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South America: Facts and Figures

The temperate zone is centered on the Southern Cone. Winters are mild and summers are warm but not hot. On the Atlantic side around Buenos Aires, temperatures average 77°F (25°C) in the summer and 50°F (10°C) in the winter; Santiago de Chile on the Pacific coast is a bit cooler. Regions with hot and humid tropical climates include the rain forests along the Orinoco and Amazon River basins. Seaside cities on the Caribbean and Atlantic such as Caracas and Rio de Janeiro have tropical climates too, as does much of the northern Pacific coast. Temperatures average about 85°F (30°C), with little seasonal variation and heavy rainfall most of the year. But not all regions near the equator share a rainy climate. Northeastern Brazil is hot but parched, and the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, near the tropic of Capricorn, is one of the world’s driest, with average yearly rainfall of 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters). But with altitude as a factor the weather can be blustery in this tropical zone. Temperatures in mountain cities like Bogotá average between 48°F and 68°F (9°C and 20°C), depending on the season. In the high Andes it can dip below freezing, even near the equator. The coldest region is the far south. The climate around Tierra del Fuego and surrounding islands is subantarctic, with high winds and average low temperatures below freezing in the winter, rising to only about 50°F (10°C) in the summer. Flora and Fauna The tropical rain forests along the Orinoco and Amazon River basins are the world’s largest, and the richest as well. In a study conducted in the