48 



SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES REGIONS. 



settlers, and even the missionaries, had crossed the crests of the Cordilleras only 

 at a very few points, and could not dream of preventing the invasion of a territory 

 of which they had no knowledge. Thus it was that Brazil, steadily moving west- 



Fig. 15. — CoNTiNENrAi Paetinq-Lines between the Spanish and Poetuguese Domains. 



Scale 1 : 60,000,000. 



40' 



40' 



40° West oF Greenwich 



Foreigu possessions. 



wm vm 



Brazil. Spanish republics. 



___^_^__ 1.240 Miles. 



wards, gradually absorbed the whole of the natural region comprising the eastern 

 foothills and the great wooded plains of the interior. 



Occupying distinct geographical domains, Brazil and the Andean and Argen- 

 tine republics have been historically developed on faintly parallel lines. Their 

 populations, differing in speech as well as in their traditions and usages, have but 

 a feeble sentiment of a common solidarity. Nevertheless, recent events, which 



