26Sahara Dust Seeding Amazon
From orbit, you can sometimes actually watch a massive amount of sand moving from the Sahara Desert to South America. The Amazon rainforest is nourished by this nutrient-rich sand. It's a major factor in the area's extraordinarily high biodiversity.
27. On the 25th December of each year, the residents of one Peruvian village celebrate a holiday known as "Takanakuy," during which they challenge each other to a fistfight to settle any unresolved grudges from the past year. After that, everyone gets drunk to forget the past year and welcome the new one.
28. Around 50 beavers were first introduced to Tierra del Fuego, an island at South America's southernmost tip, in 1946 to boost the local fur trade. While no such fur trade ever materialized, Patagonia's forests have been irreparably damaged by the beaver population, which is now estimated to be over 100,000.
29. There are 90 distinct microclimates in Peru, representing 30 of the world's 32 climates, making it one of the most climate-diverse countries in the world.
30. In an attempt to break the grip of colonial elites and establish a mestizo society, Paraguay's first dictator, José Gaspar Rodrguez de Francia, established a decree in 1814 that restricted the marriage options available to colonial residents to blacks, mulattoes, and natives. Because of this regulation, the country is one of the most racially integrated in all of Latin America.
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31Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego, located at South America's southernmost tip, is technically an archipelago separated from the continent by the Strait of Magellan. One of the languages spoken on this archipelago, Yaghan, has lost all but one of its native speakers as of the year 2019. When Cristina Calderon's sister-in-law, the only other known native speaker of Yaghan, passed away in 2005, she became the language's sole surviving speaker.
32. In 1928, the United States threatened to invade Colombia to put an end to a strike by employees of the Chiquita Fruit Company. In what has been dubbed the "Banana Massacre," the Colombian army opened fire on unarmed protestors, including men, women, and children, resulting in between 800 and 3,000 deaths.
33. Surprisingly, French Guiana, an overseas region of France, is home to the European Union's and France's largest national park. This protected area in Guyana is known as the Guiana Amazonian Park.
34. In South America, the maned wolf is the biggest canid. Rather than a wolf, it resembles a fox with long legs. Studies of its genes indicate that it is a separate species from both foxes and real wolves. It is the sole member of the Chrysocyon genus.
35. In 1862, Peru commissioned the construction of a hospital ship, which is still in use today. The original steam engine is still in use, and it is still powered by dried llama dung.
36Scopolamine a.k.a. Devil's Breath
Scopolamine, sometimes known as "Devil's Breath," is a hallucinogen popular in Colombia. People under the influence of this drug appear normal, but they lack the ability to exercise their own free will, making them easy prey for thieves who can convince them to hand over their money and possessions and then forget about it the next day.
37. The South American nation of Paraguay runs entirely on hydroelectric power but only uses around 10% of the electricity it creates, sending the rest of it abroad. Almost all of this energy comes from the Itapu dam, which is the source of about 25% of Brazil's electricity.
38. During a naval fight between Argentina and Uruguay in 1841, the Uruguayan ship eventually had to retreat due to a lack of ammunition. The captain gave the order to load the cannons with the hard balls of cheese they had on board and shoot them. The Argentinean ship lost two sailors when the cheese tore holes in the sails of their ship.
39. Only Uruguay, besides France, is allowed to freely use the term "champagne." This is because of a debt owed by France to Uruguay following World War 2. All other nations must use the word "sparkling wine" when selling this kind of product.
40. The Charra were the original inhabitants of what is now Uruguay and its neighboring countries. In 1831, Uruguay's first president, Fructuoso Rivera, led an effort to completely wipe out the indigenous Charra people. They are now considered ethnically extinct.
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RE: Fact #27 (Takanakuy Fight) – 25th of what?
Sorry it was supposed to be 25th of December. I have corrected the fact.