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South America: Countries
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The city of Sao Paulo matches the country of Brazil in is greatness, it is without a doubt the most cosmopolitan city in all of South America, with the best nightlife and a large immigrant population. On the north coast, the city of Salvador has a beautiful bay dotted with islands, with 80% of the people living here being of Afro-Brazilian descent. Spanish and African influences merge to create Capoeira, an amazing combination of dance and martial arts. This city of 2 million is the third largest in Brazil, and in just the past 15 year, Salvador's Pelourinho neighborhood has been brought back to its colonial glory, when it was once the wealthiest city in the region. Beyond its coastal cities, most of Brazil is dominated by the Amazon River, which winds through thousands of square miles of pristine rainforest. Incredible natural displays like the puzzling phenomenon of dark and light rivers converging at the famous meeting of the waters at Manaus are examples of what make Brazil a place unlike any other.
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On the first of two Grand Voyages, Holland America Line's most intimate ship, the 793-guest ms Prinsendam, will depart on a 68-day South America and Antarctica cruise, round-trip from Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 3, 2008. For guests desiring to experience all that South America has to offer, the voyage will visit every key region while circumnavigating the entire continent. Prinsendam will sail nearly 18,000 nautical miles, visiting 30 ports of call in 14 countries, with overnights in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Callao (Lima), Peru, and Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The itinerary includes six ports of call in Chile, nine ports in Brazil, and a special stop at Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana.
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South America ... offers the comforts and luxuries of modern metropolitan life in any of the countries you choose to explore. Pick up the pace in Brazil's bustling Rio de Janeiro or immerse yourself in the cosmopolitan chic of Buenos Aires, Argentina, while still gaining an appreciation for the past in these remarkable historic cities. From big city life and resort towns to tropical rainforests and mountain peaks, there is no better place to embark on your world travels than South America, a true melting pot of culture, history and geographic phenomena.
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From the 1530s, the indigenous inhabitants of South America were subjugated by European invadors, first from Spain, later from Portugal, who divided it into colonies. In the course of the 19th century, these colonies won their independence. Nowadays, South America consists of the following twelve countries
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In southern Central America, volcanism has been most intensive in Costa Rica, which has two sections of its Central Cordillera reaching above treeline. In northern Costa Rica and adjacent Nicaragua the volcanoes become gradually reduced in size and more isolated from each other to the north. Similarly in Panama the Central Cordillera is over 2000 m high to the west near the Costa Rican border but only about 500 m high in most of the eastern part of the country. In central Panama, the Panama Canal cuts through a continental divide of only 100 m elevation, and in the San Juan River/Lake Nicaragua area of Nicaragua the maximum elevation is even less. For montane organisms, these interruptions in the cordillera represent major biological discontinuities.
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Latin America stretches from the isthmus south of Mexico and continues to the southernmost point of Chile. The Caribbean islands are ... recognized in this region. The countries vary in size from the smallest Caribbean islands to the sprawling area of Brazil, which accounts for roughly half the population in the region.
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