Final answer:
In the Andean countries of South America, population distribution varies by region. The Rural Amerindian States have sizable rural populations practicing traditional agriculture, whereas the Southern Cone countries are highly urbanized with most people of European descent living in cities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most people in the Andean and midlatitude countries of South America live in urbanized areas, with differences existing between regions. In the Rural Amerindian States of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, a significant portion of the population continues to practice subsistence agriculture in mountainous regions, maintaining their rich Amerindian heritage.
The major cities in these countries experience a rural-to-urban shift, but the rural areas are still home to a large percentage of the population who live a traditional way of life.
Conversely, the countries referred to as the Southern Cone — Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay — have a population that is predominantly of European descent, and over 90 percent of these populations live in urban areas. These countries feature some of South America's most developed economies due to their high level of urbanization and global trade connections.
In the northern country of Venezuela, urbanization is significant around the capital city of Caracas and the northern coastal region. However, large areas such as the Llanos are more sparsely populated and utilized mainly for cattle raising. This diversity in population distribution highlights that while urbanization is a widespread trend, rural and indigenous communities maintain a presence, notably in the Andean West.