Average precipitation in depth (mm per year) - South America

Definition: Average precipitation is the long-term average in depth (over space and time) of annual precipitation in the country. Precipitation is defined as any kind of water that falls from clouds as a liquid or a solid.

Description: The map below shows how Average precipitation in depth (mm per year) varies by country in South America. The shade of the country corresponds to the magnitude of the indicator. The darker the shade, the higher the value. The country with the highest value in the region is Colombia, with a value of 3,240.00. The country with the lowest value in the region is Argentina, with a value of 591.00.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.

See also: Country ranking, Time series comparison

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Development Relevance: The agriculture sector is the most water-intensive sector, and water delivery in agriculture is increasingly important. Data on irrigated agricultural land and data on average precipitation illustrate how countries obtain water for agricultural use.

Limitations and Exceptions: The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through annual questionnaires. The FAO tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible.

Periodicity: Annual