Geography. Козлова Е.П. - 68 стр.

Most export trade is with the USA and the members of the European Community
(EC). Intraregional trade within the continent is slowly increasing. Agriculture
employs approximately one-fourth of the overall South American work force. Despite
the continent’s reputation as a food producer, agricultural productivity is generally
low, and land utilization is inefficient.

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     Four main ethnic components have contributed to the present-day population of
South America: American Indians, who were the continent’s pre-Columbian
inhabitants; the Iberians, Spanish and Portuguese who conquered and dominated the
continent until the beginning of the 19 th century; the Africans, imported as slaves by
the colonizers; and finally, the post-independence immigrants from the overseas,
mostly Germans and Southern Europeans but also Lebanese, South Asians, and
Japanese. Spanish is the official language throughout South America except for
Portuguese and Brazil, French in French Guiana, English in Guyana, and Dutch in
Suriname. Less than 10 percent of South America’s total population are speakers of
Indian languages. South America is predominantly Christian in religious affiliation.

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     Страны Южной Америки три века были колониями Испании и
Португалии. Политической независимости они добились в начале 19 века, но
затем оказались в экономической зависимости от европейских государств, а
затем – от США. Сравнительно недавно освободились от колониальной
зависимости Гайана и Суринам. Сохраняет свой колониальный статус Гвиана –
« заморский департамент » Франции. Государства Южной Америки относятся к
группе развивающихся стран. Они сильно различаются по уровню социально-
экономического развития. Наиболее развитые страны Южной Америки –
Аргентина, Бразилия, Уругвай.

13.9 Text for written translation

      The Peru Current, which flows northward along the western coast of South
America, sometimes behaves in ways that scientists do not fully understand. Because
this usually occurs soon after Christmas, it is called El Nino, Spanish for “the [Christ]
Child”. Occasionally northerly winds replace the prevailing southerly winds and the
cold Peru Current moves westward. In its place comes a warm current – El Nino. The
warm waters of El Nino stop the upwelling (a climatic condition brought on by winds
that persistently drive water away from the coast), and completely break down the
normal ecological system. Most of the marine life moves in search of plankton – rich
cooler waters.
      Scientists now recognize that El Nino’s influences reach far beyond the west
coast of South America. Indeed, it is now known that El Nino interacts with
worldwide weather patterns. Rainfall shifts from the normally wet western Pacific
toward the drier eastern Pacific. The Philippines and Indonesia experience drought.
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