Southwest High School - Roundup Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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and Victoria Regia are excellent examples of the former: among the latter are oranges, limes, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and pomegranates. The greatest expanse of South America has a rainy, tropical climate. Since the heat is often so intense, the mountains have proved a great help to this continent, moderating the climate by offering their cool slopes and sending down refreshing streams of fresh, cold water. The climate is varied also by the fact that South America extends on both sides of the equator in contrast with the position of North America. West coast winds first modify its atmo- sphere: and then as they pass over the Andes eastward, they saturate the Amazon basin with rain. The precipitation has reached two hundred inches here at times. After the winds have crossed the mountains again, they leave the western slopes dry. However, in the South, climatic conditions are reversed. The western winds bring the rain and leave the Southeast dry. Thus their winter months are June, July, and August, and their summer months, December, January, and February, South America is a continent rich in mineral resources. The Andes hold fabulous reserves of gold, silver, copper, and tin: Brazil has large gold and diamond mines: Bolivia, great silver mines: and Chile is rich in copper, silver, coal, guano, niter, borax, and iodine compounds. The country also holds mercury and lead deposits of great value. But the treasures of this country of rugged mountains and rolling plains, fringed in dense tropical forests and reached by only a few navigable rivers, lie locked in unscaled mountains and impenetrable jungles, and we can only guess at their value. galil- if-50 Q14 ,an- Qi QE w hit 11- - 1v,gfr- - jeu V 1 ii,.'f ,: ' - , ' ,I t .. : .' 5 -.I --: 1 ' -: I 1- . .. , ll ,, r az,-2 f O ' 0 ' is A ' A Ruth Bunch Flllwu

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THE GEOGRAPHY OF SGUTH AMERICA By JOCILLE MCINTYRE SERIES of mountain ranges, tropical forests, and rich plains woven together into a great irregular triangle, 4800 miles long and 3230 miles wide, is a geographic picture of South America. With 7,000,000 square miles, it is the fourth largest conti- nent in the world. The coast-line is peculiarly regular with few good har- 9 bors. Very few rivers flow from the interior, none of them are navigable very far inland, and they all empty into the 'l Atlantic. The Amazon, largest of South America's rivers, T is also the largest in the world. Even it, however, is dili- -V cult to navigate, and most of its tributaries have near their junction rapids or falls that make them of small navigable use. Yet the Amazon is the only means of transportation for an area two- thirds as large as the United States. The Rio de la Plata, the Guayaquil, and the Magdelena Rivers are the most navigable of the remaining rivers, and hence assume great importance commercially. North America and South America have in common the long chain of mountains which extends along the western coast, reaching from the Alaskan peninsula to Cape Horn. This chain is the principal mountain range of South America. It stretches 4500 miles: and while its width is not great, its peaks rise so high that they rank second highest in the world. Across the interior lowlands to the north and east rise three chains of comparatively old and worn mountains. The intervening valleys contain what was once much of the grandeur and rugged beauty of these mountains. Hidden in the Andes are three distinct series of active volcanoes, reaching a surprising total of over thirty. Between these mountain ranges lie the lowlands. West of the Andes lies a 100-mile strip reaching to the Pacific, but it is of relatively small importance. However, with the Andes on the west and the Plateau of Guiana on the east, lies a fertile valley known as the Ilanos, through which the Orinoco River winds its way. The other lowlands of the continent are the Amazon basin and the pampas, or open steppes, of Argentina, and the pasture lands of Brazil. The elevation is generally less than 1000 feet above sea level, although it has been stated that seven per cent of the continent has an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. The pampas is a wide-flung plain with fertile, sedimentary soil yielding a coarse grass upon which horses, cattle, and sheep thrive part of the year. It is drained by only one stream, although numerous pools of water stand about. The great savanas also are covered with a coarse, dry grass and scrub brush dotted only occasionally with a straggly clump of trees. The rainfall here is very irregular. For nine months of the year these plains receive ample precipitation, but for the remaining three months receive less than two inches. During these months the grass, trees, and all vegetation Withers away until the plain looks like a desert. These savanas spread over one-fourth of the continent. Two-thirds of South America, however, is covered by vast tropical forests. Half of this forest percentage is the dense tropical-rain forest in which both the variety of plant life and its rapid growth are so astonishing. Within these forests lie a hidden wealth in valuable timber, ornamental woods, dyewoods, cinchona, india-rubber, vegetable ivory, mahogany, cedar, ebony, wax palm, bamboos, and fig trees, simply because the dense vegetation and dangerous insect pests make traveling overland so hard. The vegetation, although growing on an extensive scale, yields many exquisite flowers and fruits. The orchid Fourteen

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GREAT CITIEQ3 QF SCDLJTI-I AMERICA y LVINACTON OUTH AMERICA may be likened to an uncut diamond, for ef' .1 .0 although civilization has known of the untold wealth awaiting Jil p development, it is only in recent years that man has made any i ill! fi , real effort to use this wealth. This fact also holds true for the cities, for contrary to the common belief that they are un- ? if healthy remnants of the past, they are extremely modern and f 'W S show an ever increasing tendency toward growth and im- m ,,,,,gL A provement. 2 A I Buenos Aires is the largest and most important city not only 1- I I fe . , of South America, but also the entire southern hemisphere. It , N ' is an outstanding example of rapid growth. From a population ',' ggi, p of 300,000 in 1880, it has risen to its present 2,476,887. It 'I' I M is both the capital and the heart of the Republic of Argentina: for situated at the head of a great ocean route from Europe to South America, it is served by ships of all nationalities, trading with coun- tries from all over the world. Two rivers, the Parana and the Uruguay, and all railways from the interior converge here. Thus Buenos Aires acts as a distributing point to the interior. The city is one of the leading manufacturing and shipping centers in South America, and exports products of the cattle and sheep industry, grains, and manufactured goods to all parts of the world. This city has been practically rebuilt in recent years, and now is a modern city with streets, parks, and plazas laid out in rectangular form. It lies on a plain which gently slopes down to the river. With an up-to-date drainage system, Buenos Aires lost its reputation for unhealthfulness. Its parks are many, and all are beautifully adorned with statues and fountains. Airlines connect Buenos Aires with almost all cities of importance in the western hemi- sphere. Its system of street-cars and subways is one of the best in the world, and all parts of the city are connected by them. The principal buildings are the Opera House, the state museum and library in conjunction with the Uni- versity of Buenos Aires, and a large cathedral. It is truly a busy and beautiful city. The second largest city in South America is Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. It was first discovered in 1502 by Goncalo Coelho, but did not begin to grow until about half a century ago. Now it has a population of 1,801,784 and covers about sixty square miles. Rio is located on the southern shore of a landlocked harbor Hfteen miles in length, and from two to ten miles in width. The city covers about six miles of this coast, which is a narrow alluvial strip between the sea and the mountains. A white marble promenade has been constructed along its entire length. Palatial buildings and numerous statues and fountains are outstandingly beautiful. Avenid Rio Branco is an interesting street one mile long and 108 feet wide. It has a line of palm trees down the center, passes over picturesque causeways. and is lined with ornate banks, hotels, and public buildings. This street is the chief artery of traffic of the city and is one of the most beautiful in South America. Rio de Janeiro is surrounded by precipitous, granite mountains, two of which, the Par de Assucar fSugar Loaf Mountainl and Corcovado, a jagged peak rising from the city, give individuality and beauty. The temperature ranges between 600 and 900, and along with the beauty attracts thousands of tourists annually. On the alluvial peninsula an airport, Santos Dumont, has been built, and furthers the tourist trade. The city's industrial activities are many, but few are of vital importance. Shipping, favored by the city's mag- niflcent harbor, is the leading industry. In the United States very little is ever heard about Sao Paulo, Brazil, and yet it is the third largest city in South America. It has a population of 1,268,- 894, most of whom are Germans and Italians. It is located 310 miles south Sixteen