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Physical Geography of
Latin America
The Three Divisions
 Geographers divide Latin America into three
areas:
 Middle America: includes Mexico and the 7
countries of Central America
 South America: the largest land area of Latin
America
 Of S. America’s 13 countries, Brazil is the
largest in land area and population
 Caribbean (aka-West Indies): The Bahamas,
the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles
Las Montañas y Las Mesetas
(Mountains & Plateaus)
 Profile: Towering mountains
 Mountains begin in the Rocky Mountains of North
America, name changes as you move south and cross
borders
 Mexico: Sierra Madre
 Central America: Central Highlands
 South America: Andes
 Rugged landscape because much of the area sits along
the Pacific Ring of Fire, where plates among the earth’s
crust have collided.
 Collisions  mountains, volcanoes, and
earthquakes changing landscape
Pros & Cons of the Physical
Geography
 Pros
 Lowland mountain areas = cooler climate
 Rich natural resources: water, volcanic soil, timber,
minerals
 Cons
 Ruggedness blocks movement & trade
 Isolation
 Radio, TV, air transport work to break down physical barriers
Mexican Plateau
 Surrounded by the two Sierra Madre mountain
ranges: Sierra Madre Occidental & Sierra
Madre Oriental
 Attractions:
 Low-latitude (mild climate)
 fertile volcanic soil
 adequate rainfall
Central Highlands
 South of the Mexican Plateau
 Chain of volcanic mountains of Central America,
includes many Caribbean islands
 Islands are actually volcanic peaks above sea level
 Some volcanoes still active, making living on those
islands unsafe
South American Grasslands
 Llanos of Colombia, Pampas of Argentina
 Pampas: a major “breadbasket”, produce large amounts
of wheat & corn
 Provide wide grazing lands for beef cattle
 Employ cowhands to drive herd across the
grass/terrain
 Llaneros: Llanos
 Gauchos: Pampas
H2O (Water)
 Rio Grande: border between Mexico & the US
 Amazon = world’s widest river (#2 longest)
 Is navigable!!
 Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers provide
hydroelectric power, or electricity generated from the
energy of water
 Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay
 Also provides inland water routes
The Andes
The Andes, Backbone of
South America
 The world’s longest mountain
range
 Made up of several mountain
ranges, called cordilleras
 Pass through seven countries,
vary in landscapes
 Grouped into three sections
Tierra Caliente: Tropical!
 Lowest elevation zone
 Sea level – 3,000 feet
 Tropical climate, year-round warm temperatures (75-80
degrees)
 Eastern slopes: Broadleaf Evergreen forests
 Western slopes: tropical grasslands
 Heat = difficult places to live
 Crops: bananas, rice, sugarcane
Tierra Templada: Land of
Eternal Spring
 3,000-6,000 feet above sea level
 Mild, temperate climate with temperatures between 65 & 75
degrees yearly.
 Vegetation changes with elevation
 Lower elevations: palms, bamboo, jungle vines
 Higher elevations: broadleaf evergreen forests
 More populated, Mestizos (indigenous + European)
 Lower levels: grow oranges & bananas
 Higher levels: corn, beans, other veggies
 Main commercial crop: COFFEE!!!
Tierra Fría
 Between 6,000 & 12,000 feet
 Average temps: 55-65 degrees, colder at night (freezing at
higher elevations)
 Altiplano (11,000): Lake Titicaca
 World’s highest navigable lake (12,500 feet above sea level)
 Navigable large & deep enough to hold large boats
 Hidden treasures!
 Tree line—between 10,000 & 12,000 feet
 Crops: potatoes, wheat, barley, corn, apples & pears
Adaptations in the Tierra Fria
 Build houses of stone or adobe brick (thicker)
 Body adaptation: larger lungs
 Farmers practice terracing to create flat lands on the
slopes and steep hillsides of this area.
 Vertical Trade: trade of farm products between the
higher & lower elevation zones
 People of lower elevations bring their crops to the people
of the higher elevations (low  high)
 Bananas, oranges, tomatoes
 Higher elevations bring to lower (High  low)
 Potatoes, wheat
Tierra Helada: Cold & Windy
 Between 12,000 & 15,000 feet above sea level
 20-55 degrees (F)
 Snow line: elevation at which permanent snow & ice begin
(upper Tierra Helada)
 Shrubs & grasses
 Crops: quinoa, potatoes
 Llamas & alpacas provide wool for blankets, bags and clothing
 Some people work in the mines, because there are many
mineral deposits
 Tin, lead, copper, silver
 Glaciers above snow line melt in summer, water into
streams in lower elevations
Climate Regions
Tropical Rain Forest/Tropical Wet
 Hot temps, abundant
rainfall year-round
 Most Rain: January - June
 Evergreens form a dense
canopy, or a continuous
layer of leaves
 Amazon Basin: many
species of plants &
animals
 Location: S. America
(Brazil, Amazon Basin)
Tropical Savanna/Tropical Wet & Dry
 Locations:
 Southwestern Mexico
 Most Caribbean Islands
 North-central South America
 Hot temps, abundant rainfall
year-round
 Difference? DRY SEASON
 Grasslands (Colombia &
Venezuela)
Mid-Latitude: Humid Subtropical
 Southeastern South America
 (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil,
Argentina, Uruguay)
 Short & mild winters
 Long, hot & humid summers
with dry periods
 Short grasses in the pampas
Dry: Desert & Steppe Areas
 Northern Mexico, coastal Peru
and Chile, southeastern coast of
Argentina
 Very little rainfall in the desert
 Atacama Desert: Chile
 So dry, some places in this
desert have never recorded any
rainfall!!
 Cacti, shrubs—not much
vegetation
 Steppes: N Mexico, NE Brazil,
South Central South America
 Hot summers, cool winters, light
rainfall