The extreme southern cape of America. mainland south america

- the fourth largest continent of the Earth.

Its area is 17.7 million square meters. km, but if we count with all the adjacent islands, then this value is slightly higher - 18.28 million square meters. km. With its contours, South America resembles a triangle. The mainland is located mainly in the Western and Southern Hemispheres and partly in the Northern.

The mainland of South America is surrounded on all sides by water. It is washed from the east by the waters of the Atlantic, and from the west by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. From the north, South America is washed by the Caribbean Sea, which is a natural boundary between the two Americas.

The Isthmus of Panama connects South America with North America in the northwest.

Location of extreme points of the continent

In degrees, the location of the extreme points of the continent is as follows:

in the north – Cape Galinas (12° north latitude and 72° west longitude);
on South – Cape Froward (53°54'S and 71°18'W);
in the West - Cape Parinhas (4°40' south latitude and 81°20' west longitude);
in the east there was confusion - this is Cape Cabo Branca (7 ° 09' S 34 ° 46) or Cape Seixas (34 ° 47 W).

History of the discovery of South America

The continent of South America was first seen by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

This is a Florentine traveler, after whom America was supposedly named. By origin, Vespucci is a Florentine. He is a member of several Spanish and Portuguese expeditions to the shores of South America. Amerigo was the first to suggest that these lands are a new part of the world, and he suggested calling them the New World. But in 1507, the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, in his book Introduction to Cahomography, named the land America by the name of Amerigo Vespucci.

Climate of South America

South America is the wettest continent on earth. In terms of natural conditions, it is similar to Africa - humid forests with bright birds and monkeys and endless grassy plains. But in South America there are far fewer deserts and much more mountains.

Thus, in most of South Africa the climate is subequatorial and tropical, in the south of the mainland - subtropical and temperate.

If we talk about climatic zones, then there are deserts in South America.

They are found in South America and semi-deserts, tropical and equatorial forests, pampas (steppes).

Pampas - an area devoid of woody vegetation

Winter in the tropical zone is as hot as summer. Direct sunlight heats the earth's surface all year round. But this does not mean that there are no seasons at all. It's just that they are not cold or warm, but dry or wet.

South America is the fourth largest continent on the planet. In the east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the west by the Pacific, and the northern coast belongs to the Caribbean Sea. Let us consider in more detail the extreme points of South America - the wettest continent on the globe.

Geographic coordinates of the extreme points of the mainland South America

The mainland area is 17.7 million square meters. km, but if we count with all the adjacent islands, then this value is slightly higher - 18.28 million square meters. km.

The relief of the continent is very diverse and contrasting. Plateaus, low and high plains predominate in the east, and the Andes mountain ranges in the west. The highest point is Mount Aconcagua - it rises above sea level at 6959 m.

Rice. 1. Aconcagua

If a straight line is drawn along the mainland from the southernmost point to the northern one, then this distance will be 7350 km. The length from the east coast to the west in the widest part of South America will leave a little more than 5 thousand km.

In degrees, the location of the extreme points of the continent is as follows:

Cape Gallinas

The northernmost outlying point of the mainland is located in Colombia at Cape Gallinas, which belongs to the Guajira Peninsula. This point in the north is very arbitrary, since the coastline is distinguished by smooth outlines.

Cape Gallinas is notable for the fact that not far from it there is an ancient settlement of indigenous people - the Wayu Indians. Despite all modern achievements, they continue to live, like their ancestors, observing ancient traditions and rituals.

Cape Forward

On the territory of Chile, on the small peninsula of Brunswick, the extreme southern point of the mainland is located.

For the first time the name of the cape appeared in 1587 and in translation it means “wayward”, “rebellious”. This is how the famous sea pirate Thomas Cavendish christened the cape, and this directly indicates the fact that it was not easy for medieval ships to pass by the cape.

Rice. 2. Cape Forward

In 1987, Cape Froward received its "insignia" - an impressive cross made of metal alloys.

Cape Parinas

In the west, the outlying point of South America is Cape Parinas, which belongs to Peru. It is a coastal ledge on which the lighthouse is located.

Parinhas is a fairly secluded place: the distance to the nearest settlement is more than 5 km. But it is precisely because of this that one can observe seals in their natural habitat, which have chosen the neighboring bay.

Rice. 3. Cape Parinas

Cape Seixas

There was some confusion about the definition of the extreme point in the east. For a long time, geographers were sure that this is Cape Branco, which belongs to Brazil. A lighthouse was even built here as a memorial sign. However, later, in the course of more accurate measurements, it was recorded that the extreme point is located in the neighborhood - it is Cape Seixas.

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It would seem that a lot of time has passed since the moment when the messenger on the ship "Santa Maria" shouted: "Earth!" Today, the continent of South America no longer looks as mysterious as before. But this does not mean that its history and geography should not be interested. Although now there will be no talk about the history of the continent. We will simply deal with the name of the extreme southern point of South America and what place is considered the northernmost on the mainland. We will also talk about the western and eastern points of this continent.

A little confusion with the east point

The easternmost point of the continent lies in Brazil. For a very long time it was believed that this is Cape Cabo Branco, that is, the “white cape”. A beautiful lighthouse with a memorial sign was built here. Nearby, literally eight kilometers away, is the city of João Pessoa. Initially, the cape was given the name of San Augustin. The honor of opening belongs to the Spanish team led by Diego Lepe. It happened in 1500. But bad luck, later it was precisely established that the neighboring Cape Seixas is the extreme eastern point.

Both points are nearby. The distance between them is about 500 m, in fact they are part of the territory of the nearby city (Juan Pessoa). Seixas is a high rock that protrudes into the sea. The height of this place is about 100 m. There are sandy beaches around.

South America is the fourth largest continent. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. On its territory there are 12 states, where more than 387 million people live. In this article, we will consider the coordinates of the extreme points of South America and their names. We will pay special attention to Cape Horn.

Historical summary

According to historical data, the South American continent was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Columbus, who mistakenly believed that he had reached India. The fact that this is a completely new continent, previously unknown to the European community, was told by Amerigo Vespucci. As a result of colonization, the local population was destroyed, and these lands were inhabited by conquistadors. A little later, numerous states grew up on this territory.

Previously, in order to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific, sailors had to go to the extreme southern point of South America. Here is the Drake Passage, where the currents of these two giant reservoirs join. It was the only sea route until 1920. During this period, the Panama Canal was put into operation, located on the isthmus of the same name, connecting North and South America. The extreme southern point has since become less attractive for navigation, since this route was much longer and more dangerous.

north point

Cape Gallinas is the northern tip of the mainland. It is located in the territory that belongs to the state of Colombia. The shores of the cape are washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

The extreme northern point of South America has the following coordinates: 12°27′ s. sh. and 71°39′ W d.

western point

The western tip of the mainland is called Cape Parinas. It was discovered by the Spaniards in 1527. Geographically, the cape belongs to Peru. The settlement of Negritos is closest to the extreme western point. It is located 5 km from Cape Parinhas, washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and has the following coordinates: 4 ° 40′ S. sh. and 81°20′ W d.

Eastern Point

The eastern tip of the mainland is located in Brazil. It is called Cabo Branco, which is translated from Portuguese as "white cape". Not far from this place (8 km) is the city of João Pesao. The discoverer of the cape was Diego Lepe, a Spanish navigator who arrived on the coast of South America in 1500. A lighthouse and a commemorative plaque are installed here, on which it is indicated that this is the easternmost point of the continent. However, in our time, scientists have found that in fact this title belongs to Cape Seixas, which is located about half a kilometer from Cabo Branco. The coordinates of the point are 7°10´ S. sh. 34°47´ W d.

The southernmost point of South America

It is worth noting that there are several southern extremities:

Cape Forward;
Diego Ramirez;
Cape Horn.

So which option is correct? Let's start in order.

Cape Forward is the southernmost point of South America, which is located directly on the mainland. Its coordinates are 53°54′ S. sh. and 71°18′ W e. It is located on the Brunswick Peninsula, which is territorially owned by the state of Chile. The cape is washed by the waters of the Strait of Magellan. The English pirate T. Cavendish gave the cape its name in January 1587. The word forward is translated from English as "unfavorable", "willful". The nearest settlement is located at a distance of 40 km.

Another extreme point is the Diego Ramirez group of islands. They are located southwest of Cape Horn. The distance between these geographical objects is about 100 km. Based on these data, the rocky island of Aguila, which is part of the Diego Ramirez group, can be considered the southernmost island point.

Many people consider Cape Horn to be the southernmost point. However, this is fundamentally wrong. To understand the issue, you should carefully study the map of the continent. In fact, the extreme southern point of South America is Cape Frouard, located in Chile on the Brunswick Peninsula. The island tip is Aguila (Diego Ramirez group).

Nevertheless, Cape Horn itself and its history are of great interest.

Cape Horn

The Tierra del Fuego archipelago consists of many islands, the southernmost of which is Horn Island. Quite often, this group of islands is called the "edge of the world." They are separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. Cape Horn is considered the southernmost limit of the archipelago. The group of islands is part of the Cabo de Hornos National Park.

If we calculate the distance from the southern tip of the archipelago to the coldest continent on Earth - Antarctica, it will be a little less than 800 km. In 2005, UNESCO declared Cape Horn a Natural Heritage of Humanity.

This place was discovered in 1616 by Dutch sailors who were looking for a new route to India. The expedition was led by Willem Schouten from Horn. Crossing the Strait of Magellan, the ships bypassed the rocky island, beyond which the boundless Pacific Ocean opened up to the navigators. The expedition leader decided to name it Hoorn - in honor of the Dutch city.

Bad reputation

Cape Horn has a bad reputation, as the route that runs past it is one of the most difficult. Until 1920, it was possible to get from one ocean to another only by passing the islands of Tierra del Fuego. The northern route was even more difficult in terms of maneuvering. The only chance to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean is to cross the Drake Passage.

The weather conditions in this region are very unfavorable. About 280 days a year there is rainy weather, cyclones occur unpredictably. Western winds form a swift current. At the islands of the archipelago, the mouth of the stream narrows, which is why the largest rapids appear along the way. Due to the continental shallows, ocean swells are broken, which contributes to the formation of large waves, whose height reaches 18 meters.

There is a huge ship graveyard here. Their death is connected with the harsh nature of these places. According to scientists, about a thousand ships have found their refuge here.

coordinates of the extreme points of south america

Northern Cape Galinas, coordinates 12#778; 25 north latitude;
South Cape Froward, 53#778; 54 south latitude;
Western Cape Parinas, coordinates 81#778; 20 west longitude;
Eastern Cape Kaabu Branco, 34#778; 46 west longitude.
everything is right
North - m. Galinas 12 s. sh. 72 h. d.
South Cape Forward 54S sh 71 h. d.
West - m. Parinyas 5 s. sh. , 82 h. d.
East - m. Kaaba Branco 7 y. sh. 34 h. d.
extreme points
Extreme points of mainland South America
. extreme points
Northern Cape Gallinas 1225 p. sh. , 7139 s. d.
South (mainland) Cape Froward 5354 S sh. , 7118 s. d.
Southern (island) Diego Ramirez 5630 S sh. 6843 h. d.
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. , 8120 h. d.
North - m. Galinas 12 p. sh. 72 h. d
South - m. Forward 54 S. sh 71 h. d
West - m. Parinas 5th sh. 82 h. d.
East - Kaaba Branco 7 s. sh. 34 h. d.
Northern Cape Gallinas 1227 p. sh. 7139 s. d. (G) (O)
South (mainland) Cape Frouard 5354 S sh. 7118 h. d. (G) (O)
Southern (island) Diego Ramirez 5630 S sh. 6843 h. d. (G) (O)
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. 8120 h. d. (G) (O)
Eastern Cape Cabo Branco 710 S sh. 3447 h. d. (G) (O)
Northern Cape Gallinas 1225 p. sh. , 7139 s. d.
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. , 8120 h. d.
Eastern Cape Cabo Branco 710 S sh. , 3447 h.
extreme points
Northern Cape Gallinas 1225 p. sh. , 7139 s. d.
South (mainland) Cape Froward 5354 S sh. , 7118 s. d.
Southern (island) Diego Ramirez 5630 S sh. 6843 h. d.
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. , 8120 h. d.
Eastern Cape Cabo Branco 710 S sh. , 3447 h. d.
Northern Cape Gallinas 1225 p. sh. , 7139 s. d.
South Cape Froward 5354 S sh. , 7118 s. d.
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. , 8120 h. d.
Eastern Cape Cabo Branco 710 S sh. , 3447 h. d.
in the North cape Galinas 12 s. sh. 72 h. d
in the South Cape Forward 54 S sh 71 h. d
in the West, Cape Parinhas 5 s. sh. 82 h. d.
in the East, m. Kaabu Branco 7 s. sh. 34 h. d.
Northern Cape Gallinas 1225 p. sh. , 7139 s. d.
South Cape Froward 5354 S sh. , 7118 s. d.
Western Cape Parinas 440 S sh. , 8120 h. d.
Eastern Cape Cabo Branco 710 S sh. , 3447 h. d.
Extreme points of mainland South America
Northern Cape Galinas, coordinates 12 25 N;
South Cape Froward, 53 54 S;
Western Cape Parinas, coordinates 81 20 W;
Eastern cape of Kaabu Branco, 34 46 west longitude.