Facts For Kids

Tag: South America

  • Rio de Janeiro Facts for Kids | The Marvelous City

    Rio de Janeiro Facts for Kids | The Marvelous City

    Simply known as Rio, it is the second most populous city of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is also the name of a Brazilian state and its capital city is of the same name. It is a very important city of Brazil where major companies of telecommunications, oil and mining have their central offices located. It is a popular attraction for tourists all around the world primarily due to its cultural activities like carnival of Brazil and Brazilian music like samba and bossa nova. Its beaches are also very popular like Leblon, Barra da Tijuca and Copacabana. Rio de Janeiro will be the first city of Portuguese-speaking people of South America that will host 2016 Summer Olympics as well as 2016 Summer Paralympics. In Southern Hemisphere, it will be the third city where these events are going to be held. Let’s explore more in Rio de Janeiro facts for kids!

    Highest Peak: Pedra Branca Peak (1,024 metres)

    Literacy Rate: 95 percent

    Official Song: Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City)

    Fascinating Rio de Janeiro Facts for Kids | Rio de Janeiro History

    • Before the arrival of British, this region was home to seven indigenous groups of people. They spoke 20 languages.
    • The Portuguese first established this city on March 1, 1565 and it served as the seat in the Portuguese Empire.
    • The State of Brazil was Portuguese Empire’s state and Rio de Janeiro was turned into the capital city of this state in 1763.
    • Until 1889, this city was served as the capital city of the Empire of Brazil, the 19th century Empire consisting of present-day Brazil and Uruguay.
    • Rio de Janeiro was the capital of republican Brazil until 1960. After this, Brasília became its capital.
    • The first match of soccer in Brazil was played in September, 1894. At the inauguration of Bangu Textile Factory on 8 March, 1893, labor from Bangu started arriving in Bangu (situated in the neighborhood to West Zone of Rio de Janeiro) and thus set stone for the first football match.
    • The first football match of Brazil was played by British labors and each side had five players. The Charles Miller’s game was played 6 months after this match.
    • Before this match, nobody among the locals knew anything about football. Therefore, a Scottish worker (who was working in the factory) named Thomas Donohoe wrote to her wife Elizabeth to bring him a football along with his kids since there was no football available in the shops.

    All about Rio de Janeiro

    • It is located near the Tropic of Capricon and toward the western side of the Atlantic Coast of Brazil.
    • It has a population of 6 million.
    • The people of Rio de Janeiro are called cariocas.
    • The financial hub as well as the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro is called Downtown or Centro.
    • The South Zone of Rio de Janeiro is the wealthiest part of this city.
    • The most expensive real estate of South America is located in this city’s neighborhood of Leblon.
    • The gap between the rich and the poor is wide in this city. The slums of this country living in urban areas are called favelas. Among favelas, 95 percent are poor while this ratio is 40 percent among the masses.
    • The percentage-wise distribution of ethnic groups in Rio is White (51.2%), Pardo (36.5%), Black (11.5%), Asian (0.7%) and Amerinidians (0.1%).
    • More than 50 percent of the area of Rio de Janeiro is covered by West Zone.
    • This is a historic place due to ancient ‘Royal Road of Santa Cruz’ which passes through this region
    • The Pedra Branca State Park of the West Zone consists of 17 neighborhoods and waterfalls as well as other ancient sites. It is by far the world’s largest urban state park.

    Cool Rio de Janeiro Facts for Kids

    • It is the only city of South America that has received most awards to be the ‘best destination’ by World Travel Awards.
    • In terms of tourists, it is ranked top of the list of South American cities. Each year, it greets 2.82 million visitors from all over the world.
    • It is the only city in the world (located outside Portugal) where largest number of Portuguese-speaking people live.
    • It is the only capital of Brazil where highest percentage of spiritists lives (4 – 5%).
    • Rio has the highest percentage of Catholics among the outer edges of Brazil.
    • In terms of municipal GDP, this city has the second largest GDP in Brazil.
    • After São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro ranks second among the most populous cities of Brazil (2010).
    • As for research and development purposes, Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city of this country (contributing 17 percent of scientific output in Brazil – 2005).
    • In terms of industrial production, Rio is the second most important city of Brazil.
    • It stands at the second position among the biggest exporting municipalities of the country (2014). The main exports of Rio are crude petroleum, semi-finished iron and steel products.
    • It has the second largest economy of the country.
    • It is ranked as the fifth capital of Brazil where high percentage of people does not follow any religion (13.33%).
    • It ranks at the sixth position among the largest cities of Americas.
    • It is the seventh most inhabited city in the Americas.
    • Rio is the 12th most expensive city in the world (2011).
    • It is ranked 30th among the largest economies of the world.
    • In 2008, Rio de Janeiro ranked 30th in the world among cities that have largest municipal GDP. Its GDP was estimated to be around US$201 billion (R$343 billion).

    More Facts about Rio de Janeiro

    • The Tijuca National Park is ranked second among the largest urban forests in the world.
    • The CNN declared Ipanema beach of Rio as the best beach in the world which is located in a city.
    • The electric tramway in Rio de Janeiro is currently the oldest in South America.
    • Rio de Janeiro has cycle paths of 99 miles (160 km).
    • Established in 1909, the Theatro Municipal is one of the Latin America’s largest stages. It has a capacity of 1,700 seats.
    • Pedro II School of Rio is ranked second among the oldest schools of Brazil.
    • Rock in Rio is the name of a musical festival of this city and it is arguably the largest music festival in the world. As per Fling Festival, Rock in Rio is ranked eighth among the best festivals of the world.
    • The Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (which means ‘National Library of Brazil’) in Rio is among one of the world’s largest libraries. It houses over 9 million items. Built in 1810, it is the largest in Latin America.
    • The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is ranked at the fifth position among the universities of Latin America. It ranks second in the country (QS World University Rankings).
    • It is home to the statue of Jesus Christ known as Christ the Redeemer. The statue is 30 metres (98 ft) tall and it is located at Corcovado mountain. It is an iconic symbol of this city and is listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World.
    • In terms of capacity, the football stadium known as Maracanã Stadium in this city is one of the largest in the world.
    • The party at the New Year Eve in the neighborhood of Copacabana is known as Reveillon. In order to witness the wonderful display of fireworks, almost 2 million revelers flock toward this beach.
    • The hotel rates in Rio are the most expensive in the country.
    • After New York City, the daily charges of five star hotels in Rio de Janeiro are the highest in the world.
  • Colombia Facts for Kids | Paradise of Flora and Fauna

    Colombia Facts for Kids | Paradise of Flora and Fauna

    Located at the southwest region of South America, Colombia hosts people from all over the world and thus, the diversity of cultural heritage is the hallmark of this country. It is also home to one of the most diversified species of flora and fauna in the world. Almost 300,000 species of invertebrates are found in Colombia. It is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries where a large number of earth species exist. As for works of art in Colombia, it traces its history as far as 3,000 years ago. In 325 BCE, Tumaco people are believed to be the earliest Colombians who made objects from gold. Now let’s discover more about it!

    Date of Independence: 20 July, 1810

    Capital City: Bogotá, D.C

    Currency: Colombian Peso

    National Bird: Andean condor

    National Sport: Tejo

    Primary Language: Spanish

    Name

    • The name of this country has its origins from the surname of Christopher ‘Columbus’. A Venezuelan revolutionary called Francisco de Miranda was the first person to come up with this name. In Italian, Columbus was called Cristoforo Colombo.
    • In 1819, this name was first adopted by ‘Great Colombia’. The Great Colombia contained territories of South and Central America. It is also known as Gran Colombia.
    • In 1861, the ‘United States of Colombia’ was adopted as its name. It included nine independent states that were carved out from Panama, Colombia (present-day) and northwest Brazil.
    • In 1886, the name ‘Republic of Colombia’ was adopted.

    READ: Best 5 Bird Cages for Cockatiels

    History

    • Located 100 km to the southwest of the Colombia’s capital city, Magdalena Valley is home to the oldest sites of human settlement. The sites of this valley trace back to the periods of Paleoindian i.e. 18,000 to 8,000 BCE.
    • Another prehistoric site in Colombia is called Puerto Hormiga archaeological site. It is located close to the seashore of Caribbean and dates back to 4,000 to 3,100 BC.
    • San Jacinto archaeological site of Colombia contains the oldest pottery ever found in the Americas. It dates back to 4,000 to 5,000 BCE.
    • The indigenous people occupied Colombia by about 10,500 BCE.
    • The first city to be established firmly by the Spanish conquerors in continental America was Santa María la Antigua del Darién. It is located near Colombia’s town, Acandí. In 1510, a Spanish explorer named Vasco Núñez de Balboa founded it.
    • In 1851, slavery was brought to an end in Colombia.

    Interesting Facts about Colombia

    • Colombia ranks among one of the top 10 greenest countries of the world.
    • Colombia had the privilege to be the first South American country where government based on constitution was formed.
    • Colombia is ranked second among the world’s most biodiverse countries. The first position is secured by Brazil but Colombia is seven times smaller than Brazil too.
    • It is ranked third among the most populous Latin American countries. The first two are Brazil and Mexico.
    • It is also ranked third in the world where biggest number of Spanish speaking people lives. The first two are Mexico and USA.
    • Colombia ranks third among South America’s largest producers of oil.
    • As for the supply of renewable freshwater, Colombia is ranked sixth in the world.

    Flora and Fauna

    • Colombia is home to 40,000 species of plants. This accounts for 10 percent of plant species in the whole world.
    • Colombia is ranked number one in the world where largest number of unique species exist i.e. these species are only present in Colombia.
    • Colombia is home to 1,900 bird species, which accounts for 18 percent of the species of bird around the world. The total number of species found in North America and Europe combined are less than Colombia alone.
    • About 10 percent of species of mammals live in Colombia.
    • It is ranked second among countries where a large number of species of freshwater fish and amphibians are found. Colombia contains nearly 2,000 species fish.
    • It has 7,000 species of beetles.
    • It is ranked third in the world in terms of species of palm trees as well as reptiles.

    More Facts about Colombia

    • The two highest mountains of this country are Pico Simón Bolívar and Pico Cristóbal Colón. Both peaks have an elevation of about 5,700 metres (18,700 ft). Pico Cristóbal Colón is also ranked fifth among 125 most prominent peaks in the world. The name of this snowcapped-peak was based on the name of Christopher Columbus.
    • With an elevation of 2,640 metres, Bogotá, D.C ranks third among the highest capital cities of South America.
  • Argentina Facts for Kids | Second Largest South American Country

    Argentina Facts for Kids | Second Largest South American Country

    Argentina is among one of the most economically stable countries of Latin America. During the early part of the 20th century, Argentina was also one of the world’s wealthiest economies. Since it lies in South America, the Spanish language is the widely spoken language here. The Spanish came to Argentina in the early years of 16th century and settled here permanently. The capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, is one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

    Capital City: Buenos Aires

    Official Language: Spanish

    Currency: Peso

    National Game: juego del pato (meaning ‘Duck Game’)

    National Cuisine: Locro and Asado

    History

    • The fossils of very first humans show that people have been living here since Paleolithic age.
    • In 1502, the first Europeans showed up in Argentina when an Italian voyager named Amerigo Vespucci landed here.
    • The Spanish first settled in this country in about 1512.

    Geography

    • The highest peak of this country is called Mount Aconcagua. It has a height of about 6,959 meters above sea level.
    • The lowest point of Argentina is known as Laguna del Carbón.
    • With a length of about 4,880 kilometers, Paraná River stands at the second position among the longest rivers of South America. It navigates through Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
    • The biggest natural salt water lake of Argentina is Mar de Ansenuza.
    • Latin America’s biggest railway station is also located in Argentina. The rail track has a length of about 48,000 kilometers.
    • Most of the industrial buildings in Argentina lie in Córdoba.
    • Almost 92 percent of the people here live in towns.
    • There are 30 national parks in Argentina.

    Interesting Facts about Argentina

    • It is the world’s biggest country in terms of the number of Spanish-speaking people.
    • Argentina is the top country in the world where consumption of red meat is highest.
    • By area, Argentina is the second biggest South American country. Brazil is the first biggest country.
    • Argentina stands at the third position among the biggest economic countries of Latin America.
    • By population, Argentina stands at the third position in South America.
    • The power generation sector of Argentina is the third biggest in Latin America.
    • Argentina stands at the fifth position among the biggest producers of wine in the world.
    • In the beginning of twentieth century, Argentina ranked at the seventh position among the world’s wealthiest countries.
    • Argentina stands at the eighth position in the list of biggest countries around the world.
    • In terms of area, it stands at the eighth position among the biggest countries of the world.
    • Until 1950s, Argentina was among the fifteen wealthiest nations of the world.
    • Argentina stands at the ninth position among the countries that have maximum biocapacity in the world.

     

     

    More Facts

    1. The flag of Argentina was designed by Manuel Belgrano in the year 1812.
    2. The Latin America’s biggest ‘ski’ location lies in Argentinean city named Bariloche.
    3. The biggest airfield of this country is named as Ezeiza International Airport.
    4. There are 23 provinces in Argentina.
    5. Argentina is home to three Nobel Prize winners namely César Milstein, Bernardo Alberto Houssay and Luis Federico Leloir.
    6. The person who is known as the founder of animated cartoons in the world is named Quirino Cristiani. He was from Argentina. He created cartoons using cardboards during 1917 – 18.
  • Chile Facts for Kids | Largest Producer of Copper

    Chile Facts for Kids | Largest Producer of Copper

    It is a country in South America. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. According to Chile, almost 1,250,000 square kilometers of region in Antarctica is also part of Chile. In the South, there are many forests and farmlands. In the North lies the driest desert of the world called Atacama Desert. The Spanish came here and invaded this country in 1541. In 1818, Chile got freedom from Spanish and surfaced as an independent nation. It is also among those South American countries that has stable economy. This country has one of the highly developed systems of telecommunication in South America.

    Capital/Biggest City: Santiago

    National Language: Spanish

    Currency: Peso

    National Bird: Andean Condor

    National Sport: Rodeo

    History

    • Native Americans came here at almost 10,000 years before.
    • The first person to show up in Chile from Europe was Ferdinand Magellan. He was a Portuguese discoverer and came to Chile in 1520.
    • The name of the first governor of this country was a Spanish soldier named Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia. He attacked Chile in 1540. On February 12, 1541, Valdivia established the largest city of Chile named Santiago.
    • In the first half of 19th century during the Chilean War of Independence, the leader from Chile, Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme, got freedom for his country by driving out the Spanish conquerors.

    Geography

    • The most abundant minerals of Chile are copper, sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3).
    • It is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. A Ring of Fire is a location in the Pacific Ocean that stretches to about 40,000 kilometers and carries a lot of earthquakes including 452 volcanoes.
    • All four seasons occur in Chile.
    • The longest river of Chile is Loa River. It is about 440 kilometers long.
    • In the South of Chile, there exists a glacier called Brüggen Glacier. It is 66 kilometers long and the longest one in southern hemisphere. Another name for this glacier is Pío XI Glacier.

    Interesting Facts about Chile

    • The biggest mine of copper around the world is Escondida. It is located in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
    • Chile stands at the second position in the world as the biggest country of north-south direction. Brazil is the world’s longest north-south country.
    • Chile is home to about one-third of the copper produced in the world.
    • The flag of the Texas state looks a lot like the flag of Chile. It is because the flag of Chile was designed on the basis of the US flag.
    • More than 60 percent of the people in Chile use internet. This percentage is the highest in the entire South America.
    • Almost eighty five percent of the inhabitants of Chile live in towns or cities.
    • Chile ranks seventh in the world in terms of economic freedom.
    • Almost sixty percent of the exports of Chile comprise of copper.

    More Facts

    • Every year 2 million visitors around the world travel to Chile. Majority of these visitors came from Argentina.
    • The first person from whole Latin America to have Nobel Prize in Literature was Gabriela Mistral. She was from Chile.
    • The most popular poet of Chile is Pablo Neruda. He also received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971.
    • The best-selling author of Chile is Isabel Allende.
    • Football is the most famous sport in Chile. Tennis is also a thriving sport in this country.
    • The first female President of Chile was Michelle Bachelet Jeria. She was elected on January 2006.
    • Majority of people in Chile are Roman Catholic.
    • There are 15 administrative divisions in Chile.
    • There are 372 airfields in Chile.
    • Chile had a severe earthquake on February 27, 2010. The magnitude of this tremor on Richter Scale was 8.8 and killed almost 500 people.
    • There are almost 3,000 fungi species in this country.
    • Some of the large mammals of Chile are Puma, Guanaco and Chilla.
    • There are no diseases of Phylloxera, fruit fly or Mad Cow in this country.
  • South America Facts For Kids

    South America Facts For Kids

    South America is the world’s fourth largest continent by area. It has the world’s largest rivers and rainforests and the continent offers a wide variety of deserts from the world’s wettest to the driest regions. The continent is situated at the south of Panama and Central America. It is often referred to as the subcontinent of America. The continent touches the Pacific Ocean on the west while on the north and east it shares borders with Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is the world’s fifth largest continent by population.

    South America Facts For Kids

    Introduction

    • Number of Countries: 13
    • Population: 385,742,554
    • Area: 17,837,248 square kilometers
    • Languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and others

     History

    1. The history of South America goes back to 225 million years ago when it merged with Africa.
    2. Some 15,000 years ago, humans discovered South America while they were going through the Bering Land Bridge. This was believed to be the first place where humans had started living.
    3. Around 9000 B.C. humans used to cultivate beans, chili peppers, and squashes in South America.
    4. Around 3500 B.C. the South Americans had begun domesticating animals including alpacas, guanacos, and Llamas.
    5. Norte Chico is believed to be the earliest known civilizations of South America. Muisca (Present-day Columbia) was also one of the oldest civilizations in South America.
    6. Spanish and Portuguese had exploited the South American natural resources in the 1530s.
    7. Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin fought the war of independence of South America and liberated the nation.
    8. In the 20th century, South America had become a battlefield of the Cold War.

     

    Geography and Size

    1. The total area of South America is 17,840,000 sq. kilometers.
    2. The population of South America is 385,742,554 as of 2011.
    3. Sao Paulo is the largest city of South America with the population of 11,316,149.
    4. Mount Aconcagua is the highest point of South America. It has an elevation of 22,834 ft (6,960 meters).
    5. Valdes Peninsula is the lowest point of South America. It has an elevation of 151 ft (46 meters).
    6. Amazon River is the longest river of South America. It is 4,080 miles (6,566 kilometers) long.
    7. The major islands of South America are; Bonaire, Tobago, Aruba, Trinidad, and Curacao.
    8. Angel Falls is the world’s largest waterfalls. It is located in Venezuela.
    9. Andes are the longest mountain ranges in the world. The highest mountain of Andes stands 6,962 meters.
    10. Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest. It covers most of the part of Amazon Basin.
    11. Gold, iron ore, copper, silver, tin, and petroleum are the mineral resources of South America.
    12. Atacama Desert is the world’s driest place. It is a plateau and is located in the west of Andes Mountains.
    13. Brazil is the largest country of South America. It has a total population of 201,032,714. It covers a total area of 8,514,877 square kilometers.
    14. Medelin is economically the smallest country of South America. It has a GDP of $50.

    Read More: Amazon Rainforest Facts For Kids

    People and Climate | South America Facts For Kids

    1. The people of South America are generally known for their celebrations of Carnival.
    2. Scientists have made many medicines that come from South American plants. These plants are only found in this continent.
    3. The South America climate varies significantly; from hot dry climate of its deserts to the wet rainy climate of rainforests. These rainforests are surrounded by dry grasslands
    4. South America’s western coast is run by a hot desert. On mountains temperature seldom rises above freezing point.
    5. People from all over the world come to visit some of the most beautiful places and landscapes of South America. Thus the tourism industry becomes the major source of South America’s income.
    6. Around 200 million South American speak Spanish and Portuguese, thus making it the most spoken languages of the continent.