1Catatumbo Lightning
Over 200 lightning strikes an hour can be seen in the Lake Maracaibo basin in Venezuela for up to 10 hours at a time. You can plan ahead for it up to a few months, and it happens more than a hundred times a year. It has been named Catatumbo lightning and as many as 448,000 lightning strikes are reported here every year. Because lightning strikes happen so often and are so accurate, they have been used as a sailing beacon for a long time.
2. Out of the 12.5 million slaves that made the Atlantic crossing, only 388,000 were sold in the United States. Mexico and South America received the remaining 10.7 million.
3. The United States routinely sprays herbicides across the jungles of Central and South America as part of the war on drugs, wiping out both food and drug crops.
4. After successfully negotiating the purchase of New Amsterdam (now known as New York) from the Dutch in 1667, the English agreed to give up their claims to the contested South American region of Suriname. As of the 21st century, Suriname is the only sovereign nation in the Americas where Dutch is the official language.
5. Dutch is spoken widely in Suriname, in South America, but the locals also speak Sranan Tongo, a creole language derived from Portuguese, Dutch, and West African languages. The population consists of aboriginals, Dutch, Indonesians, Indians, Chinese, and escaped slaves (Maroons). As a result of centuries of Dutch control and the subsequent forced or voluntary migration of people of many different nationalities, the country is now one of the most culturally and religiously diverse places on the planet.
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6Colonia Tovar
Colonia Tovar is a little town in Venezuela that was founded by German immigrants in 1843, and it has remained true to its Germanic roots ever since, earning it the nickname "The Germany of the Caribbean" due to its authentic architecture, cuisine, and language.
7. Because Brazil has a much larger population than any of the other Spanish-speaking countries in South America, Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in South America.
8. About 2.7 million years ago, the Isthmus of Panama rose, creating a land bridge between North and South America. This is when the Great American Interchange happened, which saw bears, cougars, and horses heading south and creatures such as armadillos, opossums, porcupines, and others migrating northward.
9. As an overseas department and region of France, French Guiana lacks the autonomy of a true independent state. French Guiana is in South America, but it is part of the European Union, uses the euro, and everyone who lives there is a French citizen, even though the country is in South America.
10. The great South American liberator Simón Bolívar was known as "Iron Butt" (culo de hierro) for his "endurance on horseback." In the 1800s, "iron butt" helped liberate Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama from Spanish rule.
11Titanoboa
The prehistoric Titanoboa snake could reach a length of 42 feet and a weight of up to 2,500 pounds. It is believed to have preyed on giant crocodiles and existed in what is now South America.
12. Capybaras are the world's largest extant species of rodent, and they have flourished well in South American cities, where they are commonly spotted in parks and around lakes. Capybaras are tame and often tolerate being petted by humans; however, this is not recommended due to the ticks these mammals carry, which can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
13. In the past, South America was home to carnivorous, flightless birds that reached heights of 8 feet and weighed as much as 300 pounds. They were commonly referred to as "terror birds." It lived approximately 5 to 2 million years ago.
14. Only the spectacled bear is indigenous to South America. One of four living bear species, they are also known as Andean bears since they prefer to spend most of their time in trees. Only 5–7% of their diet consists of meat, making it predominantly vegetarian. Paddington Bear was based on this species of bear.
15. Arthur Raymond Chung, President of Guyana, South America, from 1970 to 1980, is noted for being the first ethnically Chinese head of state in a non-Asian majority country.
16Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
There was a war between Peru and Ecuador in 1941. Neither nation was an Axis or an Allied power. In other words, this was an international war that broke out during World War 2 but had nothing to do with the European theater.
17. After the American Civil War, many individuals who supported the Confederacy emigrated to Mexico and other parts of South America. Many people from the American South decided to relocate to Brazil, where they founded communities with names like "Americana" and "New Texas."
18. There are still 6-foot-long giant otters that exist in the wild, but they are secluded to just three river basins in South America. They are capable of taking on crocodiles (Caimans specifically) as a pack, and they hunt in large numbers.
19. The South American continent was formerly home to enormous sloths (Megatherium). It was the largest known bipedal mammal, with a potential weight of 4 tons (about the same as a modern elephant) and a height of 3.5 meters (12 feet) when standing on its hind legs. It existed between 400,000 and 8,000 years ago.
20. It's impossible to drive to Iquitos, Peru's largest city. You'll need an aircraft or a boat to get there.
21Uncontacted People of S. America
Today, there are more than 100 uncontacted people worldwide. Most of them call the remote rainforests of South America and New Guinea home.
22. As part of an anti-fascist and anti-Nazi "goodwill tour," Walt Disney was sent to South America by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He worked with Jose Carioca on the film "Saludos Amigos" to improve ties between the United States and South America.
23. Mount Everest, when measured in terms of its elevation above sea level, is the highest peak in the world. However, if you measure from the planet's center, where it bulges slightly near the equator, the Chimborazo in Ecuador is the tallest mountain in the world.
24. Some time after the initial airing of "War of the Worlds," a similar hoax was attempted in Ecuador. When the public discovered it was a hoax, they encircled the radio station and burned it to the ground, killing an estimated 100 individuals inside. A few lucky folks jumped out of windows, but about 20 people perished.
25. In 1865, the dictator of Paraguay launched an ill-advised war against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Over half of Paraguay's population, and as much as 90 percent of its male population, died in just five years. It was probably the worst military defeat a modern nation-state had ever faced.
