBBER TREES. 10. Peru. The chief exports are guano and silver. Lima, the capital, is the largest city. Its sea-port is Callao. Pasco, 13,000 feet above the sea, the most elevated city in the world, is surrounded with silver-mines. Cuzco and Arequipa are large cities. Lake Titicaca, on the borders of Bolivia, 13,000 feet above the sea, is the highest large mountain lake in the world. Its waters flow into Lake Aullagas in Bolivia. One of the Peruvian railways reaches an elevation of nearly 16,000 feet. This is now the highest point in the world where a piston moves. 11. Bolivia.- Bolivia, having neither sea-coast nor railways, has but little commerce. Peruvian bark and silver-ore are exported through Buenos Ayres. The large cities Sucre, Potosi, Cochabamba, and La Paz, the capital, are all on the plateau. 12. Chili.-Chili is one of the most enterprising countries of South America, and has a large proportion of European inhabitants. It has a coast-line of about 2500 miles. The exports are guano, saltpetre, copper-ore, silver, and wheat. 81 Guano is obtained from the Lobos Islands and other parts of the rainless coast; saltpetre from the southern part of the same region. Santiago, the capital, is the largest city. Valparaiso, the second city, is the largest sea-port on the Pacific coast of America, excepting San Francisco. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego form the southern part of South America. The western portion of this extensive region belongs to Chili, the eastern to the Argentine Republic. The native inhabitants are savage tribes. 13. The Argentine Republic.-The Argentine Republic is a rival of Chili in enterprise. Emigration from Southern Europe, and commerce, are increasing. Education is advancing more rapidly than in any other country in South America. The chief exports are wool, sheep-skins, hides, tallow, and other cattle products. Two thirds of the hides are sent to the United States. The capital, Buenos Ayres, is the largest city in South America, and a great sea-port. Other important cities, Rosario, Mendoza, Cordova, Tucuman, and Corrientes, are on the great trade-routes to Chili, Bolivia, and Paraguay. 14. Uruguay.—Uruguay is similar in its leading exports to the Argentine Republic. Montevideo, the capital, has a large trade in cattle products. 15. Paraguay.—Paraguay is the weakest of the nine republics, and, like Bolivia, having no sea-coast, has but little commerce. Asuncion is the capital. Questions (I.)-1. By whom was South America settled?-2. What is said of its commerce? Of the Panama Railroad?-3. How may the countries of South America be considered? What are the divisions?-4. Which is the largest? What are the principal productions of Brazil? What is the extent of its trade with the United States? What city is the capital? For what is it noted? What other important ports?-5. To what countries do the Guianas belong? What are the chief exports? What cities are the capitals and centres of commerce?-6. What does Spanish South America comprise? Name them. Of what does each republic consist? What is said of the inhabitants of the republics of Spanish America? Why is this an important fact?-7. What are the exports of Venezuela? What city is the capital? What is said of it?-8. Of Colombia? What are the chief exports? What city is the capital? What is said of it? Of Popayan? What are the chief ports?-9. What are the exports of Ecuador? The chief port? What is the capital?-10. What are the chief exports of Peru? What city is the capital? What is said of it? What is its sea-port?-11. What is said of the commerce of Bolivia? What are the exports? Which are the large cities? Where are they?-12. For what is Chili noted? What are the chief exports? What is the capital and largest city? For what is Valparaiso noted?-13. What is said of the Argentine Republic? Of emigration and commerce? Of education? What are the chief exports? Where are most of the hides sent? What city is the capital? What is said of it? Which are the other important cities? Where are they?-14. What are the exports of Uruguay? What is the capital? What is said of it?-15. Of Paraguay? What is the capital? (II.)-1. In what part of South America are most of the civilized inhabitants? Where are the large cities? What is said of the Indians?-2. Why has South America so little commerce? What is said of the roads?-4. What is said of Brazil? Where is most of the population? Of what does it consist? Where are most of the negroes? What is said of the railroads of Brazil? Of the Amazon? Of the telegraphs?-6. What is said of the Andean portion of the Spanish Republics? Of what country were these republics once colonies? What is said of the railways? What language is spoken?-8. Why is Colombia the most important of the five northern republics? What commercial route does it contain? What is the present route of this commerce? 10. For what is Pasco noted Cuzco and Arequipa? Lake Titicaca? Where do its waters flow? What is said of one of the railways?-12. Where is guano obtained? What other route is being constructed? What is said of it? Of the Magdalena? Saltpetre? What country and group of islands form the southern part of South America? To what countries do they belong? What are the native inhabitants? |