Ecological problems of the savannas of South America. South America is in the grip of global problems. Deforestation problem

Global problems of our time

Remark 1

A number of planetary problems that cannot be solved by the forces of only one country are called global. Their feature is the complexity, consistency, universality, which is provided by the unity of the modern world and the strengthening of world relationships. Conventionally, global problems are divided into $4$ groups - socio-political, socio-economic, socio-environmental, social and humanitarian.

Socio-political problems related to peace and international security. If for a long time the basis of international security was nuclear deterrence, then in modern conditions it became clear that nuclear war will never be a means to achieve foreign policy goals. Together with the peoples' hope for a secure world, new sources of instability have emerged - the growth of international terrorism. The countries of the world have accumulated huge stocks of weapons capable of destroying the planet several times, so the problem of disarmament is acute. The solution of social problems in developing countries is hampered by the rate of military spending, which exceeds the rate economic development. In order to begin disarmament, which in itself is a lengthy process, all parties must abide by certain principles.

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Coursework 400 rubles.
abstract Environmental protection and environmental problems in Latin America 230 rub.
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Their essence is as follows:

Equality and equal security;
Fulfillment of all contractual obligations and agreements;
Disarmament Control System;
Comprehensive character, continuity and effectiveness of disarmament measures.

AT socio-economic The main problems are the problem of economic backwardness, the demographic problem, the food problem. Today, there is a huge gap between developing and developed countries in all socio-economic indicators. The problem of backwardness is related to the fact that they cannot establish efficient production and provide themselves with food. These countries are not able to eliminate poverty and solve social problems on their own. The division of the world into rich and poor is deepening and creating tension between countries.

Economic backwardness is the cause of two more problems - demographic and food. The "population explosion" has led to an increase in the number of the planet to $ 7 billion people. The demographic situation leads to negative consequences - an uneven distribution of people in relation to life resources, a negative impact on the environment, overpopulation in a number of countries, an increase in poverty and a deterioration in the quality of life. The current danger of destruction natural environment led to social and environmental problems.

Air and water pollution;
Climate change of the planet as a whole;
Deforestation;
The disappearance of many species of flora and fauna;
soil erosion;
Reducing the area of fertile land;
Ozone holes;
Acid rain, etc.

By themselves, environmental problems will not disappear, their solution involves the development and implementation of programs for the protection of nature not only at the national, but also at the regional and international levels. Environmental policy should become an integral part of the internal and foreign policy all countries of the world. Environmental policy will be effective provided that environmental legislation is created, which provides for liability for violations and a mechanism for punishing non-compliance with the legislation. Ecological issues are in the focus of attention of such international organizations as the UN, UNESCO, etc. In the field of their activity is the development of programs for environmental protection at the international level, the implementation of environmental activities throughout the world. They create systems of international control over the state of the natural environment, environmental education. In many countries of the world, environmental organizations and movements are emerging that also contribute to the protection of the environment. Their activities are gaining significant scope throughout the world. A wide range of issues also covers social and humanitarian problems directly related to man.

This is, first of all:

Material and spiritual insecurity of life;
Violation of the rights and freedoms of a person;
Mental and physical ill health of a person;
Suffering and grief from wars and violence, etc.

All ethnic conflicts, local wars, natural disasters have one result - humanitarian catastrophes, the consequences of which can only be eliminated by the combined efforts of the world community. Every year, the increasing flows of refugees create enormous difficulties for all countries.

Remark 2

All global problems are closely connected with each other and go to the person. The very existence of human civilization is under threat, and this prompted world scientists join forces in search of ways to solve global problems. For this purpose, the Club of Rome was created in $1968$. It is an international non-governmental organization that brings together scientists, political and public figures from a number of countries around the world. This organization was founded by the Italian economist, businessman and public figure A. Peccei.

Environmental Issues in Latin America

The diverse natural resource potential of Latin America and the intensive use of natural resources have turned out for many countries in the region environmental situations. The causes of environmental troubles were the peripheral position in the world economy and the high dependence on foreign capital. Rational nature management is associated with the protection of the national interests of Latin American countries.

To date, $80$% of industrial pollution is associated with the use of fuel and energy resources. Oil refining and petrochemistry are the most dangerous branches of production from the ecological point of view. In Brazil, the Camasari district has become the dirtiest, where a large petrochemical complex has been built. Such areas, where there is a concentration of hazardous production, are called the "valley of death." Development nuclear energy increases the risk of radioactive contamination.

Another problem comes to the surface - the disposal of toxic waste from developed countries in Latin America. Moreover, burials are already underway in Brazil, Argentina, Peru. Air pollution with harmful compounds – oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen has a negative impact on human health. The share of atmospheric pollution by vehicles is large and its share, for example, in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Santiago, is $70$%. Forest fires contribute to air pollution. Discharges of industrial waste contribute to the poor condition of water basins. The problem of water is very acute, for example, in Buenos Aires, where $90% of industrial enterprises do not have treatment plants Wastewater. There is a catastrophic pollution of the tributaries of La Plata, on the banks of which industrial enterprises are located, but the water of the river is also used for the domestic needs of the townspeople. The water problem in Latin America is very acute.

Factors that caused it:

With the growth of population and cities, water availability per capita is decreasing;
Deforestation, climate change;
Dumping of untreated waste reduces water quality;
Outdated institutional and legislative structure.

The region has large reserves of arable land and ranks third in the world in terms of their degradation, which is associated with erosion.

The main problems in this area are:

Erosion leads to the reduction of agricultural land;
Change of land use types;
Compaction, pollution, removal of nutrients leading to degradation;
Unequal and unfair distribution of land;
Lack of land rights.

Excessive intensification of agriculture leads to the loss of nutrients. As a result, the soil loses its productivity, further exacerbating the problem of poverty. The introduction of fertilizers, pesticides, the use of new technologies, of course, increase the volume of production, but significantly worsen the state of the environment. The use of fertilizers leads to an increase in nitrogen compounds in the soil and in water.

Remark 3

Salinization is a special form of soil degradation, and since the fight against this phenomenon is very difficult, the salinization process can lead to desertification. In Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile $18.4 million hectares of land are subject to salinization. Dangerous environmental consequences, even greater soil erosion, are associated with deforestation for pastures and the creation of livestock farms. Forests, for example, for the Caribbean countries, perform an important socio-economic function.

The function of scaffolding is as follows:

The forest in the Caribbean is not only a source of domestic consumption, but also of exports. Indigenous peoples, thanks to the forest, maintain their traditional way of life;
The forest is a supplier of natural products, it performs the function of preserving the environment, protecting against natural disasters;
Forest preserves river basins, protects against erosion and absorbs carbon dioxide.

Forest area in the Caribbean is $1/4$ of the planet's forest area and contains more than $160 billion cubic meters. m of wood. This is $1/3$ of the world's reserves. The deforestation in the region is the highest in the world and amounts to $0.48% annually, and over the past $30 years, out of $418 million hectares of forests, Latin America accounts for $190 million hectares. Forests are especially vulnerable during fires. This natural disaster could destroy up to $50% of the forest biomass on the surface. Particularly strong fires were noted in Central America in $1988$. The fires that broke out covered an area of more than $2.5 million hectares. The most catastrophic they were in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua. $14,445 in fires have been reported in Mexico alone.

Activities of states in solving environmental problems

Until relatively recently, the environmental problems that arose in the region, the states of Latin America practically did not pay due attention to their solution. Such an attitude led to uncontrollable consequences - deforestation over vast areas, a decrease in the gene pool of fauna, soil erosion, acid rain, etc. The huge urban agglomerations of the region suffer especially hard. I must say that in recent years, more attention has been paid to environmental issues.

Example 1

In Brazil, the legislative framework and forestry management have been improved;
Land degradation issues have been discussed in regional and international forums over the past decades;
By decision of the UN, a Regional Coordinating Council for Latin American and Caribbean countries was created. Its task was to coordinate the preparation and implementation of national follow-up programs;
A number of Latin American countries have adopted new forestry regulations. For example, in $1996$, Bolivia adopted a new forestry law (Law $1700$). Based on this law, state forests can only come into the hands of private companies when the local and indigenous people are involved in this process;
The Amazon Pact is an example of sub-regional mechanisms that pave the way for new agreements and monitoring. All activities are aimed at preventing the degradation of soil resources in the region;
The Central American Council operates in the field of forests and protected areas. It performs the function of an advisory body in the field of policy and strategy for the sustainable use of forest resources, biodiversity conservation;
Eight countries have signed an agreement on cooperation in the Amazon to develop joint activities in this area.

Remark 4

The struggle to protect nature is gaining momentum - environmental legislation is developing, the social movement of the greens is expanding. This movement is especially widely represented in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. The region is creating state organizations on environmental issues.

The countries of South America are on more high level development compared to others. In recent years, the economies of Latin America have been growing faster than the world average. One of the main reasons is that the South American countries have gone through a longer path of sovereign development. A certain role was played by economic management, reforms, high prices for raw materials, which contribute to the prosperity of the region. At present, the South American countries are not in a position to fully independently develop a diversified economy and are largely economically dependent on the world. Significant differences remain between individual countries. The economy of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela is more in line with the level of developed countries. In, and a number of other countries, the level of economic development is lower.

South American industry

Hydropower resources contribute to the construction of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants: Itaipu on the river, Guri in, Tukurui. Part of the electricity is generated at thermal and nuclear power plants. Non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry in Chile, Peru
and Bolivia.

More than 2,000 power plants operate in Brazil. These are mainly hydroelectric power plants, which produce 75% of electricity. Thermal, solar, wind and nuclear power plants account for 25% of electricity generated.

The manufacturing industry is developing most dynamically. Modern enterprises of new industries have appeared here. But a relatively diversified industry has been created only in two South American countries - Brazil and Argentina.

In Brazil and Argentina, the automotive and aviation industries are developed, there are nuclear power plants, large ferrous metallurgy plants, computers and military equipment. The manufacturing industry is primarily to meet the needs of the domestic market, which are growing due to the rapid increase in population. Production facilities are located in cities with favorable geographic location, the availability of skilled labor (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, ) and in places where fuel or raw materials are available (eg Carajas in Brazil).

The machine-building complex is developing not only in Argentina and Brazil, but also in Venezuela, Chile, and Peru. Buenos Aires, Cordoba (Argentina), Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte (Brazil) became its most important centers.

The main branch of mechanical engineering is transport engineering. Cars are produced in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela. Shipbuilding and aircraft building (Brazil), agricultural engineering (Brazil and Argentina) are developing. The aerospace industry, microelectronics - in Brazil, robotics, nuclear industry - in Argentina are developing. The chemical and petrochemical industry has been developed in Brazil and Argentina. The role of exporters and agricultural products is assigned to the South American states. Each country specializes in the export of raw materials and products on which its well-being depends. In the mining industry, oil production in Venezuela, Argentina, and Colombia stands out. The extraction of iron, copper ores is the basis of the mining industry in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and Peru. Brazil is also rich in manganese ore and bauxite. Huge reserves of copper ore are concentrated in Chile and Peru. Bolivia is famous for its tin mining. Precious metal ores are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Peru.

Of particular importance are areas of new development in the deep parts of some countries.

The largest of them is created in the Venezuelan Guayana. It is based on the electric power industry and metallurgy. Iron ore is mined in an open pit, and a significant part of it is exported.

Agriculture occupies an important place in the economy of South America. Crop production dominates in the structure of agriculture. The largest area is occupied by areas where traditional food crops are grown: corn, rice, millet, legumes, sweet potato.

The "face" of South America in world agriculture is determined by tropical crops grown on large plantations. The most important of these are sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, bananas and cotton. Arabica coffee produced in Colombia is of especially high quality. Most of the wheat crop comes from Argentina and Brazil. Some countries and areas mainly produce only one crop (monoculture countries). Animal husbandry has a meat direction, but at the same time, the production of milk and dairy products is increasing. Argentina is the second largest beef exporter in the world. In Brazil, poultry farming is developing, and its products are exported. (See the thematic map for agricultural development areas.) Brazil employs about 70% of the population in the service sector.

South America Transport

The leading role in transportation is occupied by road transport. The most important highways are the Pan-American and Trans-Amazon Highways. Great importance has air and rail transport. One of the highest railways in the world from Lima to Orio crosses the Andes at an altitude of 4818 m.

External economic relations are carried out mainly with the help of. Raw materials, fuel, and agricultural products predominate in the export of South American countries.

The countries of South America supply coffee, cocoa, cotton, meat, wheat, sugar, citrus fruits to the world market. Chile exports copper, Peru - lead and copper, Bolivia - tin, Jamaica - bauxite. Projects are being created for assembling enterprises of modern Belarusian equipment in Latin America.

Environmental issues in South America

The growth of large in South America is causing the emergence of serious, characteristic of territories around the world. These are the low quality of drinking water, pollution, and the accumulation of solid waste.

In terms of the area of territories with undisturbed nature, South America ranks second after. But under the influence of economic activity, the forest area is declining.

The Amazon in the Southern Hemisphere is considered one of the main areas of deforestation. Oil production in the thick of tropical forests, on the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus, required the construction of transport routes in inaccessible areas. This led to population growth, deforestation, expansion of arable and pasture land. The destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the soil, a decrease in the number of animals. They create a big problem. In South America, about 40% of tropical forests have disappeared.

AT last years in the countries of South America, the struggle to maintain the ecological balance in nature intensified. One of the areas of nature conservation is the creation and. More than 700 protected areas have been established on the mainland. A large area is occupied by the San Joaquin National Park in Brazil, where the most valuable forests of the Brazilian araucaria are protected. The furry spider monkey, the spectacled bear, and breeding grounds for sea turtles are also protected here. known National parks in Brazil, Manu in Peru.

The growth rates of the economic development of the countries of South America are ahead of the world average. The countries of South America are characterized by a decrease in the share of agriculture in GDP and an increase in the share of industry. The development of the economy is facilitated by huge reserves natural resources, security , expansion of integration.

Project on the theme "Environmental problem of North America"
The work was completed by: Sorokin Egor Vasilievich MBOU secondary school No. 2 p Novozavidovsky

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Relevance: A super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park in the US state of Wyoming began to grow at a record speed since 2004 and will explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than several hundred volcanoes all over the earth at the same time.
Purpose: - to learn the history of the national park and to study the danger that could become an environmental disaster. Tasks: - to study the history of the creation of the national park. - to study the sights of the park, representing a possible environmental problem in the future - to find out how this environmental problem threatens the nature of the Earth.

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Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone - International Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world's first national park (founded March 1, 1872). It is located in the USA, in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The park is famous for its numerous geysers and other geothermal objects, rich wildlife, and picturesque landscapes. The area of the park is 898.3 thousand hectares. On the vast territory The park contains lakes, rivers, canyons and caves. Yellowstone Lake, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America, is located in the center of the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant supervolcano; he erupted with huge force several times over the past two million years. Most of the park is covered with solidified lava; The park contains one of the five geyser fields in the world.

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Yellowstone Caldera Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic caldera located in a national park in the northwestern United States. After the term "supervolcano" was used in the BBC's non-fiction documentary television series Horizon in 2000, Caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, which contains most of the national park. The size of the caldera is about 76 km by 38 km, which was determined in the 1960s and 1970s geological research scientist Bob Christiansen from the US Geological Survey (thereby it occupies a third of the territory of the national park).

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About the global problem
According to American volcanologists, the eruption of the largest volcano in the world - the caldera of which is located in Yellowstone National Park, may begin in the near future. The volcano has not erupted for about 640 thousand years and with its eruption can destroy two-thirds of the US territory, which may even begin world catastrophe- Apocalypse A super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park in the US state of Wyoming began to grow at a record rate since 2004 and will explode with a force 1000 times more powerful than the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens (St. Helens) in Washington state on May 18, 1980.

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According to forecasts of volcanologists, lava will rise high into the sky, ash will cover nearby areas with a layer of 3 meters and a distance of 1600 kilometers. As a result, 2/3 of the US territory may become uninhabitable due to toxic air, millions will die, the rest will have to leave their homes. Experts predict that the volcanic eruption will occur in the near future and will be no less powerful than all 3 times when the volcano erupted over the past 2.1 million years. Now the magma has come so close to the earth's crust in Yellowstone Park that the earth has risen more than one and a half meters, and in some places it literally radiates heat that cannot be explained by anything other than the upcoming eruption of a huge volcano

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Scheme of the volcano

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As it will be
A few days before the explosion Earth's crust above the supervolcano will rise by several tens or even hundreds of meters. The soil will warm up to 60-70°С. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide and helium will increase sharply in the atmosphere. The cloud of volcanic ash will be the first to escape, which will rise into the atmosphere to a height of 40-50 km. Then the ejection of lava will begin, pieces of which will be thrown to great heights. Falling, they will cover a gigantic territory. The explosion will be accompanied by a powerful earthquake and lava flows, developing speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour. In the first hours of a new eruption in Yellowstone, an area within a radius of 1000 kilometers around the epicenter will be destroyed. Here, residents of almost the entire American Northwest (the city of Seattle) and part of Canada (the cities of Calgary, Vancouver) are in immediate danger.

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The result of the eruption
Once upon a time, Soviet scientists predicted that the most terrible consequence of a global nuclear conflict would be the so-called. "nuclear winter". The same thing will happen as a result of the explosion of a supervolcano. First, the incessant acid rain will destroy all crops and crops, kill livestock, dooming the survivors to starvation. Two weeks after the sun hides in dust clouds, the air temperature on the earth's surface will drop in various areas the globe from -15° to -50°С and below. The average temperature on the Earth's surface will be about -25°C. The “billionaire” countries India and China will suffer the most from hunger. Here, in the coming months after the explosion, up to 1.5 billion people will die. In total, every third inhabitant of the Earth will die in the first months of the cataclysm. Winter will last from 1.5 to 4 years. This is enough to change the natural balance on the planet forever. Vegetation will die due to long frosts and lack of light. Since plants are involved in the production of oxygen, it will become very difficult for the planet to breathe. Animal world The earth will die painfully from cold, hunger and epidemics. Humanity will have to move from the surface of the earth for at least 3-4 years ...

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Features of the geography of the economy of South America

Economy of the countries of South America

The bulk of the population and the most important industries are concentrated in relatively limited areas: either along the coasts in most countries of South America, or in the mountainous interior of Colombia.

The export sector of the modern economy is primarily the mining industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, production and primary processing of agricultural products. Commodities reflecting the specialization of South America in the world economy are oil, iron ore, bauxite, sugar, bananas, coffee (including instant coffee), cocoa, raw hides, cotton, wool, tropical wood.

Therefore, the main roads and railways, as well as pipelines from the areas of development of raw industries of industry and agriculture, lead to ports. According to them, goods are transported for export mainly to the United States, Western Europe and Japan. Developed countries account for up to 80% of the region's trade turnover.

The manufacturing industry is focused primarily on meeting the needs of the domestic market, which are growing due to the rapid increase in population. It is characterized by a very large territorial concentration: 90% of its capacity is concentrated in about 50 Latin American cities, including approximately 35% in the 3 largest urban agglomerations - Sao Paulo (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Mexico City (Mexico).

Environmental problems

Economy. Environmental problems. SA

Until the middle of this century, nothing seemed to threaten the evergreen forests of the Amazon. But the construction of the trans-Amazonian highway led to the possibility of human penetration into the depths of the equatorial forest. Timber harvesting increased, and the threat of destruction loomed over the Amazonian forests.

Tropical agriculture is developing, which leads to the destruction of the original ecosystem. Coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapples, sugarcane and other crops are grown in equatorial and tropical latitudes.
In subtropical areas with sufficient moisture, other crops predominate: citrus fruits, tea, wheat, corn (in pampas). The lower slopes of the Andes are also used by people for agriculture. Alpine meadows serve as pastures.
The natural complexes in the places of mining have also been greatly changed. Open pit mining can be several kilometers wide. industrial centers Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires are among the most polluted cities on the mainland.
In recent years, the struggle to maintain ecological balance has intensified in the countries of South America. It goes in two directions: the first is the development of legislation on nature protection; the second is the creation of national parks and reserves. Currently, there are already more than 300 of them. There are six national parks and eight protected scientific stations in the Amazon alone.

The main ecological problem of the mainland is the reduction in the area of moist equatorial forests associated with the construction of the Trans-Amazon Highway and the predatory felling of valuable tree species. The reduction of equatorial forests can have detrimental consequences not only for the mainland, but for the entire planet. North America --- A very large amount of chemicals are used in agriculture and landscaping (herbicides, pesticides) that end up in rivers and bays.

In South America, there are many environmental problems caused by technological progress and economic development. Forests are being destroyed and water bodies are being polluted, biodiversity is being reduced and soil is being depleted, the atmosphere is being polluted and habitats are shrinking. wildlife. All this can lead to an ecological catastrophe in the future.
In the cities of South American countries, environmental problems of the following nature have formed:

the problem of unsanitary conditions;
water pollution;
the problem of garbage and municipal solid waste disposal;
air pollution;
the problem of energy resources, etc.

Deforestation problem

A significant part of the mainland is covered with tropical forests, which are the lungs of the planet. Trees are constantly cut down, not only to sell timber, but also to create farmland and pastures. All this leads to a change in the forest ecosystem, the destruction of some species of flora and the migration of fauna. To save the forest, many countries regulate logging activities at the legislative level. There are entire zones where it is prohibited, forests are being restored and new trees are being planted.

Problems of the hydrosphere

There are many problems in the coastal areas of the seas and oceans:

overfishing;
water pollution with garbage, oil products and chemicals;
housing and communal and industrial effluents.

All these wastes negatively affect the state of water bodies, flora and fauna.

In addition, many rivers flow through the mainland, including the largest river in the world, the Amazon. The rivers of South America are also affected by human activity. In the waters, many species of fish and animals are disappearing. The life of local tribes, who have lived on the banks of rivers for millennia, has also become very complicated, they are forced to look for new habitats. Dams and various structures have led to changes in river regimes and water pollution.

Biosphere pollution

The source of air pollution is greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles and industries:

mines and deposits;
enterprises of the chemical industry;
oil refineries;
energy facilities;
metallurgical plants.

Soil pollution contributes to agriculture, which uses pesticides, chemical and mineral fertilizers. The soil is also depleted, which leads to soil degradation. Land resources are being destroyed.

The countries of South America are at a higher level of development compared to other developing countries. In recent years, the economies of Latin America have been growing faster than the world average. One of the main reasons is that the South American countries have gone through a longer path of sovereign development. A certain role was played by economic management, reforms, high prices for raw materials, which contribute to the prosperity of the region. At present, the South American countries are not able to fully independently develop a diversified economy and are largely economically dependent on the developed countries of the world. Significant differences remain between individual countries. The economy of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela is more in line with the level of developed countries. In Bolivia, Paraguay and a number of other countries, the level of economic development is lower.

South American industry

Hydropower resources contribute to the construction of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants: Itaipu on the Parana River, Guri in Venezuela, Tucurui in Brazil. Part of the electricity is generated at thermal and nuclear power plants. Non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry in Chile, Peru
and Bolivia.

In the countries of South America, the manufacturing industry is developing most dynamically. Modern enterprises of new industries have appeared here. But a relatively diversified industry has been created only in two South American countries - Brazil and Argentina.

In Brazil and Argentina, the automotive and aviation industries are developed, there are nuclear power plants, large ferrous metallurgy plants, computers and military equipment are produced. The manufacturing industry is focused primarily on meeting the needs of the domestic market, which are growing due to the rapid increase in population. Production is located in cities with a favorable geographical position, the availability of a skilled workforce (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro) and in places where fuel or raw materials are available (for example, Carajas in Brazil).

The machine-building complex is developing not only in Argentina and Brazil, but also in Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Buenos Aires, Cordoba (Argentina), Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte (Brazil) became its most important centers.

The main branch of mechanical engineering is transport engineering. Cars are produced in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela. Shipbuilding and aircraft building (Brazil), agricultural engineering (Brazil and Argentina) are developing. The aerospace industry, microelectronics - in Brazil, robotics, nuclear industry - in Argentina are developing. The chemical and petrochemical industry has been developed in Brazil and Argentina. In the world economy, the role of exporters of mineral raw materials and agricultural products is assigned to the South American states. Each country specializes in the export of raw materials and products on which its well-being depends. In the mining industry, oil production in Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia stands out. The extraction of iron, copper, nickel ores is the basis of the mining industry in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and Peru. Brazil is also rich in manganese ore and bauxite. Huge reserves of copper ore are concentrated in Chile and Peru. Bolivia is famous for its tin mining. Precious metal ores are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Peru.

Of particular importance are areas of new development in the deep parts of some countries.

The largest of them is created in the Venezuelan Guayana. It is based on the electric power industry and metallurgy. Iron ore is mined in an open pit, and a significant part of it is exported.

South America Transport

The leading role in transportation is occupied by road transport. The most important highways are the Pan-American and Trans-Amazon Highways. Air and rail transport is of great importance. One of the highest railways in the world from Lima to Orio crosses the Andes at an altitude of 4818 m.

External economic relations are carried out mainly with the help of maritime transport. Raw materials, fuel, and agricultural products predominate in the export of South American countries.

Environmental issues in South America

The growth of large industrial centers in South America is causing serious environmental problems that are characteristic of urban areas around the world. These are the low quality of drinking water, air pollution, and the accumulation of solid waste.

In terms of area of territories with undisturbed nature, South America ranks second after Antarctica. But under the influence of economic activity, the forest area is declining.

The Amazon in the Southern Hemisphere is considered one of the main areas of deforestation. Oil extraction in the thick of the Amazon rainforest, iron ore in the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus required the construction of transport routes in inaccessible areas. This led to population growth, deforestation, expansion of arable and pasture land. The destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the soil, a decrease in the number of animals. Forest fires are a big problem. In South America, about 40% of tropical forests have disappeared.

In recent years, the struggle to maintain the ecological balance in nature has intensified in the countries of South America. One of the areas of nature protection is the creation of national parks and reserves. More than 700 protected areas have been established on the mainland. A large area is occupied by the San Joaquin National Park in Brazil, where the most valuable forests of the Brazilian araucaria are protected. The furry spider monkey, the spectacled bear, and breeding grounds for sea turtles are also protected here. Known national parks Iguazu in Brazil, Manu in Peru.

The growth rates of the economic development of the countries of South America are ahead of the world average. The countries of South America are characterized by a decrease in the share of agriculture in GDP and an increase in the share of industry. The development of the economy is facilitated by the huge reserves of natural resources, the availability of labor resources, and the expansion of integration.

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Environmental problems of the Amazon River

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Now the population of South America is almost 320 million people and 78% of the urban population. The continent is mastered by man unevenly. Only the marginal regions of the mainland (mainly the coast of the Atlantic Ocean) and some areas of the Andes are densely populated. At the same time, inland areas (for example, the wooded Amazonian lowland) remained virtually undeveloped until recently.

The growth of large cities is causing serious environmental problems that are characteristic of urban areas around the world. These are the lack and low quality of drinking water, air pollution, and the accumulation of solid waste.

The extraction of oil in the very thick of the Amazonian rainforests or of iron and other ores within the Guiana and Brazilian highlands required the construction of transport routes in recently still remote and inaccessible areas. This led to population growth, deforestation, expansion of arable and pasture land. As a result of the attack on nature with the use of the latest technology, the ecological balance is disturbed and vulnerable natural complexes are destroyed.

The natural complexes in the places of mining have also been greatly changed. Open pit mining can be several kilometers wide. The industrial centers of Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires are among the most polluted cities on the mainland.

The continent located in the western and southern hemispheres of our planet, having an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers and washed by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - South America. It also includes many islands belonging to the countries of the mainland. Many natural systems and objects here are unique, for example, there is the largest river in the world in terms of basin area - the Amazon, the highest waterfall on the planet - Angel, the largest river island on Earth - Marajo.

There are many more natural objects worthy of description and mention on the mainland, but the main thing is that they need to be protected. The environmental problems of South America are primarily the problems of countries located on the continent, especially Brazil. They depend on their economic, political, social activities. Environmental pollution, destruction of forests and unique ecosystems, extermination of animals are only a certain part of the side effects from the activities of people living on the mainland.

America was not discovered in order to turn this land into a garbage dump, unsuitable for human life and the normal existence of ecosystems that have long been established here. Unfortunately, globalization modern times concerns primarily large tracts of land. Energy, utilities, extractive industries, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, services, construction, trade, and motor transport are the main backbone of areas that directly affect the environmental situation in South America.

Atmospheric pollution occurs due to the release of a huge amount of substances from factories and plants into the air. Among the main pollutants are oxides of carbon, nitrogen, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, mercury, sulfur dioxide, heated air, dust, and solid particles. By themselves, these elements would not cause harm. environment, getting into the atmosphere in small quantities, but the volume of their release into the atmosphere from industrial and manufacturing enterprises is so large that they cause great damage to nature, flora and fauna, and public health.

Factories pollute not only the air, but also the water. Along with waste discharges from factories, alkyd, acrylic, oil, alkaline and acid solutions, heavy metal compounds, dispersant, ethylene glycol, rheology modifiers, petroleum products, silicon dioxide, solutions with increased microbiological activity, heated water get into rivers and lakes.

Tons of municipal solid waste litter megacities and small settlements. In addition to enterprises, the population also contributes a lot. City streets, railway and automobile lines are buried in garbage. Most materials. that end up in landfills, such as plastic, glass, waste paper, rubber products, are subject to separate collection and recycling. This is the right way to solve the environmental problem associated with littering, which is generally neglected, except for point cases.

Creation of protected areas and national parks, monitoring existing ones, checking the efficiency of emission filtration and waste treatment systems, their improvement, the introduction of new technological processes and modern devices, separate waste collection and recycling, rational use of natural resources is the right way to solve environmental problems.