South America - Food Crops, Agriculture, Diversity

South America

Table of Contents

Introduction
Geologic history
- The Precambrian
  - The Trans-Amazonian cycle
  - The Brazilian cycle
- The Paleozoic Era
  - Early Paleozoic events
  - The formation of Pangea
- The Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras
  - Events in the Mesozoic
  - The Andean orogeny
    - The Northern Andes
    - The Central Andes
    - The Southern Andes
  - Present geologic setting
The land
- Relief
  - The Andes Mountains
  - The plateaus
  - The lowlands
- Drainage
  - Rivers
  - Lakes
  - Marshes and swamps
- Soils
- Climate
  - Factors influencing climate
  - Climatic regions
    - Tropical climates
    - Temperate climates
    - Arid climates
    - Cold climates
- Plant life
  - Grasslands
    - Savannas
    - Pampas
  - Vegetation zones
    - Tropical and subtropical rainforests
    - Tropical deciduous forests
    - Caatinga
    - South Brazilian forests
    - Xerophytic associations
    - Subantarctic rainforests
    - Mountain vegetation
  - Human influences on vegetation
- Animal life
  - Principal faunal types
    - Fish and bird life
    - Mammals
    - Amphibians and reptiles
    - Arthropods
  - Ecological communities
    - The Amazonian and Guianan forests
    - East-central plateaus and lowlands
    - The Argentinian Pampas
    - The southern Chilean forests
    - The high Andes
    - The arid west coast
  - Human influences on wildlife
The people
- Ethnic origins and migrations
  - Indians
  - Iberians
  - Africans
  - Postindependence overseas immigrants
- Population and ecological distribution
  - The present population
  - Culture areas
    - American Indian heritage regions
    - African heritage regions
    - European heritage regions
  - Linguistic patterns
  - Religious patterns
  - Sociological changes
- Demographic patterns
  - The demographic transition and fertility
  - Effects of rapid population increase
The economy
- Resources
  - Mineral resources
    - Mineral fuels
    - Iron and ferroalloys
    - Nonferrous base metals
    - Precious metals and gemstones
    - Nonmetallic deposits
  - Biological resources
    - Botanical resources
    - Animal resources
- Forestry and fishing
- Agriculture
  - Principal crops
    - Food crops
    - Specialized cash crops
  - Livestock
- Industry
- Power and irrigation
- Trade
  - Internal trade
  - External trade
- Transportation
  - Roads
  - Railways
  - Maritime transport
  - Waterways
  - Air transportation
- Cultural life

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Corn (maize), a native of tropical America and now a staple in countries around the world, is the most widely cultivated crop throughout the continent. Argentina became a major exporter of corn during the 20th century. Beans, including several species of the genus Phaseolus, are widely cultivated by small-scale methods and form an important food item in most countries. Cassava and sweet potato also are indigenous to the New World and have become the basic foodstuffs of much of tropical Africa and parts of Asia. The potato, which originated in the high Andes, became a dietary staple of many European ...(100 of 23598 words)

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