South America

South America is the fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. It is divided politically into 12 independent countries. Despite the continents incredible natural beauty, awesome scenery and sightseeing wonders, crime and war has left this continent almost entirely out of the holiday makers thoughts. Only a handful of these countries are generally visited by tourists, most of which tend to be backpackers experiencing a part of the world like no other.

The continent extends c.4,750 mi (7,640 km) from Punta Gallinas, Colombia, in the north to Cape Horn, Chile, in the south. At its broadest point, near where it is crossed by the equator, the continent extends c.3,300 mi (5,300 km) from east to west. South America is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama; it is washed on the N by the Caribbean Sea, on the E by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the W by the Pacific Ocean.