How many people live in South America. America: the population of the continent, its origin and features

Modern population South America Anthropologically very different. It consists of representatives of various races - American ( indigenous people- Indians), Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from), Negroid (descendants of those taken out from slaves), as well as numerous mixed groups - mestizos, mulattos, sambo. Racial mixing in the countries of South America is underway rapidly, and new racial types are gradually taking shape. Before the advent of Europeans (end of the 15th century), various Indian tribes and peoples who spoke the languages of Quechua, Arawak, Chibcha, Tupigua-Rani, and others inhabited it. The population was distributed unevenly: the high mountain valleys of the Central Andean Highlands were most densely populated, and the lowlands of the basin were weaker.

With the advent of the European conquerors (and), fundamental changes took place in the ethnic structure of the continent. Thousands of Africans were imported as slave labor to work in the viceroyalty's mines and sugarcane plantations along the coast and northeast. In the Central Andean Highlands, the Negroes were for the most part absorbed into the local population; in two other areas their participation in ethnic processes and contributions to culture were great. A large population of mixed European-Negro and Negro-Indian origin has developed here.

After independence drastic changes ethnic composition occurred in, and due to the massive influx of immigrants from, and other European countries (they were attracted mainly for the development national territories in the 2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries), as well as in and - due to immigration from (mainly from and). The majority of the modern population of South America is of mixed Indian-European origin, but in the northeast of the mainland, the population of Negro-European origin prevails. In a number of countries in South America, large Indian peoples: Quechua in Peru, and Aymara in Bolivia, Araucans in Chile. In addition, in the outlying regions of almost all states (for example, the northern, in Brazil, the northwest, etc.), small Indian tribes and peoples who speak their own languages have also survived.

The official language of the vast majority of South American countries is Spanish, Brazil - Portuguese. Of the Indian languages, only Quechua in Peru is the second official language. It differs in great originality, where most of of the population uses the Indian language Guarani, owning to one degree or another Spanish. in Guyana, official language- English, in the former Suriname - Dutch, in French Guiana - French. The majority of the believing population of South America -. Among the Indians, remnants of pre-Christian beliefs play a significant role, and among some Negroes there are remnants of African cults.

The population of South America is very diverse and colorful. It consists of representatives of the most diverse races, which in different periods history mastered this continent. characteristic feature is racial mixing, which is going on at a very rapid pace in all South American countries.

Population of mainland South America

The racial composition of the inhabitants of South America is very complex, and this is due to the peculiarities of the history of the development of the continent. More than 250 of the most different peoples and nationalities, which for many years are with each other in the closest interaction.

Representatives of three major races live in South America:

equatorial (indigenous population - Indians);
European (descendants of immigrants from European countries);
Negroid (descendants of black slaves brought from Africa).

In addition to pure races, several mixed groups also live on the mainland:

mestizos - mixture of Europeans with Indians;
mulattoes - mixture of Europeans with Africans;
sambo - a mixture of Indians with blacks.

It is noteworthy that during the colonial system, a special social hierarchy reigned in the local society, dominated by Creoles - the descendants of European conquerors, born already in America. The lower classes included all mixed groups.

History of development

A distinctive feature of the formation of the population of South America is its relative immaturity - only a few centuries. Before the conquest of the continent by the Spanish and Portuguese invaders at the end of the 15th century, Indian peoples and tribes lived here, speaking Quechua, Chibcha, Tupigua-Rani and others. However, after the capture of the mainland by the Spaniards and the Portuguese, the main population began to mix rapidly.

Population distribution of South America

The average population density ranges from 10-25 people per 1 sq. km. km. This data differs only for French Guiana, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname - these regions are least populated.

Features of nature and climate are such that the population of the mainland is uneven and unequal. Most people live in large cities. So, for example, in Argentina for 1 sq. km there are more than 100 people, and in Patagonia this figure is 100 times less - only 1 person per 1 sq. km. km.

The least inhabited on the mainland are its interior regions - the vast forests of the Amazon, as well as some areas of the Andes. Some of these spaces are generally deserted. This indicates the poor development of a large part of the territory of South America.

The settlement of South America by man ended later than other continents - only 12-15 thousand years ago. It is impossible to say unequivocally how the mainland was populated. Most likely, a person entered America from Asia. It happened during the Late Paleolithic - about 35 thousand years ago. In this era on Earth there was glacial period, and the Bering Strait, which connects Eurasia and America, was covered with ice, or was completely absent due to glaciation, since the level of the World Ocean could be lower. The ancient peoples of Asia migrated through it in search of new lands suitable for habitation and hunting, so they began to develop a new part of the world - America. But it took them another 20,000 years to reach its southernmost tip.

As you know, the indigenous peoples of America are called Indians. They were called Indians by Christopher Columbus, who, having discovered America, was sure that he had reached the shores of India. AT European languages, for example, in English, the words "Indian" and "Indian" are now spelled and sound the same: "Indian". When a European set foot in America in 1492, it was the beginning of the end for most of its native inhabitants. Very soon, European travelers began to behave like conquerors, taking away from the Indians everything that they did not agree to give them just like that. Already 30 years later, on the very first islands discovered by the Spaniards, the entire indigenous population was destroyed. The colonialists carried with them the material culture of Europe: steel weapons, horses, grain, but trade with the indigenous peoples always came with pressure on them, and ended with military operations against them and the destruction of the tribes that got in the way of the colonialists. Along with this, the Spaniards brought other troubles to the mainland - European diseases. Before today it is not known how many Indians died from them, and what turned out to be more destructive for them: Spanish blades or viruses, to which the local population had no immunity - the usual "cold" for a European could turn out to be a fatal infection for many of the Indians., and from measles and smallpox wiped out entire tribes of aborigines.

Of course, not all the peoples of South America were at the level of the tribal system, despite the fact that most of them still lived in tribes - they did not need high tech to get food. Hunting and gathering could feed the tribe from generation to generation, and living in harmony with nature was the best survival tactic for these people. But on the mainland there were also peoples with a more developed material culture. Among them, the Inca Empire stands out first of all. The Incas controlled large areas of western South America. They knew how to build stone buildings, lay roads, water pipes, they had a complex social hierarchy and strong army, with the help of which they conquered and kept in subjection many other peoples of South America. The Incas knew the processing of bronze, however, due to the absence in the Andes on their territory iron ore, they remained at the same level " bronze age", Passed by Europeans already 2-3 thousand years ago. The Incas did not have horses either. The wild horse did not survive in America, unlike Eurasia, perhaps that is why the peoples of America never invented the wheel. Of course, the Inca Empire was not capable of to repulse the Europeans.In the 20-30s of the 16th century, Francisco Pizarro captures this state.Today, only stone monuments of their disappeared culture remain from the Inca Empire.First of all, this is the city of Machu Picchu (pictured).This is a stone city built in Peruvian The Andes, also called the “city in the sky” or “the lost city of the Incas.” After the conquest of their Empire, the inhabitants of Machu Picchu mysteriously disappeared.

Since the 16th century, the Spaniards and the Portuguese have been gradually developing new lands, establishing new settlements here, which turn into large cities. It is because of the dominance of Medieval Europe, and throughout the world of those times in Spain and Portugal, South America today speaks precisely these two languages. In most countries, such as Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Spanish is the official language. Portuguese is spoken by the most big country continent - Brazil. Together with the colonialists, the Christian religion also came here, which supplanted local beliefs. Most of the peoples of South America now profess Catholicism.

Since the 16th century, Europeans have increasingly begun to use slaves to develop new lands and work on plantations in South America. The Indians were too freedom-loving for these purposes. They often preferred to die rather than become slaves. Because slaves began to be imported from colonial Africa. Those Hard times the slave trade was commonplace, the conquered peoples were deprived of all rights and were doomed to death or slavery, and the concept of human rights or equality of all people did not even exist - it was a gloomy Middle Ages, the echoes of which continued to sound until the 19th century, when slavery was finally abolished. Black slaves were brought to America by the thousands. All these processes greatly influenced the population of the mainland. A hundred years ago, all of America was inhabited only by Indians - representatives Mongoloid race, and in the 16th century people of all three major races appeared here. Interbreeding gradually took place between these races, since representatives of different races quite often entered into marriages. So the descendants of Europeans and blacks are called mulattoes. They have swarthy skin and features of both Europeans and Africans. Metis- descendants of Indians and Europeans. Metis inhabited primarily the northern part of South America - Venezuela, Colombia. As a result of the mixing of Indians and blacks, another racial type arose - sambo.

Today, 420.5 million people live in South America (2016). Among them are representatives of all human races. A significant part are the descendants of emigrants from Europe. There are not so many purebred Indians, the largest indigenous peoples are Quechua and Aymara. However, in the depths of the Amazonian

South American population report

The modern population of South America is anthropologically very diverse. It consists of representatives of various races of the American (the indigenous population of the Indians), Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from Europe), Negroid (descendants of slaves exported from Africa), as well as numerous mixed groups of mestizos, mulattos, sambo. Racial mixing in the countries of South America is proceeding at a rapid pace, and new racial types are gradually taking shape. Before the advent of Europeans (end of the 15th century), South America was inhabited by various Indian tribes and peoples who spoke the languages of Quechua, Arawak, Chibcha, Tupigua-Rani, and others. . With the advent of the European conquerors (the Spaniards and the Portuguese), fundamental changes took place in the ethnic structure of the continent. Thousands of Africans were imported as slaves to work in the mines of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the sugar cane plantations along the Venezuelan coast and northeast Brazil. In the Central Andean Highlands, the Negroes for the most part disappeared into the local population; in the other two regions, their participation in ethnic processes and their contribution to culture were great. A large population of mixed European-Negro and Negro-Indian origin has developed here. After the countries of South America gained independence, sharp changes in the ethnic composition occurred in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay due to the massive influx of immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European countries (they were attracted mainly for the development of national territories in the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries), and also in Guyana and Suriname through immigration from Asia (mainly from China and India). The majority of the modern population of South America is of mixed Indian-European origin, but in the northeast of the mainland, the population of Negro-European origin prevails. In a number of countries in South America, large Indian peoples have survived: the Quechua in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, the Aymara in Bolivia, and the Araucans in Chile. In addition, in the outlying regions of almost all states (for example, northern Argentina, the Amazon in Brazil, northwestern Colombia, etc.), small Indian tribes and peoples who speak their own languages have also survived.
The modern population of South America is anthropologically very diverse. It consists of representatives of various races of the American (the indigenous population of the Indians), Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from Europe), Negroid (descendants of slaves exported from Africa), as well as numerous mixed groups of mestizos, mulattos, sambo. Racial mixing in the countries of South America is proceeding at a rapid pace, and new racial types are gradually taking shape. Before the advent of Europeans (end of the 15th century), South America was inhabited by various Indian tribes and peoples who spoke the languages of Quechua, Arawak, Chibcha, Tupigua-Rani, and others. . With the advent of the European conquerors (the Spaniards and the Portuguese), fundamental changes took place in the ethnic structure of the continent. Thousands of Africans were imported as slaves to work in the mines of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the sugar cane plantations along the Venezuelan coast and northeast Brazil. In the Central Andean Highlands, the Negroes for the most part disappeared into the local population; in the other two regions, their participation in ethnic processes and their contribution to culture were great. A large population of mixed European-Negro and Negro-Indian origin has developed here. After the countries of South America gained independence, sharp changes in the ethnic composition occurred in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay due to the massive influx of immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European countries (they were attracted mainly for the development of national territories in the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries), and also in Guyana and Suriname through immigration from Asia (mainly from China and India). The majority of the modern population of South America is of mixed Indian-European origin, but in the northeast of the mainland, the population of Negro-European origin prevails. In a number of countries in South America, large Indian peoples have survived: the Quechua in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, the Aymara in Bolivia, and the Araucans in Chile. In addition, in the outlying regions of almost all states (for example, northern Argentina, the Amazon in Brazil, northwestern Colombia, etc.), small Indian tribes and peoples who speak their own languages have also survived.
The settlement of South America by man ended later than other continents - only 12-15 thousand years ago. It is impossible to say unequivocally how the mainland was populated. Most likely, a person entered America from Asia. It happened during the Late Paleolithic - about 35 thousand years ago. During this era, the Earth was undergoing an ice age, and the Bering Strait, which connects Eurasia and America, was covered with ice. The ancient peoples of Asia migrated through it in search of new lands suitable for habitation and hunting, so they began to develop a new part of the world - America. But it took them another 20,000 years to reach the southernmost tip.
Follow the link - http://geography7.wikidot.com/population-of-south-america
The modern population of South America is anthropologically very diverse. It consists of representatives of various races of American (the indigenous population of Indians), Caucasoid (descendants of immigrants from Europe), Negroid (descendants of slaves exported from Africa), as well as numerous mixed groups of mestizos, mulattos, sambo. Racial mixing in the countries of South America is proceeding at a rapid pace, and new racial types are gradually taking shape. Before the advent of Europeans (end of the 15th century), South America was inhabited by various Indian tribes and peoples who spoke the languages of Quechua, Arawak, Chibcha, Tupigua-Rani, and others. . With the advent of the European conquerors (the Spaniards and the Portuguese), fundamental changes took place in the ethnic structure of the continent. Thousands of Africans were imported as slaves to work in the mines of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the sugar cane plantations along the Venezuelan coast and northeast Brazil. In the Central Andean Highlands, the Negroes for the most part disappeared into the local population; in the other two regions, their participation in ethnic processes and their contribution to culture were great. A large population of mixed European-Negro and Negro-Indian origin has developed here. After the countries of South America gained independence, sharp changes in the ethnic composition occurred in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay due to the massive influx of immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European countries (they were attracted mainly for the development of national territories in the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries). and also in Guyana and Suriname due to immigration from Asia (mainly from China and India). The majority of the modern population of South America is of mixed Indian-European origin, but in the northeast of the mainland, the population of Negro-European origin prevails. In a number of countries in South America, large Indian peoples have survived: the Quechua in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, the Aymara in Bolivia, and the Araucans in Chile. In addition, in the outlying regions of almost all states (for example, northern Argentina, the Amazon in Brazil, northwestern Colombia, etc.), small Indian tribes and peoples who speak their own languages have also survived. The official language of the vast majority of South American countries is Spanish, Brazil is Portuguese. Of the Indian languages, only Quechua in Peru is the second official language. Paraguay is very distinctive, where most of the population uses the Guarani Indian language, knowing Spanish to one degree or another. In Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, the official language is English, in the former Dutch colony of Suriname, Dutch, and in French Guiana, French. The majority of the believing population of South America are Catholics. Among the Indians, the remnants of pre-Christian beliefs play a significant role, among the Negroes there are remnants of African cults.

The population of South America is over 350 million people.
Until the end of the 15th century, South America was inhabited Indian tribes and peoples who spoke languages such as Tipigua Rani, Quechua and Chibcha. They settled mainly in the Central Andean Highlands (its high mountain valleys). But with the advent of Europeans (Spaniards, Portuguese), the indigenous population began to be exported to Peru, Venezuela, as slaves, to work on plantations and mines, and immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European countries began to settle in the countries of South America.
Largely, modern population is of Indian-European and Negro-European descent. In addition, large Indian peoples live in many countries of South America, for example, in Peru and Ecuador - Quechua, and in Chile - Araucans.

Ethnic composition:

Indians;
Europeans;
immigrants from Asian countries;
black people.

On average, 10-30 people live per 1 km2, but the smallest number of people live in the Amazon rainforests and some mountainous areas of the Andes. As for densely populated areas, one such area is Pampa (it occupies the whole of Uruguay and the northeast of Argentina).
Official language- Spanish, but, for example, in Brazil - Portuguese, and Trinidad, Guyana and Tobago - English.
Big cities: Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Bogotá, Salvador.
The population of South America professes Catholicism, Protestantism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.

Lifespan

On average, residents of South American countries live up to 65-70 years. For example, in Chile this figure is 76, in Ecuador - 71, and in Suriname - 69 years.
Despite the rather high life expectancy rates, the continent is characterized by quite increased level mortality among young people and people under retirement age.
The main causes of death of the population: oncological, cardiovascular, infectious diseases as well as poisoning, injuries and accidents.

Traditions and customs of the peoples of South America

Rituals are the main traditions of the peoples of South America. For example, in Brazil, the marriage of young people must necessarily be consecrated in the church, and a “sorcerer” must be present at the holiday itself, whose task is to help young people protect themselves from the evil eye.
Venezuela is famous for its main traditions - festivals, which are accompanied by dances and songs. In addition, the calendar of Venezuelans is full different holidays which they celebrate cheerfully and noisily.
close attention deserve the traditions of the inhabitants of Bolivia - the Indians living here and descendants from mixed marriages (their traditions are the embodiment of the true traditions of South America). They express their feelings through songs and dances (popular folk dances are auchi-auchi, kueka, tinki).
Bolivians are engaged in folk art - weaving and knitting (over the past 3000 years it has not changed at all).
Another local custom is the use of coca leaves in everyday life - it is customary to chew them, infuse them, make tea from them and season some dishes with them (in European countries coca leaves are considered a drug, and in Bolivia they are a tonic).
If you decide to go to South America, you will right choice- you can plunge into the mysterious life of this mainland.