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Chapter 9, Section
World Geography
Chapter 9
Regional Atlas:
Introduction to
Latin America
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
Chapter 9, Section
map questions 182-183
1. Name the ocean the Amazon flows into.
2. Where would you find Sierra Madre
mountains?
3. Name the cities at each set of coordinates
19’N 99’W
9’N 79 W
16’S 48 ‘ W
Chapter 9, Section
World Geography
Chapter 9: Regional Atlas: Introduction to Latin America
Section 1:
Historic Overview
Section 2:
Physical Characteristics
Section 3:
Climates
Section 4:
Ecosystems
Section 5:
People and Cultures
Section 6:
Economics, Technology, and Environment
Section 7:
Database
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
Chapter 9, Section 1
Historical Overview
Chapter 9, Section 1
Historical Overview
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Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas established civilizations in Mexico and
South America.
Spain and Portugal carved out empires in which cultural
convergence combined Native American, European, and African
traditions.
After independence in the early 1800s, democracy did not follow.
In the 1900s, many countries moved toward democratic reforms.
Latin Americans worked to achieve substantial economic gains in
the 1900s.
Chapter 9, Section 2
Physical Characteristics
Chapter 9, Section 2
Physical Characteristics
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Mountain ranges that form part of the Ring of Fire run
the length of Latin America, and earthquakes and
volcanoes are common.
The Amazon Basin and the pampas in southeastern
South America are the largest lowland areas of Latin
America.
Caribbean islands are either the tops of underwater
mountains or cays formed by the accumulation of coral.
Chapter 9, Section 3
Climates
Chapter 9, Section 3
Climates
Atmospheric and oceanic currents affect climate in Latin America.
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Tropical wet and tropical wet and dry climates cover
most of Central America, the Caribbean, and northern
South America.
Humid subtropical climate covers much of Argentina,
Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The west coast of Peru and northern Chile is drier, with
mostly arid and semiarid climate zones.
Mediterranean and marine west coast climates run
along southern Chile.
Chapter 9, Section 4
Ecosystems
Chapter 9, Section 4
Ecosystems
The largest ecosystems in Latin America are the
tropical forests and tropical grasslands.
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Tropical rain forests and tropical
grasslands cover much of South
America, Central America, and the
Caribbean islands.
The arid areas to the west of the
Andes and in northern Mexico are
mostly desert.
In higher elevations, vegetation
varies with altitude.
Chapter 9, Section 5
People and Cultures
Most people in Latin America have
ancestry of European, Native American, or
African descent.
• Most people in South America live on the
coasts or along rivers.
• Brazilian cities have grown dramatically
as people have migrated in search of
jobs.
• Migration patterns have created great
ethnic and cultural diversity.
Chapter 9, Section 6
Economies, Technology, and Environment
Chapter 9, Section 6
Economies, Technology, and Environment
Latin American economies are based on agriculture, but
they are diversifying to include industry.
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Traditionally, Latin American economies
have been based on cash crops.
Most mining is done in the Andes and in
the highlands of Mexico and of Central
America.
Increased farming in the Amazon is
reducing the rainforest.
Most oil is extracted in Mexico and in
northern South America.
Chapter 9, Section 7
Database
• As the number of state-owned businesses in
Mexico’s market economy has dwindled, the
GDP per capita has steadily grown.
• Cuba’s command economy declined
significantly after the loss of aid from the
former Soviet Union.
• Brazil’s economy was boosted by the launch
of MERCOSUR, but excessive spending
resulted in rising debt and budget deficits.
• Honduras’s traditional economy was growing
at a moderate pace until the country was
devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1999.