Division of metallogenic units and geological characteristics in South America

South America is one of the most important regions for prospecting investment and metallogenic regularity research. The dominant mineral resources in South America, such as copper, iron, bauxite, tin, niobium, lithum, gold and silver, play an important role in the world. On the basis of the division of tectonic units and the space-time distribution, metallogenic types of the deposits as well as their metallogenic environment, the metallogenic units of South America can be assigned to three ranks, with two first-rank metalllogenic domains, nine second-rank metallogenic provinces and forty-two metallogenic belts. The naming rules, dominant minerals and main metallogenic ages of the metallogenic units were analyzed in this paper. Finally, based on a case study of the Transamazon metallogenic belt (Ⅲ-2) in Guyana shield metallogenic province (Ⅱ-1), the authors summarize its dominant mineral resources, metallogenic types of the deposits, ore-hosting rocks and ore-controlling factors as well as the relationships between tectonic evolution, metamorphism, magmatism and mineralization.