LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS OF SOUTH AMERICA2.pptx

some landmarks and monuments located in South America

1. LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS IN SOUTH AMERICA Dr. Basil Bemgba Achie MBBS Ibadan

2. Galápagos Islands , Ecuador The Galapagos Islands is an archipelago of 20 islands, 42 islets and over 250 rocks in the eastern Pacific Ocean located 1050 kilometres west of the coast of Ecuador. Listed in 1978, the Galapagos Islands is the first listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The unusual fauna observed by Charles Darwin, during his 5 week visit in 1835, inspired his theory of natural selection, which he presented in the ‘The Origin of Species ’ in1859

3. Palacio Salvo, Uruguay Palacio Salvo, in Montevideo, Uruguay, is a landmark building  located at 18 de Julio Avenue right next to Plaza Independencia . Designed by Mario Palanti after the Neo-Gothic architectural pattern, the façade is made of limestone materials. The building was completed in 1925.

4. Marble Caves of Patagonia, Chile The Marble Caves of Patagonia is a unique geological formation l ocated in Chile’s remote northern Patagonia, at the border of Argentina and Chile. It features a number of beautiful   iridescent blue caverns , tunnels and pillars in monoliths of marble submerged in the turquoise waters of Lake General Carrera. The caves are comprised of three main caverns: the Chapel (La Capilla ), the Cathedral (El Catedral ), and the Cave (La Cueva ), c ollectively known as the Marble Chapel.

5. Easter Island, Chile Easter Island is a Polynesian island located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean . The island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues. Moai Stone Statues, as they are called, are monolithic stone statues  believed to have been carved by the Rapa Nui people sometime between 1250 and 1500. Easter Island was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

6. Angel Falls, Venezuela Angel Falls (Salto Ángel in Spanish) is a waterfall located  within  Canaima National Park ( a UNESCO World Heritage site ) in southern Venezuela, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar state. It is the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world, with a height of 979 metres (3,212 ft ) and a drop of 807 metres ( 2,648 ft ). The waterfall is named for Jimmy Angel, an American Bush Pilot who crashed his plane atop the sandstone-capped mesa in the 1930s. Prior to being known as Angel Falls, the indigenous people called it Kerepakupai Merú , meaning  “waterfall of the deepest place ,” or Parakupá Vená , meaning “the fall from the highest point.”

7. Museum of Art of Sao Paulo , Brazil Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a n  art museum located on  Paulista Avenue in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Designed by Lina Bo Bardi , the concrete and glass structure hangs suspended by giant red steel beams. The museum’s collection contains art from all over the world including European masters like Van Gough, Monet, and Picasso. The space at ground level serves as an all-purpose gathering place for impromptu concerts, protests, fairs and socializing,

8. Machu Picchu, Peru Machu Picchu is located in the Andes mountains of Peru at an elevation of 2,430 metres (8,000  feet ). It is the most famous archaeological site in South America. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. The ruins represent the symbols of Inca Empire and civilization . Machu Picchu was discovered accidentally in 1911 by American archeologist Hiram Bingam during an expedition for Yale University.

9. Mount Roraima, Venezuela Mount Roraima is a  tabletop mountain located at the tripoint between Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana in South America, in   the southeastern corner of the Canaima National Park. It is the tallest of the world’s table mountains. The highest mountain point is Maverick Rock which stands at an elevation of 2,810 metres.

10. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flats with a surface area of 10,582 square kilometres (4,085 square miles ). It is located between Potosi and Oruro, near the crest of the Andes in Southwest Bolivia. Practically  the world’s largest mirror when covered in water, the salt flat is used by NASA to calibrate some of their satellites.

11. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile Torres del Paine National Park in Chile  is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers l ocated in the Magallanes 12 th region in southern Chile . The park was established on 13 May 1959 and given its present name in 1970. It was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978 , A popular destination for wildlife observers, hikers and adventure sportsmen, the park averages around 252,000 visitors a year.

12. Christ the Redeemer , Rio De Janeiro , Brazil Christ the Redeemer or Cristo Redentor is a statue of Jesus Christ in  Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil. Located on the Peak of Corcovado Mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park. The statue weighs 635 tons and stands  30 metres tall when the 8 metres pedestal is not included, with arms stretched out 28 metres wide.  

13. Teatro Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil The Amazon Theatre  is an opera house located in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The theater's architectural style is considered typical Renaissance Revival.  It was c onstructed with bricks brought from Europe, French glass, and Italian marble . Teatro Amazonas was inaugurated on December 31, 1896, with the first performance occurring on January 7, 1897.

14. Colca Canyon, Peru The Colca Canyon is a river canyon  in southern  Peru famous as one of the deepest in the world, for its   breathtaking views, and rich cultural legacy. It is about 1000 - 2000 metres (3300 - 6600 feet) deep and  about 70 kilometres (43  mi les ) in length. It is Peru's third most-visited tourist destination with about 120,000 visitors annually.

15. Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil Iguazu Falls consists of 275 waterfalls in the Iguazu River located on the border of the state of Parana in Brazil and the province of Misiones in Argentina . The largest waterfall system in the world, the I guazu falls occur  along the approximately 2.7 kilometre stretch of the river. Twenty percent of the falls are on the Brazilian side, the rest in Argentina. The Iguazu Falls are considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

16. Contemporary Art Museum , Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , the Contemporary Art Museum is one of the city’s main landmarks. The museum houses a notable collection of contemporary art by both Brazilian and international artists . The design is futuristic with  trademark use of curves, glass, and water . The building was designed  by Oscar Niemeyer with the assistance of structural engineer Bruno Contarini .

17. Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia Las Lajas Sanctuary is a Roman Catholic basilica built inside the canyon of the Guáitara River, in the Nariño Department , Colombia, close the border with Ecuador. It was built between 1916 and 1949, in the Gothic Revival style. The construction was  financed by local churchgoers.

18. Cano Cristales, Colombia Caño Cristales ( Crystal Channel) is located high in the Serrania de la Macarena Mountains. Known as Colombia’s river of five colours , the yellow, green, blue, black, and bright red colors are caused by algae . The multicolored algae occurs only from August to November, usually peaking in September or October. 

19. Tayrona National Park, Colombia The Tayrona National Park is a national park in northern Colombia covering  an area of 37,000 acres of which 7,000 correspond to coastal waters. The Park is known for its palm-shaded coves, coastal lagoons, rainforest, and rich biodiversity, Tayrona National Park is inhabited by over 100 species of mammals, 200 species of birds and 50 species of reptiles. 

20. Las Salineras de Maras, Peru The Salineras de Maras ( Salt mines of Maras) is made up of more than 3 thousand natural salt wells. They are located near the town of Maras, 46 kilometers from the city of Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Each of the wells has a dimension of 5 square metres. The pools are fed by an underground hypersaline spring that originated 110 million years ago, during the formation of the Andes Mountains.

21. Laguna Colorada , Bolivia Laguna Colorada  (Red Lagoon ) is  a shallow salt lake, peppered with white borax islands. It is located  in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, in the Sur Lípez Province of the Potosí Department of Bolivia, close to the border with Chile . The lake is home to the endangered James flamingos which feast on the plankton abundant in the water. The area is home to various fauna including llamas, alpacas, Andean foxes, ​cats, and pumas

22. Jardim Botanico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden or Jardim Botânico is located at the Jardim Botânico district in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. One of the most important botanical research and biodiversity conservation institutes in the world, it has a collection of over  6,500 species of foreign and Brazilian flora. The botanical garden was founded in 1808 by King John VI of Portugal, who had fled to Rio de Janeiro following the Napoleon-led invasion of his country in 1807.

23. The Amazon Rainforest The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and the world's richest and most-varied biological reservoir. The forest is a vast biome spanning eight countries namely Brazil , Bolivia, Peru , Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname , as well as the overseas territory of France Guiana, it covers an area  6.7 million square kilometres. It is home to   10% of known species on earth and a new species of animal or plant is discovered in the Amazon every other day on average.

24. Huaca Pucllana, Lima, P eru Huaca Pucllana is an archaeological site in Lima, in Peru. Built between 400 to 500 AD by the Lima culture, it is a truncated and staggered pyramid structure . The  massive pyramid originally functioned as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the Lima culture. It is built almost entirely with bricks and filled with boulders and sand.

25. Lencois Maranhenses National Park, Brazil The Lencois Maranhenses National Park  is a national park in Maranhão state in northeastern  Brazil. It is  an area of low, flat, occasionally flooded land, overlaid with large, discrete sand dunes occupying an area roughly 1,500 km2 (580  sq  mi ). The area became a National Park on June 2, 1981. Despite abundant rain, the National Park supports almost no vegetation. 

26. Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Sugarloaf Mountain is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean . It   rises 396 metres (1,299 ft ) above the harbour . Two cable cars running along a route about 1,400m long take tourists to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and back. The mountain is named for its resemblance to a traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar

27. Buenos Aires Opera House, Argentina The Buenos Aires Opera House (Colon Theatre) is one of the ten best opera houses in the world according to National Geographic Opened in 1857, the theatre was named “ Teatro Colón”  after Christopher Columbus. The first building was located  in front of Plaza de Mayo (May square), opposite the Casa Rosada (Pink House ). The current building is located along 9 de Julio avenue close to the Obelisk, and was  inaugurated on 25 May 1908 with a performance of Aida.

28. Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge, Sao Paulo The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in São Paulo, Brazil over the Pinheiros River. It was opened in May 2008 . The bridge connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue in the south area of the city . It is the only bridge in the world that has two curved tracks supported by a single concrete mast .

29. El Morro de Arica, Chile El Morro de Arica is a prominent landmark located in the Chilean city of Arica . It is a steep hill with a height of 139 metres above sea level It was  the last Peruvian stronghold against the Chilean army during the Battle of Morro de Arica during the War of the Pacific (1879–1883 ). Morro de Arica was declared a national monument on October 6, 1971.

30. La Mano, Punta del Este, Uruguay La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázaba , located on Parada 1 at Brava Beach. The sculture depicts five human fingers partially emerging from sand. It is one of Uruguay's most recognizable landmarks.

31. Rainbow Mountain, Cuzco, Peru The Rainbow Mountain aka Vinicunca (meaning mountain of seven colors) is located in the Willkanuta M ountan Range, nestled in the Greater Andes Mountains, in the Southern Region of Cusco, Peru.  A geological  marvel, the mountain gained fame only recently due to global warming, as the glacier caps covering it melted exposing the colours . The Rainbow Mountain sits at an elevation of 5,200metres.

32. Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina The Perito Moreno Glacier is a  glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina . It is an ice formation with a surface area of 250 km 2  (97  sq  mi ) and 30 km (19 mi) in length. The glacier is part of the  Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes  system,  the world's third largest reserve of fresh water,   It is  named after the explorer Francisco Moreno. 

33. Kirchner Cultural Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina The Kirchner Cultural Centre is a  cultural centre located in the former Buenos Aires Central Post Office ( Palacio de Correos ), Sarmiento 151, Buenos Aires, Argentina . Designed by French architect Norbert Maillart , c onstruction started in 1899 and the building was opened in 1928. Palacio de Correos ceased activities as a post office in 2003, and in 2005 the building was turned into a cultural centre as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 200 th anniversary of May Revolution It is named after former president Néstor Kirchner who suggested the transformation.

34. Flower Monument ( Floralis Genérica ), Buenos Aires, Argentina Floralis Generica is a  sculpture  located in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas ,  Avenida Figueroa Alcorta , Buenos Aires. The sculpture  represents a large flower of six petals looking up at the sky, made of stainless steel with aluminum skeleton and reinforced concrete, Created in 2002, it is a gift from architect Eduardo Catalano to the city of Buenos Aires. The sculpture is designed to close its petals in the evening and open them in the morning.

35. Dedo de Deus Peak, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Dedo de Deus, translated The Finger of God, is a peak   1692 metres in altitude, shaped like a giant hand with an extended index finger pointed towards the sky . The peak is located on the limits of Serra dos Órgãos National Park, in the territorial area of ​​ Guapimirim within the Brazilian municipality of Teresópolis , just 30 miles outside of Rio de Janeiro. The peak is a symbol of the state of Rio de Janeiro, appearing on its flag and coat of arms.

36. Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia, Brazil Also known as the Palace of the Arches, the Itamaraty Palace houses  Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters located in Brasilia. It was i naugurated on April 21, 1970. A masterpiece of contemporary architecture, it was d esigned by Oscar Niemeyer. The rectangular building looks as if it is floating on the surface of the water basin from certain angles.

37. National Congress Of Brazil Building, Brasilia, Brazil The National Congress Building is the official seat of the bicameral legislative body of Brazil’s federal government. It is located in the middle of the Monumental Axis in Brasilia. It is one of the most prominent and most symbolic structures in Brasilia. It was designed by the renowned architect Oscar Niemyer and built in 1960.

38. Malleco Viaduct, Chile Malleco Viaduct is  a railway bridge located in central Chile. The bridge passes  over the  Malleco River valley, south of  Collipulli  in the  Araucania Region . It was opened on October 26, 1890 by President José Manuel Balmaceda . One of the largest works of metal engineering in Chile, it was designed by Aurelio Lastarria , The bridge was declared a national monument in 1990.

39. El Peñón de Guatapé , Colombia The Rock of  Guatapé   is a granite monolith rock rising 200 metres (656 feet) above its base It is located in the town and municipality of Guatapé , Antioquia, in Colombia. It is also known as The Stone of El Penol , or simply La Piedra or El Penol as the town of El Peñol , which borders  Guatapé has also historically claimed the rock as their own. A brick staircase of 659 steps rises up through a broad fissure in the side of the rock .

40. Emancipation Monument, Beterverwagting , Guyana The Emancipation Monument, located on Republic Drive, Beterverwagting , East Coast Demerara , was built as a memorial to the 62 former slaves who bought the village circa 1840 for $22,000.  The foundation stone was laid in 1995 and was completed in 1996 at a cost of $225,000 . The monument consist of a broken chain attached to a hand pulling a book, The book represents the actual book signed by the former slaves who purchased the village. The monument was dedicated by President Hugh Desmond Hoyte .

41. St George's Cathedral Georgetown, Guyana St. George’s Cathedral is a Gothic-style Anglican cathedral and seat of the Bishop of Guyana. It is  located on Church Street in Georgetown, Guyana. One of the tallest wooden churches in the world, the church reaches a height of 43.5 metres (143  feet), It was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield  and opened on 24 August 1892. St, Georges is Georgetown’s most impressive building and it has been designated a national monument

42. The 1763 Monument, Georgetown, Guyana The 1763 Monument is a monument to Cuffy , a rebellious enslaved person of west A frican origin who became a national hero in Guyana . The monument is located   in the Square of the Revolution in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown . Unveiled in 1976, it commemorates the Berbice Slave Rebellion of 1763, a major event in Guyana’s anti-colonial struggles . The statue is 15 feet tall and weighs two and a half tons. It was designed by Guyanese sculptor Philip Moore and cast in England by the Morris Singer Foundry.

43. Itaipu Dam, Paraguay The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Parana River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Completed in 1984, it is a binational undertaking run by Brazil and Paraguay at the border between the two countries, 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the Friendship Bridge.  It is the third largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and holds the 45th largest reservoir in the world. The Dam's hydroelectric power plant produced the most energy of any in the world as of 2016.

44. Historic Center of Lima, Peru The Historic Centre of Lima, known as the “Ciudad de los Reyes” (City of Kings), is located in the Rimac valley, in Peru. It was  founded by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro in January 1535 on the territories led by the Chiefdom of Rimac . The Centre is testament to the architecture and urban development of a Spanish colonial town of political, economic and cultural importance in Latin America.

45. Larco Museum, Lima, Peru The Larco Museum is a  museum in Lima, Peru, displaying art and artifacts of ancient Peruvian history. It was founded in1926 by Rafael Larco Hoyle. Devoted to the country’s pre-Columbian peoples, the permanent exhibition contains thousands of priceless objects, including gold and jewelry, ceramic statuary and sculptures, metals and textiles. The museum is the first in Latin America to electronically catalogue its entire collection.

46. The Lima Art Museum, Lima, Peru The Lima Art Museum is an art museum in Lima, Peru, built  in 1871 to celebrate 50 years of Peruvian Independence. It is located in the Palace of the Exhibition (Palacio de la Exposición ) , The museum holds more than 1,200 pieces of Peruvian art that date back more than 3,000 years, from Pre-Columbian and Colonial to Republican and Contemporary .

47. Palacio Legislativo , M ontevideo, Uruguay Palacio Legislativo is the imposing, neoclassical style, seat of the national parliament of Uruguay. Designed by Italian architects Vittorio Meano and Gaetano Morett , construction began in 1904. The building  was inaugurated on August 25th, 1925 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Uruguay. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1975.

48. Solis Theatre ( Teatro Solis ), Uruguay Solis Theatre   is   Uruguay's most important and renowned theatre . It is located in the capital city of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Montevideo, right next to the Plaza Independencia .  Designed by Carlo Zucchi the building opened on 1856 and was named after the explorer Juan Diaz de Solis.

49. Pico Bolivar, Venezuela Pico Bolívar (Bolivar Peak) is  the highest mountain in Venezuela. It is located in Sierra Nevada National Park, northwestern Venezuela in Mérida State With an elevation of 4,978 metres (16,332 feet), the top is permanently covered with névé snow and three small glaciers.

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