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Latin America
Physical
Geography
8.1
Physical Geography
8 mil sq. miles (~equal to N.A.)
• Made up of Middle America
and South America
– Caribbean sometimes debated as part
of MA
Yellow- Caribbean
Green- Central America
Red- Middle America
Purple- South America
All together is LATIN
AMERICA
Physical Geography
• Caribbean aka West Indies
–3 parts: Lesser Antilles,
Greater Antilles, & Bahamas
• Brazil is largest and most
pop. of SA’s 13 countries
Highlands
• Begins in Pac. Ranges/
Rockies Mexico’s Sierra
Madre CA’s Central
Highlands SA’s Andes
–map pg 195
• Crust collision, sits on Ring
of Fire
• Why would ppl settle here?
–Cooler climates
–Rich in resources… like what??
• Water,
fertile soil,
forests,
minerals
–Protection
Highlands
• Mexico’s Sierra Madre
–Sierra Madre Oriental
(eastern) & Sierra Madre
Occidental (western) meet at
Sierra Madre del Sur
–Surrounds Mxn Plateau
• Mild climate, volcanic soil in
South= settlement
Highlands
• Most Caribbean islands part
of Central Highlands (range
goes across sea)
–Volcanic islands
–Some still active
Highlands
• Andes Mtns
–4500 miles long,
world’s longest
–Cordillerasseveral ranges
running parallel
–Encircle high
plains (altiplano) in
Peru & Bolivia
Altiplano
La Paz, Bolivia
Atacama Desert
• Driest place on Earth!
– Some areas have never received rainfall since
recordkeeping began
• More than a million ppl live here
– Live near coast, oases, or farm with drip-irrigation
• Fog Catching Net:
– Fog rolls in condenses
on net drips to pipes
water crops
Highlands
• Mato Grosso Plateau- from
eastern Peru & Bolivia to most
of Brazil
–Low pop.
• Brazilian Highlands- from MGP
to eastern Brazil, ends in
escarpment (cliff)
Lowlands
• Coastal plains along Brazil’s coast
–Next to escarpment
–Prime area for settlement/tourism
• Llanos (Colombia & Venezuela) &
Pampas (Argentina & Uruguay)
–Grazing plains, pampas=
breadbasket
–Cowboys= llaneros or gauchos
WATER
• MA’s rivers are small, but SA’s are
HUGE!
– Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) is major
one, though, outside SA
• Amazon- 4000 miles (NYC to Rome,
Italy)
– 20% of Earth’s freshwater, 10X the volume
of the Mississippi
– Hundreds of sm. rivers join it Amazon
Basin (creates a valuable functional region)
 40% of SA
– Only navigable for 2300 miles from Atlantic
WATER
• Parana, Paraguay, &
Uruguay next lrgst
water system
–Commercial
highway,
hydroelectricity
–Flow into estuary
(Rio de la Plata)
before Atlantic
Notice the
intense
terracing!!
• Lake Titicaca- world’s highest (elev.)
navigable lake (Andes- Peru & Bolivia)
–12,500 ft above sea level
–Center for Incas
WATER
• Lake Titicaca is fed by rivers,
melting glaciers, & rainfall
–Losing water with shorter rain
seasons & less glaciers
(lowest since 1949)
Caribbean Sea
• Lake
MaracaiboSA’s largest
(Venezuela)
–Caribbean
inlet
–Rich oil fields
• Lake Nicaragua- CA’s largest lake
(b/w Nicaragua & Costa Rica)
• Lake Nicaragua- CA’s
largest lake (b/w
Nicaragua & Costa
Rica)
–Smaller than Titicaca
–Has small volcanic
islands w/in
–Known for Caribbean
pirates!
Resources
• Oil: Gulf of MX and southern Caribbean
MX and Venezuela are leaders in world
(OPEC)
• Leaders in gold, silver, emeralds, copper
(ancient civs. prospered with them)
• Problems: geography, lack of $,
social/political unrest  prevent
development of resources
5 Min Video
• Physical geography
video