Profile on SOUTH AMERICA:
Why run 5000 miles across it……..?
A continent
of superlatives:
Home to the mighty Amazon, the largest rainforest on earth, covering 40% of the continent.
The Amazon River spirals through it’s northern reaches; the widest, most voluminous river in the world, discharging 20% of the world’s fresh water, it’s drainage basin is 7,050,000 km2 (about 32 times larger than the UK)
The Andes straddling its western extreme, is the longest mountain chain on earth, running for 7,600km (about seven 7.5 times longer than the UK) with more than 50 peaks over 6000m
South America is home to incredible species: spectacled bear, hyacinth macaw, three-toed sloth, Amazonian manatee, red-bellied piranhas, poison-dart frog species……..
The Tropical Andes are believed to be the richest and most diverse region on Earth. With 1/6 of all plant life, in < 1 % of the Earth’s land area
Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the world’s 3rd largest reserve of water in the world
The Humboldt Current flows north along South America’s western sea border. Thought to be the most productive marine ecosystem in the world, it sustains incredible species diversity and abundance
South America is about 7,650km long, but Katharine & David reckon with all the wiggles and side-to-sides, they will be running at least 5,000 miles (8,000km) (about 8 UKs) from Carupano, Venezuela (10°43.4 North, 63°09.2 West, altitude 0 m) to Cape Froward, Chile (53°53.5 South, 71°17.3 West about 600 m)
So, Katharine and David will be running north to south through:
[button link=”www.5000mileproject.org/venezuela” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Venezuela[/button]
[button link=”www.5000mileproject.org/brazil” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Brazil[/button]
[button link=”www.5000mileproject.org/bolivia” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Bolivia[/button]
[button link=”www.5000mileproject.org/argentina” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Argentina[/button]
[button link=”www.5000mileproject.org/chile” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Chile[/button]
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