Ethnic composition of South America, speaking about this topic, we involuntarily mean the Spaniards and the Portuguese, who, starting from the 15th century. began to assimilate into South American subracial conglomerates. However, we should not forget that South America, like Russia, is a huge geographical formation that is inhabited by more than 250 peoples and nationalities that are in close contact with each other, sprouting more and more new ethnic formations.
The modern population of South America is very, very diverse. It includes representatives of three different races:
- American (Indians – indigenous population);
- Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from Europe);
- Negroid (descendants of slaves brought from Africa);
To put it simply, these are Indians, whites and blacks. Numerous mixed groups are also widespread on the continent - mestizo, sambo, mulatto.
| Country | Area (km²) | Population (2015) | Density (persons/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 766 890 | 43 132 000 | 14,3 | |
| 1 098 580 | 10 520 000 | 8,1 | |
| 8 514 877 | 204 519 000 | 22,0 | |
| 912 050 | 30 620 000 | 27,8 | |
| 1 138 910 | 48 549 000 | 37,7 | |
| 406 750 | 7 003 000 | 15,6 | |
| 1 285 220 | 31 153 000 | 21,7 | |
| 176 220 | 3 310 000 | 19,4 | |
| 756 950 | 18 006 000 | 21,1 | |
| 283 560 | 16 279 000 | 47,1 | |
| 214 970 | 747 000 | 3,6 | |
| 214 970 | 560 000 | 3,6 | |
| 91 000 | 262 000 | 2,1 | |
| 12 173 | 3 000 | 0,24 | |
| |
3 093 | 20 | 0 |
| Total | 17 824 513 | 414 663 000 | 21,5 |
A little history
Racial mixing in South American countries proceeded at a fairly rapid pace, and in addition, new racial types emerged. Before the arrival at the end of the 15th century. Europeans came to South America, the continent was inhabited by many different Indian tribes and peoples who spoke languages, Tupigua-Rani, and others. However, the appearance of European conquerors (Portuguese and Spaniards) radically made significant changes in the ethnic structure of South America.
Tens of thousands of Africans were imported as slaves to do hard work in the mines of Peru and the cane plantations of Brazil and Venezuela. Large populations of mixed Negro-Indian and European-Negro origin formed here. Their contribution to local culture and participation in the ethnic processes of the region was quite large.
After South American countries gained independence, dramatic ethnic changes occurred in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. This happened due to the massive flow of immigrants from Germany, Italy, Croatia and other countries of Western and Eastern Europe. Also in Guyana and Suriname, significant changes in ethnic composition have occurred due to the flow of immigrants from Asia, mainly from India and China.
That is why most of the modern population of the South American continent is of mixed Indian-European origin, and in the northeast the majority is of Negro-European origin. In some countries, fairly large Indian peoples have survived: in Bolivia, the Quechua in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, the Araucanians in Chile.
Language composition
The linguistic composition of the population of South America is much more homogeneous. Since the beginning of European expansion, Portuguese, Spanish and other European languages have been introduced here. Now Spanish is the official state language in most South American countries; it is spoken by about 240-250 million people. It is worth noting the fact that in the Spanish “Latin American” language, under the influence of active migration, many borrowings from French, Italian, English and German appeared. Portuguese is the official language in Brazil, French in French Guiana. Guyana is an English-speaking country. In Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru, along with Spanish, Indian languages are also considered official
By South America population Among all the world's continents it ranks fourth. At the end of 2010, the population of South America was more than 385.7 million people. , obtained as a result of combining all the main indicators for the number of inhabitants of all South American states, amounted to about 21.5 people per square kilometer of territory. If we compare it with the population density of, for example, North America, then this figure is comparable. The distribution of the population in South America, as in North America, can be extremely heterogeneous.
If we talk about the distribution of the population of South America, we can say that the largest observed near the northern coast and in the southwest of the continent. The north of South America has significant oil and gas reserves, so the growth of industrial cities here is understandable. The population of Venezuela and Colombia is trying to migrate to areas where the standard of living is higher than in the outback. This creates certain problems that our country has already faced. As in Russia, many countries in South America are experiencing increasing urbanization. For example, in Uruguay, almost half of the population lives in the capital of the country - the city of Montevideo. In this regard South American population density in terms of the urban component is steadily growing, which already does not always have a positive effect on the development of agriculture in some countries of the region. In Argentina, mass migration of citizens to large cities has not yet been observed, so the country has found its economic balance between industrial and agricultural development. Therefore, Argentina, like Brazil, remain the most developed countries in Latin America. By the way, the population of these countries largely consists of descendants of European immigrants, a stream of whom poured into South America during World War I, as well as revolutions in Russia.
Speaking about the population of South America, it is worth dwelling on the distribution of residents by gender. Thus, according to a recent census, it was found that there are approximately 1.7% more women on the continent (almost 8 million people) than men. According to one of the UN analytical agencies, the downward trend in the male population of South America will continue for decades to come. This is evidenced by large-scale monitoring, which shows that over the past 30 years the population of South America has been increasing, including due to the high birth rate of girls.
However, there are also states on the South American continent where the male population still exceeds the female population. This is, for example, Suriname, where there are about 9,000 fewer women than men out of a population of 487,000 in Suriname.
South America Population Density continues to grow in those subregions experiencing high levels of economic growth. So in Brazilian Sao Paulo the density reaches 9,000 people per 1 sq. km. According to statistics, it continues to grow due to high birth rates and migration.
Also see:
Indigenous peoples of South America
Considering the indigenous population of South America, it is worth noting that the Latin American continent is the region of the planet where Indians are allowed not only to live and develop freely, but also to occupy responsible leadership positions of national importance.
Population of Latin American countries: ethnic composition
The population of Latin America is far from being a regional subject of a national cluster. In our time, we can observe serious ethnic changes associated with the migration of subnational communities.
When Christopher Columbus's ships reached Cuba and Haiti in 1492, the Portuguese were confident that they had sailed to the West Indies. However, in fact, they discovered previously unknown lands to the world, which later became known as South America and North America.
South America was once called “Spanish America” long ago, but the times when the Spaniards and Portuguese ruled this continent are long gone. Now in South America there are 12 completely independent states, each of which is of great interest to inquisitive travelers.
Geography of South America
Most of the continent of South America is located in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. In the west, South America is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and in the east of the continent by the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea separate South America from North America.
There are many islands in South America - Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, Chiloe, Galapagos Islands, Wellington, etc. The total area of South America is exactly 17.757 million square meters. km. This is approximately 12% of the Earth's land area.
The climate in most of the South American continent is equatorial, subequatorial and tropical. In the south the climate is subtropical and temperate. Ocean currents and mountain systems have a huge influence on the climate of South America.
The longest river in South America is the Amazon (6,280 km), which flows through Peru and Brazil. The largest South American rivers also include: Paraná, São Francisco, Tocantins, Orinoco and Uruguay.
There are several very beautiful lakes in South America - Maracaibo (Venezuela), Titicaca (Peru and Bolivia), and Poopo (Bolivia).
On the territory of the equatorial belt of South America there are dense humid equatorial forests - selva, and in the depths of the continent there are tropical and subtropical steppes - campos.
The Andes mountain range (Southern Cordillera), the length of which is about 9 thousand kilometers, passes through almost the entire territory of South America.
The highest mountain on this continent is Aconcagua (6,959 meters).
Population of South America
At the moment, the population of South America reaches 390 million people. This is the fifth largest population of all continents (Asia is first, followed by Africa, Europe and North America).
Representatives of all three major races live on the territory of the South American continent - Caucasians, Mongoloids and Negroids. Since the mixing of races in South America proceeded without any problems, now on this continent there are many representatives of mixed racial groups (mestizo, mulatto, sambo). South American aborigines (Indians) belong to the Mongoloid race. The largest Indian peoples are the Quechua, Araucan, Aymara and Chibcha.
In South American countries, the population speaks mainly Spanish and Portuguese. Indian peoples speak their own local languages (for example, Araucanian).
Countries
At the moment, in South America there are 12 completely independent states (Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile, Suriname and Uruguay), as well as 3 dependent so-called. "territories" - French Guiana, Falkland Islands and Galapagos Islands.
The largest southern African country is Brazil, with an area of 8,511,970 square kilometers, and the smallest is Suriname (area - 163,270 sq. km).
Regions
South America is generally divided into 3 main regions:
- Caribbean South America (Guyana, Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana).
- Andean states (Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia).
- Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay).
However, sometimes South America is divided into other regions:
- Andean countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Bolivia);
- Laplatan countries (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay);
- Brazil.
Cities in South America began to appear during the empires of the South American Indians - the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. Perhaps the oldest South American city is the city of Caral in Peru, founded by Indians, archaeologists believe, about 5 thousand years ago.
The population of South America is more than 350 million people.
Until the end of the 15th century, South America was inhabited by Indian tribes and peoples who spoke languages such as Tipigua Rani, Quechua and Chibcha. They inhabited mainly the Central Andian Highlands (its high mountain valleys). But with the advent of Europeans (Spaniards, Portuguese), the indigenous population began to be exported to Peru and Venezuela as slaves to work on plantations and mines, and immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European countries began to settle in the countries of South America.
For the most part, the modern population is of Indian-European and Negro-European origin. In addition, large Indian peoples live in many countries of South America, for example, in Peru and Ecuador - the Quechua, and in Chile - the Araucanians.
Ethnic composition:
- Indians;
- Europeans;
- immigrants from Asian countries;
- black people.
On average, 10-30 people live per 1 km2, but the fewest people live in the Amazon rainforests and some mountainous areas of the Andes. As for densely populated areas, one such area is Pampa (it occupies the whole of Uruguay and northeast Argentina).
The official language is Spanish, but, for example, in Brazil it is Portuguese, and in Trinidad, Guyana and Tobago it is English.
Large cities: Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Bogota, Salvador.
The population of South America professes Catholicism, Protestantism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.
Lifespan
On average, residents of South American countries live to 65-70 years. For example, in Chile this figure is 76, in Ecuador – 71, and in Suriname – 69 years.
Despite fairly high life expectancy rates, the continent is characterized by a fairly elevated mortality rate among young people and people of pre-retirement age.
The main causes of mortality: cancer, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, as well as poisoning, injuries and accidents.
Traditions and customs of the peoples of South America
Rituals are the main traditions of the peoples of South America. For example, in Brazil, the marriage of young people must be consecrated in church, and at the holiday itself there must be a “sorcerer” whose task is to help the young people protect themselves from the evil eye.
Venezuela is famous for its main traditions - festivals, which are accompanied by dances and songs. In addition, the calendar of Venezuelans is full of various holidays, which they celebrate cheerfully and noisily.
The traditions of the inhabitants of Bolivia - the Indians living here and descendants of mixed marriages - deserve close attention (their traditions are the personification of the true traditions of South America). They express their feelings through songs and dances (popular folk dances are auchi-auchi, kueka, tinki).
Bolivians practice folk art - weaving and knitting (this has not changed at all over the past 3000 years).
Another local custom is the use of coca leaves in everyday life - it is customary to chew them, infuse them, make tea from them and season some dishes with them (in European countries, coca leaves are considered a drug, and in Bolivia they are a tonic).
If you decide to go to South America, you will make the right choice - you will be able to plunge into the mysterious life of this continent.
South America is a part of the world with an area of about 18 million km2. South America was discovered during Spanish naval expeditions.
For a long time, the states of South America were colonially dependent on European powers. After the fall of the metropolises, the reconstruction period began in South America.
Population of South America
The population of South America can be ethnically divided into three categories: whites, mestizos and Indians. Mestizo people predominate in countries such as Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. The people of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile are of European descent.
In countries such as Bolivia and Peru, descendants of the aborigines live - ethnic Indians. At the beginning of the 19th century, the states of South America were covered by a wave of migrants from Europe.
Today, every fifth resident of South America is a direct descendant of the Spaniards or Italians. The absolute majority of the continent's population professes Christianity (Catholicism, Protestant movements).
In remote regions, ancient national beliefs have also been preserved. The socioeconomic population of South Americans depends on the country in which they live. So the most developed country on the continent is Argentina.
In countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Paraguay, there is social inequality - wealthy people (15% of the total population) own 60% of public wealth. About 50% of the population of these states lives below the poverty line.
The high level of urbanization in South American countries does not correspond to the actual number of jobs. This leads to an increase in crime in some states. A striking example of false urbanization in South America is the urbanization of Brazil.
Mainland countries
South America consists of fifteen countries that are located directly on the continent, as well as in the adjacent territories.
South American countries: Guatemala, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Antarctica and Venezuela.
South American countries are classified as developing countries. Each country has rich natural resources, scientific and human potential.
The main economic partners of South American countries are the USA, China, Great Britain and Germany. The largest cities in South America are: Rio de Janeiro (6 million), Sao Paulo (11 million), Buenos Aires (3 million), Lima (7 million), Caracas (3 million).
