Population density of South America. Population composition of modern South America

Geography lesson in 7th grade “Population and countries of South America”

Target:

Teach children to name and show the largest countries by area and population;

Find out the reasons for the movement of people in different areas of the continent, the unique culture of the population of individual countries;

Cultivate interest in studying geography.

Equipment: political map, atlases, textbooks, notebooks, presentation.

Lesson progress

1. Checking homework.

2. Setting the topic and purpose of the lesson.

– To determine the topic of the lesson, we need to solve a crossword puzzle.

The longest mountain ranges on land in South America. ( Andes)

The largest lake that lies in the north in the depression earth's crust and is connected by a narrow channel to the Gulf of the Caribbean Sea. ( Maracaibo)

The man who was the first to express the idea of ​​the existence of lands unknown to Europeans and who took part in two expeditions to new lands. ( Vespucci)

The tallest waterfall in the world. ( Angel, 1054 m)

Russian botanist who established the origin of some cultivated plants, whose homeland is South America. ( Vavilov)

What does Andes mean in Incan language? ( Copper)

A river that is part of the largest river basin in the world. ( Amazon)

The largest alpine lake in the world. ( Titicaca)

What are the rugged moist evergreen equatorial forests called? ( Selva)

A natural zone replacing equatorial forests. ( Savannah)

Semi-desert zone located in the south of the continent. ( Patagonia)

Coniferous trees growing in the east of the Brazilian plateau have been almost completely destroyed. ( Araucaria)

A rodent whose body length is 60-70 cm. ( Vizcacha)

The largest snake on earth. ( Anaconda)

The largest birds of prey on our planet, with a wingspan of up to 3 m. ( condors)

- Well done, guys, you did a great job and now you can name the topic of our lesson (“Population and countries”).

– Today in the lesson you will learn what the population of South America is, when the first settlers appeared, what countries are located on the territory of South America and much more...

3. Studying a new topic.

– How many years do you think we need to go back to learn about the first settlers of South America? (Children's answers)

Archaeological excavations in South America suggest that the first people appeared on the continent 15-17 thousand years ago. These were the ancestors of modern Indians from North America, which even earlier, about 25 thousand years ago, began to be populated by immigrants from Asia who crossed the land bridge across the Bering Strait, which connected Eurasia and North America. The ancient tribes based on the mainland were at a low level of development. They led a wandering lifestyle and were mainly engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering. Having no connections with the peoples of other continents, over a long historical period the peoples of South America created a unique culture. 7 thousand years ago agriculture began on the mainland. In the XV - XVI centuries. Before the arrival of Europeans, a large Indian state emerged - the Inca Empire, which included the territory of modern Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. (Show) The majority of the population of this state were Quechua Indians. In the capital of the state, Cusco, multi-storey buildings were erected from carefully fitted stone beams. These buildings were distinguished by their extraordinary strength. The largest structure was the Temple of the Sun, decorated with gold plates. In one of the temples there was a “golden garden”, which got its name because of the image of skillfully made animals, plants and insects made of gold and silver. The Incas had widespread stone sculpture and ceramics. In the Inca culture, literature, music, choreography and other types of arts developed, and the beginnings of writing. The Incas had knowledge of mathematics, medicine and geography. Agriculture reached a high level in the Inca Empire. Canals were connected to the fields for irrigation. The lands were fertilized with guano. In the mountains, earthen terraces were built to grow maize, potatoes and other crops. The Incas were the only inhabitants of South America to breed domestic animals - llamas.

The development of the Incan culture was interrupted by the invasion of the Spaniards 1532 Two circumstances contributed to the victory of the Spaniards. Firstly, the empire was weakened by a three-year internecine war, and secondly, it was very easy for the Spaniards to move along good, stone-paved roads with bridges over deep gorges. Spanish detachment conquistadors(translated from Spanish - conquerors) commanded by the insidious and greedy Francisco Pissaro. He tricked the Supreme Leader of the Incas Atahualpu to his camp and captured it. Seeing this, the warriors accompanying Atahualpa fled. When the Supreme Inca realized that the Spaniards needed gold, in the room where he was imprisoned, he drew a line as high as his hand could reach, and promised to fill the entire room to this line. For several months, the Incas delivered gold from all over the empire. When the Spaniards thought that the Incas no longer had gold, they executed Atahualpa. The Inca Empire was plundered by the Spanish conquistadors. Many unique monuments of Inca culture have disappeared forever. But there are still many years to go 1572 The Incas continued to resist the Spaniards.

Before the arrival of Europeans, tribes lived in the lowlands of South America who were at the level of the primitive communal system. They were engaged in hunting, fishing and primitive agriculture.

The invasion of European colonialists led to the mass extermination of Indian peoples. They died from overwork on plantations and unknown diseases brought from Europe.

Native Indians in modern countries Very little of South America remains. They make up a significant part of the population only in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The reduction in the number of Indians forced the colonialists to export millions of black slaves from Africa to work on plantations. Gradually, a mixture of three races occurred on the mainland - Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Negroid. Descendants from marriages of Europeans and Indians began to be called mestizos. Mestizos make up the majority of the modern population of South American countries.

Descendants from mixed marriages between Europeans and blacks are called mulattoes. Mulattoes make up a significant part of the Brazilian population.

Marriages from blacks and Indians formed another group - sambo. Until the mid-19th century, the dominant Europeans on the mainland were the Spaniards and the Portuguese. From the second half of the 19th century century, more and more emigrants from other countries of Europe and Asia began to arrive in South America - Italy, Germany, France, Holland, India, China, Japan. Representatives of some nationalities have not mixed with the local population and live in separate groups. The Germans formed their own community in Paraguay and Bolivia. The Chinese, Japanese and Indians settled in large cities, often occupying entire blocks.

Indian tribes still live on the territory of South America, in whose way of life little has changed since the time the first Europeans set foot on the continent. Arawak tribes living in Brazil, Colombia, Peru; stupid– in Brazil; Chaco- in Argentina they are still at the level of the tribal system, leading a semi-vagrant lifestyle, engaged in hunting, gathering and primitive agriculture.

Other Native American peoples Quechua And Aymara in Peru and Bolivia make up approximately half the population of these countries. Most of them are peasants, many are engaged in traditional folk crafts.

Currently living in South America 280 million people The countries of South America differ in size, population and natural resources. The largest countries in South America are Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela. But even the “smallest” state in South America, Suriname, is 5 times larger in area than Holland, of which it was a colony until 1975.

The countries of South America are part of a large group of countries called Latin America. These are mainly the countries of South and Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. The name “Latin America” comes from the fact that the Romance languages ​​- Spanish, Portuguese, French, spoken by the majority of the peoples of these countries - are based on the Latin language.

All countries of South America are divided into two large groups:

Countries of the lowland East of the continent. Brazil – Argentina – Venezuela –

Group of Andean countries. Colombia – Ecuador – Peru – Bolivia – Chile –

Exercise: Use atlases to find these countries and write down their capitals in notebooks.

All countries of South America are independent states. They are on different levels economic development. The most developed countries of the mainland are Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and Uruguay. The economies of states such as Paraguay, Guyana, and Suriname are at a lower level of development. Foreign capital occupies a strong position in the economy of South American countries. Large external debts foreign companies and states, primarily the United States, hinders the economic development of the countries of South America. IN recent years The countries of the continent are joining forces to solve this most important problem for them.

Russia maintains political and economic relations with most countries in South America. These relationships are built on a mutually beneficial basis. Cultural exchanges between our country and the countries of South America are expanding. This contributes to better mutual understanding and strengthening peace on the planet.

4. Summary.

A state in the northern part of the mainland. ( Suriname)

Descendant from the marriage of a European and a black man. ( Mulatto)

Capital of Venezuela. ( Caracas)

The capital of one of the states. ( Lima)

State with capital Cayenne. ( Guiana)

One of the largest states by area. ( Argentina)

Capital of Ecuador. ( Quito)

5. Homework.

Page 159-161 retelling.

The settlement of South America by humans ended later than other continents - only 12-15 thousand years ago. It is impossible to say unambiguously how the mainland was populated. Most likely, man entered America from Asia. This happened during the late Paleolithic - about 35 thousand years ago. During this era on Earth there was ice age, and the Bering Strait, connecting Eurasia and America, was covered with ice or completely absent due to glaciation, since the level of the World Ocean could be lower. The ancient peoples of Asia migrated through it in search of new lands suitable for living and hunting, and so they began to explore a new part of the world - America. But it took them another 20 thousand years to reach its southernmost tip.

As you know, the indigenous peoples of America are called Indians. They were also called Indians by Christopher Columbus, who, having discovered America, was sure that he had reached the shores of India. In European languages, for example in English, the words “Indian” and “Indian” are still written and sounded the same: “Indian”. When Europeans set foot in America in 1492, it was the beginning of the end for most of its indigenous inhabitants. Very soon, European travelers began to behave like conquerors, taking from the Indians everything that they did not agree to give them for nothing. Within 30 years, on the very first islands discovered by the Spaniards, the entire indigenous population was destroyed. The colonialists carried with them the material culture of Europe: steel weapons, horses, grain, but trade with indigenous peoples always involved pressure on them, and ended with military actions against them and the destruction of tribes that stood in the way of the colonialists. At the same time, the Spaniards brought other troubles to the mainland - European diseases. To this day it is unknown how many Indians died from them, and what turned out to be more destructive for them: Spanish blades or viruses to which the local population had no immunity - a common “cold” for a European could turn out to be a fatal infection for many of the Indians. Entire Aboriginal tribes died out from measles and smallpox.

Of course, not all the peoples of South America were at the level of the tribal system, despite the fact that most of them still lived in tribes - they did not require high technology to get food. Hunting and gathering could feed a tribe for generations, and living in harmony with nature was the best survival tactic for these people. But on the mainland there were peoples with a more developed material culture. Among them, the Inca Empire stands out first. The Incas controlled large areas of western South America. They knew how to build stone buildings, lay roads, water pipelines, they had a complex social hierarchy and a strong army, with the help of which they conquered and kept many other peoples of South America in obedience. The Incas knew the processing of bronze, however, due to the lack of iron ores in the Andes on their territory, they remained at the level of the “Bronze Age”, passed by Europeans already 2-3 thousand years ago. The Incas did not have horses either. The wild horse did not survive in America, unlike Eurasia, which is perhaps why the peoples of America never invented the wheel. Of course, the Inca Empire was not able to repel the Europeans. In 20-30 years. In the 16th century, Francisco Pizarro captured this state. Today, all that remains of the Inca Empire are stone monuments of their vanished culture. First of all, this is the city of Machu Picchu (pictured). This is a stone city built in the Peruvian Andes, which is also called the "city in the sky" or the "lost city of the Incas". After the conquest of their Empire, the inhabitants of Machu Picchu mysteriously disappeared.

Since the 16th century, the Spaniards and Portuguese gradually developed new lands, founded more and more new settlements here, which turned into large cities. It is precisely because of the dominance in Medieval Europe, and throughout the world of those times of Spain and Portugal, South America today speaks precisely these two languages. In most countries, such as Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, the state Spanish. The largest country on the continent, Brazil, speaks Portuguese. Came here with the colonialists and christian religion, which supplanted local beliefs. Most The peoples of South America now profess Catholicism.

To develop new lands and work on plantations in South America, from the 16th century, Europeans increasingly began to use slaves. The Indians were too freedom-loving for these purposes. They often preferred to die than to become slaves. Therefore, slaves began to be imported from colonial Africa. In those difficult times, the slave trade was commonplace, conquered peoples were deprived of all rights and were doomed to death or slavery, and the concept of human rights or the equality of all people did not even exist - it was the dark Middle Ages, the echoes of which continued to be heard until the 19th century, when finally slavery was abolished. Black slaves were brought to America by the thousands. All these processes greatly influenced the population of the mainland. A hundred years ago, all of America was inhabited only by Indians - representatives of the Mongoloid race, but in the 16th century people of all three major races appeared here. Incest gradually occurred between these races, as representatives of different races entered into marriages quite often. This is what the descendants of Europeans and blacks are called mulattoes. They have dark skin and features of both Europeans and Africans. Métis- descendants of Indians and Europeans. Mestizo people inhabit primarily the northern part of South America - Venezuela, Colombia. As a result of the mixing of Indians and blacks, another racial type arose - sambo.

Today, 420.5 million people live in South America (2016). Among them are representatives of all human races. A significant part are descendants of emigrants from Europe. Not many purebred Indians have survived; the largest indigenous peoples are the Quechua and Aymara. However, in the depths of the Amazon

The American continent consists of two large continents - North and South America. The territory of the first contains 23 independent large and tiny states, and the second includes 15 countries. here are Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts and some others. After the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492, active colonization began. As a consequence of this, the population of the entire continent of America now has European roots. It should be noted that, according to historical data, the Vikings first visited here about one thousand years ago. However, their expeditions were rare, so they did not have a significant impact on the population.

Ethnic composition of North American residents

As of today, the population on the mainland is mainly descendants of the British, French, and Spaniards who moved here during the years of colonization. In this regard, most residents of local countries use the corresponding languages. An exception can be considered some Indian peoples, mainly living in Mexico. They managed to save native language to this day. About twenty million Americans are black. Their ancestors were brought here by colonialists from Africa to provide slave labor on local plantations. Now they are officially considered part of the American nation and mainly live in the United States, as well as in the Caribbean region, where there are also large number mulattoes and mestizos.

Population size and density

The population exceeds 528 million inhabitants. Most of them are concentrated in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In the first two countries, descendants of immigrants from France and England predominate, and in the third - from Spain. The first civilized states were created here by the Aztecs. Interesting feature characterizing the continent North America- The population here is distributed extremely unevenly. Its highest density is observed in the Caribbean islands and in the southern part. Here it is more than two hundred people per square kilometer. In addition, this figure is quite high in the eastern part of the continent and in the United States.

Ethnic composition of South Americans

Basically, the population on the mainland is represented by three large races - Caucasoid, Equatorial and Mongoloid. Its ethnic composition is largely related to some features in the historical development of the region. Currently, representatives of almost 250 nationalities live here, most of which, unlike North American ones, were formed relatively recently. Indigenous Indians, European emigrants, and African slaves took part in their formation.

The current population of South America is to a greater extent consists of Creoles - descendants of conquerors from Spain and Portugal who were born on this continent. Based on such a parameter as numbers, then come mestizos and mulattoes. Most of the states located here have a rather complex composition of inhabitants, based on an ethnic point of view. For example, about eighty tribes live in Brazil (excluding the smallest ones), in Argentina - about fifty, in Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Colombia and Bolivia - more than twenty in each country.

South American population size and density

According to the latest official data, the population of South America exceeds the 382 million mark. Its average density on the mainland ranges from ten to thirty inhabitants per square kilometer. The rate is lower only in Bolivia, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. In South America, many researchers distinguish two main types of settlement - internal and oceanic. The first of them is typical mainly (for example, Bolivia, which is the highest mountainous country on our planet), and the second is characteristic of countries whose development occurs under the influence of colonization by Europeans (Argentina, Brazil).

Languages ​​in South America

The population of South America in most countries speaks It is official in many local states. At the same time, one cannot help but note the fact that it contains a huge number of borrowings from English, French, Italian and German. The second place on the mainland belongs to the Portuguese language. Most big country The country in which it is recognized as official is Brazil. Among the English-speaking territories is Guyana, which was once a British colony. In Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, the second official languages ​​are Indian languages ​​- Aztec, Guarani and Quechua.

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 development agriculture in some countries in 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 level fertility 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

Population 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.

1. Sao Paulo

It is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere by population and financial center Brazil. The city is located in the valley of the Tiete River. His motto is: “I am not controlled, but I am controlled.”
The population of Sao Paulo in 2011 is over 11 million people, including the suburbs - approximately 20 million. The city is the most ethnically diverse locality Brazil. There are over a hundred ethnic groups. Among them the largest:
. 6 million Italians.
. 3 million Portuguese.
. 1 million Arabs.
. 400 thousand Germans.
. 326 thousand Japanese.
. 120 thousand Chinese.

2. Lima


Capital and largest city Peru, Lima, is the main cultural, economic and political center of the state. Together with the suburbs, the population is over 9 million people. Among other South American capitals, Lima stands out for its rich diversity of racial and ethnic composition. Among them:
. 40% are white.
. 44% are mestizos.
. 8% are Asians.
. 5% are Indians.
. 3% are African American.

3. Bogota


The capital of Colombia and its largest city, Bogota, has a population of 7.5 million people, together with its suburbs - 8.7 million, which is 1/6 of the population of all of Colombia. It is the most important political, cultural and economic center of the country. It is also one of the most influential cities on the continent.
Colombia is a cosmopolitan city. In addition to Colombians, a large number of foreigners live here. The population in Bogota is predominantly mestizos. A minority are descendants of Europeans, as well as mulattoes, blacks and purebred Indians. Thus, approximately 3/4 of Bogota's population is of mixed blood.

4. Rio de Janeiro

The population of one of the largest cities in Brazil and an important tourist center of the world, Rio, is more than 6.3 million people, together with its suburbs - 11.8 million. The city is famous for its attractions: the grandiose statue of Christ the Redeemer, the legendary Copacabana beach and the symbol of the city - Sugarloaf. In addition, Rio is famous for its annual Carnival.
Racial composition of Rio:
. About 54% are white.
. About 34% are people of color.
. 12.3% are black.
. 0.5% - Asians and Indians.

5. Santiago


The capital of Chile, Santiago, is located in the central valley of the state at the foot of the majestic Andes. Its area is approximately 600 sq. km. The area of ​​the entire metropolitan area is over 2 thousand sq. km. The population of Santiago is about 5.5 million people, together with its suburbs - 6.4 million. This makes the Chilean capital the fifth largest populated area in South America by population.