Download Latin America

Latin America
World Geography & Cultures
Why it matters…
Unique blend of world cultures including
Native American
European
African
Many Americans are of Latin American descent
U.S. and many countries in Latin America are close trading partners
Share democratic values based on human rights and revolt from European rule
Latin America
Spans more than 85 degrees of latitude
Encompasses Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and South America
Regions–
High mountains
Broad plateaus
Low lying Plains
Rain forests
Expansive river systems
Largest in the World
Longest mountain range
Andes Mountains: 4,500 miles
Largest river in the world
Amazon River
7,000,000 cubic feet per second
Landforms
Latin America (LA) located in Western Hemisphere
16% of Earth’s land surface
Mountains and Plateaus
Mountain Range begins in North America as Rockies and extends to South America’s
southern tip
Rugged Landscape caused by it’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire where plates in
the Earth’s crust have collided for millions of years, forming mountains and volcanoes
and causing earthquakes.
Mountains of Middle America &
Caribbean
Central Mexico has mild climate, fertile volcano soil, and adequate rainfall.
The Central Highlands are a chain of volcanic peaks that cross Central
America.
Many Caribbean islands are part of the mountain range.
The islands are volcanic peaks, and some are still active, which makes
living there hazardous.
Andes of South America
Andes stretch for 4,500 miles along the western edge of South America.
World’s longest mountain chain and one of the highest with peaks up to 20,000 ft.
Andes consist of cordilleras, several ranges that run parallel to one another.
Cordilleras caused settlements to be isolated resulting in some mountain villages with
centuries old social customs.
Highlands of Brazil
Eastern South America marked with broad plateaus and valleys.
The warm climate and open spaces of the Brazilian Highlands make the Brazilian
Highlands important for raising livestock.
Lowlands and Plains
Brazil has one of the longest strips of
coastal plain in the region, beginning in
the Northeast and winding southward to
Uruguay.
The escarpment rising from the coast to
the highlands presents obstacles for
inland development. As a result, most of
Brazil’s population lives along the coast.
Water Systems
Latin America’s waterways transport people and goods to different parts of the region
and world.
The Amazon River flows about 4,000 miles from the Peruvian Andes and goes to an
area called the Amazon basin and then to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Amazon is the Western Hemispheres longest river and the world’s second
longest. (Note: There have been arguments over whether the Amazon or the Nile is
the longest river.)
South American rivers provide commercial water routes between cities and
hydroelectric power – electricity generated from the energy of moving water.
Other Rivers
Middle America’s rivers are generally small, with one important exception. The Rio
Grande is large and forms part of the border between Mexico and the United States.
This is considered the starting point to Latin America.
Panama Canal
Panama Canal is another significant
waterway, though it is human-made.
The canal allows ships to travel between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without
having to sail around the southern tip of
South America.
How the Canal Works
Natural Resources
Some LA countries among world’s leading producers of energy resources.
Major deposits of oil and gas lie in mountain valleys or in offshore areas along the
Gulf of Mexico and the southern Caribbean Sea.
These resources have especially helped boost the economies of Mexico and
Venezuela.
Oil rigs in Latin America
Mineral Resources
In addition to energy resources, Latin America is rich in a number of mineral
resources.
The foothills along Venezuela’s Orinoco River has large amounts of gold
Peru and Mexico are known for silver
Columbian mines produce the world’s finest emeralds
Chile is the largest exporter of copper
Jamaica is the leading producer of bauxite, the main source
of aluminum
All is not equal…
Because of diverse landforms, the region’s resources are not evenly distributed.
Natural resources in LA are kept from being developed due to
Geographic inaccessibility
Lack of capital (money) for development
Social and political divisions
Climate and Vegetation Regions
Tropical Wet
Tropical rain forest vegetation dominates much of the region.
World’s largest expanse of tropical rain forest – the Amazon.
Amazon rain forest shelters more species of plants and animals per sq. mile than
anywhere else on Earth.
Amazon Rainforest
Climate and Vegetation Regions
Tropical Dry
Typical of the coast of
southwestern Mexico, most
Caribbean islands, and
north-central South America.
High temps and abundant
rainfall but also experience a
long dry season.
Grasslands flourish.
Los Llanos, Columbia
Climate and Vegetation Regions
Humid Subtropical
Prevails over much of southeastern South America.
Winters short with cool to mild temps.
Summers are long, hot, and humid.
Short grasses are natural vegetation.
Southern Cone Grasslands, Paraguay
Climate and Vegetation Regions
Dry Climates
Parts of Mexico, coastal Peru and Chile, and southeastern coast of Argentina have
desert climates and vegetation.
Cold air and high elevations result in very little precipitation.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is a coastal desert so arid that in some places no
rainfall has ever been recorded.
Areas of vegetation are called
“meadows of the desert.”
Atacama Desert, Chile