Download Physical Characteristics of Latin America and the Caribbean

Physical Characteristics of Latin
America and the Caribbean
Francisci
WG.4
Land & Climate
• Latin America is divided
into 3 regions (all
languages spoken in
these areas are forms of
Latin):
– Central America
– Caribbean
– South America
Land & Climate
• Latin America is known
as the “hollow”
continent.
– Most of the
population lives
along the coasts
– The center consists
of rainforest and
mountainous areas
• Most of the region
experiences tropical climates
because of the location of
the equator.
• The area directly on the
equator has a tropical
rainforest climate.
• The Amazon River Basin is a
part of South America
drained by the Amazon
River and its tributaries.
– Amazon River: second
largest river in the world.
– Amazon Rain Forest:
world’s largest tropical
rainforest.
Land & Climate
Land & Climate
• The outskirts of the rain
forest has a tropical wet and
dry (savanna) climate.
• The western coast of South
America experiences a dry
climate.
– Atacama Desert: Driest desert
on Earth; some areas have not
seen rain in 400 years!
– Found west of the Andes
Mountains.
Land & Climate
• The southern parts of
South America have a
temperate climate –
milder temps. & less
rainfall.
• Two areas of
grasslands in South
America are the
pampas and the llanos.
– Pampas: extensive,
treeless grassland
found in Argentina and
extending into Uruguay.
– Llanos: vast tropical
grassland with trees
found east of the Andes
in northwestern South
America.
. The western side of
Latin America is part
of the Ring of Fire
that encircles the
Pacific Rim.
– This part of the region
experiences
earthquakes and
volcanoes.
– The Andes Mountains:
longest mountain
chain in the world;
experiences
earthquakes and
volcanoes.
Land & Climate
Land & Climate
• There are numerous island chains in the
Caribbean Sea.
– Archipelago: an island chain or group of islands.
Land & Climate
• The seasons south of the equator are opposite
of the seasons north of the equator.
Vertical Zones of Latin America
(a) Tierra Caliente: “Hot Land”; lowest elevation zone of
Latin America; hot climate
(b) Tierra Templada: “Temperate Land”; middle elevation
zone; mild climate
(c) Tierra Fria: “Cold Climate”; highest elevation; cold
climate
Vegetation & Wildlife
• Plants that originated in
South America:
– Orchids, rubber tree,
cacao tree, pineapple
plant, carnauba palm
Vegetation & Wildlife
• Animals that are unique
to South America:
– Capybara, sloth,
anaconda, piranha,
alpaca, llama
Vegetation & Wildlife
• Wildlife migration
patterns are significant
from North America to
South America.
– Birds migrate from North
America to South
America.
– Monarch Butterflies are
the only butterfly
species known to make a
two-way migration as
birds do.