While these cold climates limit crop production, they are also home to thousands of native potato species and the native quinoa plant-a grain-like crop grown for its edible seeds. These climates are characterized by long dry seasons and high winds. Cold climates have an average annual temperature of below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Cold climates occur in the southern ends of Argentina and Chile and the highest elevations of the Andes. However, heavily irrigated crops, such as rice and cotton, are grown in desert oases. This makes agricultural production difficult. Some of these climates are extremely cold, while others are extremely hot-but they all receive very little precipitation. Arid climates are found in deserts, coastal areas, and interior regions throughout South America. Argentina is also an important beef exporter. Brazil is the world’s third-largest beef exporter (behind only Australia and the United States). The Pampas’ vast, high-quality pastures are also the center of South America’s huge ranching industry. Corn is produced throughout the temperate climates, and soybeans have become an increasingly lucrative crop in the Pampas. South America’s temperate climates are home to a number of industrial crops and livestock. Temperate climates have a greater temperature range and lower winter temperatures than tropical climates. The continent’s temperate climates are located south of the Tropic of Capricorn and in the mid-level elevations of the Andes mountains. The chocolate industries of Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador are slowly recovering, but most of the world’s cacao now comes from countries in tropical Africa. In 2000, a fungus spread throughout many of South America’s cacao plantations, devastating the economies of the region and driving up the price of chocolate. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of coffee, and it used to be one of the largest exporters of cacao. Two very important cash crops are coffee and cacao, which is the source of cocoa, the base ingredient in chocolate. Fruits such as avocado, pineapple, papaya, and guava are also native to tropical South America. Many crops thrive in the tropical climates of South America. There is also less precipitation and a prolonged dry season. Temperatures are similar to tropical rainy, but have a greater daily range. Tropical wet and dry conditions occur in the Orinoco River basin, the Brazilian Highlands, and in a western section of Ecuador.
While average annual rainfall is 262 centimeters (103 inches), some areas receive an extreme amount of precipitation the Chocó region of Colombia, for example, receives more than 800 centimeters (315 inches) of rain every year. The regions’ average daily temperature is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) with very little temperature variation throughout the year. Tropical rainy conditions occur in the Amazon River basin, the northeastern coast, and the Pacific coast of Colombia. Tropical climates-which include both tropical rainy and tropical wet and dry climates-cover m ore than half of the continent. It can be divided into four climatic regions: tropical, temperate, arid, and cold. Climate and Agriculture South America extends from a broad equatorial zone in the north to a narrow sub- Arctic zone in the south. The continent’s economy is centered on the export of natural resources. It also has rich fisheries and ports on three bodies of water: the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. South America has diverse agricultural products, vast mineral wealth, and plentiful freshwater.
South America’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. South America, the fourth-largest continent, extends from the Gulf of Darién in the northwest to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the south.
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