9781422286395

(Opposite) Iguaçu (or Iguazú) Falls is located at the point where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet. The breathtaking falls stretch for more than 2 miles (3.2 km), with drops of more than 260 feet (80 meters). (Right) Sugar Loaf Mountain, shown at sunset, towers over the entrance to Guanabara Bay near Rio de Janeiro. 1

Giant of South America

BRAZIL IS THE largest of the Latin American countries, and the fifth-largest country in the world by area, after Russia, Canada, China, and the United States. Covering almost half of South America, it spans four time zones and borders every country on the continent except Chile and Ecuador. The equa- tor passes through the north of the country near Macapá. The tropic of Capricorn passes through the south of the country near São Paulo. The Atlantic Ocean stretches across the eastern side of the country, giving it a coastline of 4,578 miles (7,367 kilometers). Lowlands and Highlands Two main features characterize the landscape of Brazil: the densely forested lowlands of the Amazon Basin in the north, and the generally open

9