Geography of War: South America

The South American continent is a geographically diverse region consisting of 12 independent states and one European dependency. Nine states are Spanish speaking, one Portuguese, one English, and one Dutch, while the European dependency is French speaking. Although these are the dominant languages in each state, the picture is complicated by a host of indigenous languages and a few creoles. The geography of the region ranges from the high Andes through several lower ranges, highland plateaus, and deserts to the tropical rainforests of the Amazon River and its tributaries. Climate varies mostly with altitude but also, to a lesser extent, with latitude. In addition, there are the grasslands of the pampas in the southern part of the continent and the llanos in the north. [Page ...