Page:Maury's New Elements of Geography, 1907.djvu/92

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1. Minerals.—The mines of South America are among the richest in the world.

Diamonds and various other precious stones are found in Brazil. Many of the purest emeralds in the world come from Colombia. Great quantities of nitrate of soda are obtained in Chile.





Silver is so abundant among the Andes that in early times the Indians often had dishes made of it. The silver mines of Peru and Bolivia have been worked for hundreds of years and are still productive.

The copper mines of Chile are very rich.

2. Animals.— The forests swarm with animals.

Outline.—Look at the map on page 17 and tell in which heat belts South America lies. What line crosses the northern part? Trace the long neck of land which joins South America to North America. What is its name? Does it run north and south or east and west?

With your finger trace the western coast of South America. Do you find many arms of the ocean forming gulfs and bays? A coast that has few inlets from the ocean we call a regular coast. Now trace in the same way the northeastern and southwestern coasts. A part of these coasts has many inlets, hence we call it an irregular coast line. Is the western coast line of South America like the western coast line of North America? Are the eastern coast lines of these continents alike or different?

Mountains and Plains.—Put your finger on the eastern extremity of South America and move it directly west. First you pass over several ranges of mountains. What is their name? Which way do they run? Next you come to a dark green portion of the map. This is a part of the Great Central plain. Which way do the rivers run at this point? Into what do they flow? Next you come to a high range of mountains and then to a second and a third range. Westward of these mountains you find a narrow strip of land along the coast. This is colored a light green. This color means that the land is higher than the dark green plain east of the mountains. From the point where you cross the mountains trace southward to the end of the continent and northward to the Caribbean sea. What name is given to this long range of mountains? In what part of it do you find two ranges? Three? What countries occupy these sections? Find the Orinoco river. Trace southward to the Amazon. What name is given to the mountains between these two rivers?

Rivers.—Place your finger on the mouth of the Amazon. Trace this river westward until you come to the Andes mountains. Then southward between the two ranges until you find its source. In which direction does the Amazon flow? How can you tell this? In the same way trace the Orinoco river to its source. In what mountains does it rise? Notice that it is connected by a small stream with the Rio Negro. When the water is high, boats can go from the Orinoco to the Amazon. Now find the mouth of the La Plata river. This is a short, wide river formed by two other rivers. What are their names? The longer one is the Paraguay. Trace it northward. In what country does it rise? Notice that its source is only a few miles distant from the source of another river flowing into the Amazon.

Trace two rivers that flow into the Paraguay from the west. In what mountains do they have their sources? Find a large river flowing into the Paraguay from the east. Trace it northward until you find its source. Among what mountains is it? Near this place you find the sources of other rivers which flow northward. One of them is called the San Francisco river. Into what water does it flow? Others flow into the Atlantic ocean near the mouth of the Amazon. What are their names? The gray colored part where these rivers rise is called a watershed. A watershed is like the ridge of a roof. It is the highest part and makes the water flow in different directions. Can you find a watershed between the Amazon and the Orinoco rivers? Find other watersheds among the mountains of Brazil and in the Andes. Every mountain range is really a watershed, since it makes the water flow in different directions. Sometimes two streams that flow through different valleys join and make one large stream. Find such cases on the map.

These studies can be carried further, if desired, in the same manner as those on North America, p. 34.