Download South America

Physical Geography
Chapter 8, Section 1
The Land
1) Middle America
2) The Caribbean
3) South America
Sierra
Madres
(Mexico)
Central Highlands
(Central America)
Andes
(South America)
 The
rugged landscape is
caused by its location
along the Pacific Ring of
Fire.
 The mountains cooler
climates and rich
natural resources
attracted settlers.
 The terrain historically
isolated communities
but new technology is
breaking down physical
barriers.
 Mexico’s
Sierra Madres
surround the densely
populated Mexican
Plateau.
 Humans are attracted to
the mild climate, fertile
volcanic soil, and rainfall.
 The Central Highlands are
a chain of volcanic peaks
that cross Central
America and include many
Caribbean Islands.
 World’s
longest
mountain range
 Consist of
cordilleras-several
ranges that run
parallel to each
other
 In Peru and Bolivia,
the Andes encircle
the Altiplano-high
plain.
 The
Mato Grosso
Plateau is a sparsely
populated plateau of
forests and grasslands.
 The Brazilian Highlands
span several climate and
vegetation zones and
are used for raising
livestock.
 The eastern highlands
plunge to the Atlantic
Ocean, forming a steep
slope called an
escarpment.
 South
America’s inland
grasslands-the llanos of
Colombia and Venezuela
and the pampas of
Argentina and Uruguayprovide grazing for cattle.
 Cowhands called gauchos
drive the herds across
the plains.
 With its fertile soil, the
pampas are one of the
world’s breadbaskets.
 The
Amazon River is
the Western
Hemisphere’s longest
river and the world’s
second longest.
 The Amazon and
hundreds of smaller
rivers flow together
into the Amazon
Basin.
 The
Parana, Paraguay,
and Uruguay Rivers form
the second largest river
system.
 The rivers provide
commercial water routes
between cities and
hydroelectric powerelectricity generated
from the energy of
moving water.
 The rivers flow into the
Rio de la Plata estuarywhere the ocean tide
meets a river current.
 The
Rio Grande River
forms part of the
border between Mexico
and the United States.
 The
Panama Canal allows
quick travel between the
Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans.
 Lake
Titicaca is the
world’s highest navigable
lake.
 Lake Maracaibo is South
America’s largest.
 Some
Latin American
countries are among
the world’s leading
producers of energy
resources (oil and
natural gas).
 Rich in mineral
resources such as gold,
silver, emeralds,
copper, and bauxite.
 Because
of diverse
landforms, the region’s
resources are not
evenly distributed.
 Geographic
inaccessibility, lack of
capital for
development, and social
and political divisions
keep many of the
region’s natural
resources from being
developed.