Download LATIN AMERICA: Physical Features Chapt 9, Sect 1 What are some

LATIN AMERICA: Physical Features
Chapt 9, Sect 1
1. What are some major landforms and regions in Latin America?
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Mexico: mountains (Sierra Madres), Central Plateau, deserts, coastal plains
Central America: isthmus, coastal plains
Caribbean Islands: coral islands, tops of underwater mountains
South America: Andes Mountains, Amazon River Basin, Pampas (large, grassy,
plains)
2. What are some major rivers in Latin America, and how do they affect the lives
of the people living in the region?
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Major Rivers: Amazon River; the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers form the
Rio de la Plata (separates Uruguay from Argentina)
Uses/effects of rivers: transportation, food (fish), hydroelectricity, personal
use
plateau
large, elevated area of mostly flat land
isthmus
narrow strip of land with water on both sides that connects two larger land masses
coral
rocklike substance formed from the skeletons of tiny sea animals
tributary
rivers and streams that flow into larger rivers
Mexico
located south of the U.S., it is the northern-most Spanish-speaking country in Latin
America
Central America
located south of Mexico on a narrow isthmus between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
and connects North and South America
Caribbean Islands
islands, both coral islands and the tops of underwater mountains, that lie in the
Caribbean Sea
South America
continent in the western hemisphere south of Central America and the Caribbean Sea
Region
Mexico
Central America
Caribbean
Islands
South America
Landforms
Bodies of Water
Mountains,
Central Plateau
Isthmus,
mountains
Coral Islands,
tops of
underwater
mountains
Amazon River
Basin, Andes
Mountains,
Highlands,
Pampas
Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean
Water Resource
Caribbean Sea
Amazon River,
Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean
Parana River,
Paraguay River,
Uruguay River,
Lake Titicaca
LATIN AMERICA: Physical Features
Chapt 9, Sect 1
Nuggets:
 Latin America is located in the Western Hemisphere and includes all of the land
south of the U.S.
 Four Regions within Latin America: Mexico; Central America; Caribbean Islands; and
South America.
 About 500 years ago Europeans sailed to the “New World” to claim lands for their
kings. British and French sailors went north, while Spanish and Portuguese sailors
went south.
 Since Spanish and Portuguese are both Latin-based languages, the area is known as
Latin America. (Other Latin-based languages include English, French, German, Dutch,
and Italian.)
 Mexico and Central America stretch 2500 miles, from border of U.S. to South
America.
 Mountains dominate Mexico and Central America; part of a huge mountain system
that extends from Canada through the tip of South America.
 Between the mountains of Mexico is the Central Plateau, where the majority of the
Mexican population lives.
 Andes Mountains run 4500 miles along western side of South America.
 Pampas are a large plains area that stretches through Argentina; moderate climate,
flat grasslands.
 Amazon River Basin contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world, covering
more than 1/3 of the continent.
 Latin America’s rivers are some of the longest in the world.
 Uses of rivers: fish (food), power (hydroelectricity), transportation, personal use.
 Amazon is second longest river in the world, but carries more water than any river in
the world.
 The Amazon River flows more than 4000 miles, from Peru, through Brazil, to
Atlantic Ocean.
 There are more than 1,000 tributaries to the Amazon River.
 Other major rivers include the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers; all three form
the Rid de la Plata system, which separates Argentina from Uruguay.
 Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world with ship travel. It is also the only lake
in the world that has naval ships, since the border of Peru and Bolivia goes through
the middle of the lake. (Even the Great Lakes between the U.S. and Canada do not
have naval ships.)
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SUMMARY: Latin America’s geographic features make it a region of variety and contrast.