South America

South America's demographics reflect an unusual settlement history. Indeed, in terms of populations, it is a "hollow continent." Most of the medium and almost all of the large population centers are located near the two oceans that surround it.

The root of this can be found in three primary factors, often described as population waves. First, before European contact, most of the population was centered around certain core areas in the Andes, especially in Inca cities. After the first contact with European explorers occurred, a large-scale slave trade became centered in north-eastern Brazil. And, finally, while big plantations were being established to take advantage of the natural resources and cheap labor source, European settlement (limited exclusively to Spanish and Portuguese settlers) began in earnest. These settlers massed around these cheap labor centers, which were previously indigenous communities, located primarily near the oceans. At the same time, the interior of the continent never really developed, primarily due to a decline in the indigenous population because of disease, poor communications between the interior and the ocean settlements, and an absence of economic opportunities.

In the future, this trend of the "hollow continent" is expected to continue. As South America begins to awaken economically, the larger cities of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, all located near an ocean, will continue to be the centers of activity. Despite a high rate of growth in the tropical regions of the continent earlier in this century, growth there has leveled off or started to diminish.