South America

noun

1. a continent in the S part of the Western Hemisphere. About 6,900,000 sq. mi. (17,871,000 sq. km).

South America

noun

1. the fourth largest of the continents, bordering on the Caribbean in the north, the Pacific in the west, and the Atlantic in the east and joined to Central America by the Isthmus of Panama. It is dominated by the Andes Mountains, which extend over 7250 km (4500 miles) and include many volcanoes; ranges from dense tropical jungle, desert, and temperate plains to the cold wet windswept region of Tierra del Fuego. Pop (Latin America and the Caribbean): 558 281 000 (2005 est). Area: 17 816 600 sq km (6 879 000 sq miles)

South America

1. Continent in the Western Hemisphere , connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama .

Notes

All of the Latin American nations in South America and Central America achieved their independence from Spain or Portugal in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Exploration of the continent began in the sixteenth century with the Portuguese claiming what is now Brazil and the Spanish claiming most of the remaining land. Settlement was accompanied by the defeat of many of the Native American cultures , including the Inca Empire.

Other Words From

• South American adjective noun

Example Sentences

My only worry is that a lot of our players will have been in South America but it definitely helps that we are playing on Sunday and have 24 hours more rest.

From BBC

She went on to lead a study examining the relationship between climate change and conflict, including civil war, which has identified that South America, Oceania, and Southeast Asia are understudied regions.

From Science Daily

The international clinical trial involved nearly 300 people across seven countries in Africa, North and South America.

From Science Daily

Alongside the skull - which is from a Belgian collection – the sale listed shrunken heads from the Jivaro people of South America and skulls from the Ekoi people of West Africa.

From BBC

As farmers head for Westminster, the prime minister has been heading for South America - he is at the G20 Summit of the world’s biggest economies in Brazil for the next few days.

From BBC