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LATIN AMERICA WHY IT MATTERS Latin America reflects a unique _________ of world ______________, including ____________ American, European & African In turn Latin America’s ____________ cultures have __________ to other parts of the world For example the languages, _____________, foods & ___________ of Latin America have profoundly influenced life in the _______ Today, many Americans are of Latin American ___________ & maintain close ties to their __________ In addition, the U.S. & many countries in Latin America are close ___________ partners They share ______________ values based on human ___________ & revolt from European ________ THE LAND News accounts of _____________ disasters in Latin America describe the ________________ caused by hurricanes, ______________ & volcanic eruptions A study of the physical ______________ of Latin America will explain the ____________ that make the region ________________ to such natural disasters Landforms Latin America has an area of about _____ million sq miles = ______ of Earth’s land mass/surface It is divided into __________ sub-regions o ____________ to Panama o Caribbean o South America (the region’s _____________ land mass) Latin Americas most distinctive ________________ are its ______________ It’s major mountain range begins in _____________ & travels to the tip of ______________ America o U.S. it’s called the _________ Mountains o Mexico it’s called the _______________ o Central America it’s called the ___________________ o South America it’s known as the __________ Mountains Latin America’s _____________ landscape is caused by it’s ____________ along the Pacific Ring of Fire Ring of Fire is an area where many of the Earth’s _____________ meet & formed mountains & _____________ & causes _______________ o Despite this humans have ____________ on Latin America’s mountains & ___________ because they provide ________ climates & rich natural ______________ (water, volcanic soil, timber & minerals) Mexican Plateau The heart of ___________ is made up of the Mexican Plateau (700 mi/long & 4,000-8,000 ft/high), which is broken by mountain _______________ & segmented by deep ___________ The ____________ is fringed by two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre _______________ (in the east) & the Sierra Madre ________________ (in the west) o Within the plateau are drainage ____________ which have no outlet to the ________ & which contain some of the country's densely populated major ________/centers (Guadalajara, León, Queretaro & Pachuca) A _______________ climate, relatively abundant ______________ & rich ___________ & volcanic soils create favourable ______________ conditions & has attracted settlers for 1,000’s of years Much of the land supports extensive __________ as well as _________ grazing in some of the drier basins o Significant or important _________ include corn (maize), beans, ________ & sugarcane; sugar refineries & grain ___________ are located in Guadalajara o Other important industries include _____________, __________ & __________ Sierra Madre The Sierra Madre Occidental “Mother Range” is a mountain range in __________ Mexico that extends from near the ___________ border down to the Sierra Madre del Sur (mountain range in ____________ Mexico) o This uplift in land has caused changes in ____________ patterns, with ____________ occurring in the mountains providing islands of available land for wetter ______________ to form than in the surrounding land o This water forms ______________ (areas that drain into common waterways) that provide the arid surroundings with water that makes it possible to __________ & ________ crops o The wet ecosystems are islands of ___________, in what would otherwise be a _________ landscape ______ forests are the predominant plant life & extend into the ______land deserts o This forest & canyon land provided a place for a variety of ___________ people to live, until Spanish _______________ came into the area to found towns for the ____________ mines in the area This is a dramatic landscape of steep mountains formed by a high plateau that has been cut through with canyons including Copper Canyon (larger & deeper in some places than the Grand Canyon) o Located in the Copper Canyon region of northwest Mexico, Basaseachic Falls on the Basaseachic River is the 2nd highest waterfall in Mexico at 807 ft tall & second in Mexico only to the Cascada de Piedra Volada (Flying Stone Falls---1486 ft) The major _____________ in the area now are _____________ & ___________ The highest point is probably ____________________ at 9,970-10,800 ft Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern ___________ that runs parallel to its Gulf of Mexico ______________ with a few mountains reaching ______________ It’s ____________ point is Cerro el Potosí, Mexico which has an Elevation: 3720 meters or _____________ Central Highlands The Central Highlands is the name given for the string of mountains & ___________ which run through the middle of ____________ America which makes settlement _____________ b/c some are still active The highlands are part of a circle of volcanoes known as the Pacific Ring of Fire that runs through __________, New Zealand, the _____________ & rims the entire ______________ Ocean Many of the country's active _____________ peaks are found along the Highland's Central Volcanic Mountain Range (Cordillera Volcanica Central) o _________ such as Poas & Irazu are some of the most spectacular accessible volcanoes in the country Andes The Andes is the _____________ continental mountain range in the ___________ (continual range of highlands along the ____________ coast of South America) This range is about ________ mi/long, ______mi/wide & has an average height of about __________ ft (highest chain outside of Asia) o The highest peak, Mount ____________, rises to an elevation of about ________ ft above sea level The Andes consists of _____________ which are “mountain ranges that run ____________” that cause settlements to be ________________ from one another (some villages have century old customs) o The Andes extend from north to south through __________ South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile & Argentina (on the ________ coast of South America) Mato Grosso Plateau The Mato Grosso Plateau is a plateau in __________ Brazil & parts of Bolivias & Peru (_________ America) It contains mostly _____________ (grassland ecosystem) & _______________ (forest) & is an ancient erosional plateau that in the south gives way to ______________ called the Pantanal The Matto Grosso Plateau is about _____________ tall & is home to ______________ peoples Llanos Llanos is the wide _______________ that stretch across ______________ South America & occupying western Venezuela & northeastern Colombia known for ranches of ___________ o Most of the Llanos is _____________ savanna that is covered with _________ grasses & carpet grasses in the drier areas o Much of the Llanos Bajos is subject to ____________ flooding which allows most _________ to nest in the gallery forests & _________ on the grassland Deer & rabbits, as well as the anteater, armadillo, tapir, jaguar & capybara (world’s largest living rodent) The raising of ______________ has long been the mainstay of the Llanos’ economy, since Spanish colonial days but the _____________ importance of the region has been greatly enhanced by the ________ fields in the Venezuelan Llanos Pampas The Pampas or "___________" are ___________ South American lowlands, covering more than 289,577 square miles that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos & Córdoba, most of Uruguay, & the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul The climate is ____________, with precipitation of _______ inches evenly distributed through the year, making the ______________ appropriate for _____________ (large amounts of _________ & ______) Some of this ____________ includes the rhea, the pampas ________, several species of armadillos, the pampas _______, the White-eared opossum, the Elegant Crested Tinamou & several other species Eastern Highlands The Highlands across the ______________ side of the continent belong to the ___________ geologic period, around the same the ___________________ Highlands The Highlands are divided into ___ sections (Guiana Highlands in the north & Brazilian Highlands in the south) They highlands are filled with “________________” which are steep ___________ that drop down to the ___________ from the mountain ranges Brazilian Highlands The Brazilian Highlands or _________________ are an extensive geographical region, covering most of the eastern, southern & central portions of Brazil (about ________ of the country's land area) o The vast majority of Brazil's population (_____ million) lives in the highlands or on the __________ coastal region immediately adjacent to it _____________ has played a large part in ____________ the Highlands, forming extensive sedimentary deposits & _____________ down the _____________ The Brazilian Highlands are notable for the great ___________ to be found there: within the region there are several different ____________, vastly different ____________ conditions, many types of soil & thousands of animal & plant ______________ & an important area for raising ____________ Water Systems Latin America’s water systems ___________ people & goods to different parts of the ________ & the world Most of ______________ America’s major river systems are in _____________ America Amazon River Amazon River in South America is the ______________ in the world (longest in the Western Hemisphere) o Carries ________ times the amount of water as the __________ o The Amazon also has the largest _____________ basin in the world (2,720,000 sq mi) & accounts for approximately ______________ of the world's total __________ flow At some points the river ____________ into anabranchs (multiple channels) that are often very long, with inland & lateral _______________ all connected by a complicated ____________ of natural canals More than __________ of all ___________ in the world live in the Amazon ____________ (a giant tropical forest & river basin with an area that stretches more than ______________ sq mi) o It is the ______________ tropical forest in the world in terms of ____________ with over __________ species of fish, mammals & dangerous ___________ & spiders Paraná, Paraguay, & Uruguay River System The Paraná, Paraguay, & Uruguay Rivers form the ___________ largest river system in Latin America that _____________ the ____________ half of South America & empties into the “_________________” These rivers provide an important ________________ water route for ____________ in the region as well as providing an important source of _____________ power Lake Titicaca South America's _________ lake & the world's _________ navigable body of water (borders Peru & Bolivia) Lake Titicaca has long been considered a __________ place among indigenous Andean peoples (considered the birthplace of man & the sun by the Incas) CLIMATE & VEGETATION Diverse ______________ make Latin America a region of astonishing contrasts from ____________ rainforests, _______ deserts, ____________ plains & ________ beaches In the dense nearly impenetrable vegetation of Latin America’s tropical rainforests, the world’s greatest biodiversity exists as millions of plants & animals live together Elevation & Climate Differences in ____________ & ___________ from the equator create ____ diverse _____________ climate zones in Latin America o Tierra ____________ - Above 16,000 feet (____________), permanent ice & snow; some grasses & temperatures below 20 F o _____________ - 12,000 to 15,000 ft, cold temperatures; ____________ grazing (20-55 F) o Tierra _________ - 6,000 to 12,000 ft, ______________ temperatures, winter ____________ common; grow potatoes & barley, highest zone in Central America, (up to the tree line) (55-65 F) o Tierra _____________ - 2,500 to 6,00o ft, cooler temperatures, leafy & cone bearing ___________ trees, most densely populated zone; grow _________, corn, & wheat (65-75 F) o Tierra ____________ - b/w sea level & 2,500 ft., hot ___________ coastal temperatures, ___________; grow bananas, sugar & rice “hot land” (75-80 F) Climate & Vegetation Regions Much of Latin America has a ____________ climate with lush ___________ Although much of Latin America is location in the ______________ it also has other ___________ regions Tropical Wet A tropical ________ climate with tropical rain forest ________________ dominates much of the region ___________ temperatures & abundant _____________ year-round result from the area’s location on the Equator & the prevailing _______________ that carry warm, _________ air from the Atlantic Ocean The Amazon ___________ holds the worlds _____________ tropical rainforest “Amazon Rainforest” & the world _____________ tropical plain o Heavy rains (______________ inches a year) drench much of the densely ____________ lowlands throughout the year & the dense “____________” keeps sunlight from hitting the forest floor Tropical Dry A tropical __________ climate is typical of the coast of _______________ Mexico, most of the Caribbean Islands & north-central South America These areas experience ___________ temperatures & abundant ________________ but also experience an extended dry season with many flourishing ________________ & ____________ farmland (Llanos) Humid Subtropical A humid subtropical climate prevails over much of ________________ South America Winters here are short with cool to mild _____________ & summers are long, hot & ____________ __________ is generally uniform & short grasses are the natural vegetation of the area (due to overgrazing) Dry Climates Hot _____________, cold ______________ with little to no ___________ Home to the _____________ Desert (coastal desert) so arid that in some places no ___________ has ever been recorded