South America is a continent full of culture, history, and natural beauty. While it may be tempting to just book a flight and dive right in, there are a few things you should know before you visit. There is no one way, to sum up, the immense and varied continent of South America. However, there are a few key things that everyone should know before venturing to this amazing part of the world. From the Inca Empire to the Amazon rainforest.

Here is our pick of the top 10 things to know about South America before you visit. 

Number 10. The world’s largest salt flat

Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni has an area of over 10,500 square kilometres, making it the world’s largest salt flat. During the rainy season, it becomes the world’s largest natural mirror, while during the dry season, a thick layer of sodium chloride is exposed.

Number 9. Home to the tallest waterfall in the world

Also on the continent is the tallest waterfall in the world, the Angel falls in Venezuela, with a staggering height of 979 meters!

Number 8.  Christianity is the main religion

In South America, approximately 90% of the population considers themselves Christians, and over 80% are Roman Catholics, making Christianity the predominant religion. 

Number 7. The Galápagos Islands were the inspiration behind Darwin’s theory of evolution

In 1835, when 26-year-old Charles Darwin arrived in the Galápagos Islands, he noticed similarities between local animal and plant species and those found on the mainland, but also many differences. It wasn’t until 1859 that his book On the Origin of Species was finally released.

Number 6. The world’s most elevated capital

With an elevation of 3,640 meters (11,942 ft), Bolivia’s capital is one of the highest cities and capitals in the world. Those who fly into La Paz will need some time to adjust to the higher elevation. 

Number 5. Home to the driest place on Earth

The Atacama Desert is considered to be the driest place on Earth, and some parts have never seen rain since records began. It’s incredibly dry, and some recent parts that received rain hadn’t had precipitation for more than 40 years. 

Number 4. More than 300 languages are spoken on the continent

Most people speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese, but there are still a number of indigenous languages spoken, such as Quechua (8,9 million speakers), Guarani (4,9 million speakers), and Aymara (2,8 million speakers).  Furthermore, linguists estimate that more than 300 languages are spoken on the continent every day. 

Number 3. The world’s second-largest swimming pool 

San Alfonso del Mar in Chile is the second-largest swimming pool in the world and the largest in South America with an area of 80,000 square meters (860,000 square feet). Located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, it contains 250 million litres (66 million US gallons) of seawater at a depth of 3.5 m (11.5 ft).

Number 2. There are 12 countries in South America

The countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The largest country is Brazil, while the smallest is Suriname  As well as these sovereign states, there are three dependent territories: the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as one internal territory: French Guiana. 

Number 1. The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s most biodiverse place

In spite of illegal deforestation, legal deforestation, and the illegal pet trade, the Amazon rainforest is still home to more than 40% of the world’s plants and animals. It is incredibly biodiverse, which is why it needs to be protected.

To sum it up, South America is a vast continent full of wonder, surprise, and exploration. It’s not just the world’s largest island, it’s also home to hundreds of varieties of unique flowers, plants, and animals, as well as hundreds of different cultures, and thousands of years of history. There is so much to do in South America, and so many different ways to do it.