Section 1:Physical Geography Section 2:Colombia Section 3:Venezuela Section 4:The Guianas CHAPTER 15 Caribbean South America

Maps of South America Physical Political Caribbean South America

Section 1 Physical Features Rugged landscapes and dense forests separate the populations in this region. In the west- the Andes Mts. rise above 18,000 ft. - the Andes form a cordillera – a system of parallel mtn. ranges There are many active volcanoes

Angel Falls, Venezuela Angel Falls was named after Jimmy Angel, an American bush pilot and gold- hunting adventurer, who discovered it in The waters fall freely some 807 meters (2,648 feet) It is the tallest waterfall in the world.

In the east – the Guiana Highlands form many unusual formations called tepius. The tepius form when some of the rock erodes and some does not

Between the two uplands are the plains of the Orinoco River Basin. These plains called the Llanos, are in eastern Colombia and western Venezuela. The Guiana Highlands slope down to a fertile plain in Guiana and French Guiana. The Orinoco is the longest river, 1,281 miles.

Vocabulary (Sec 1) Cordillera – mountain system made up of parellel ranges Tepuis – formations in the steep sided plateaus of the Guiana Highlands that have been eroding for years Llanos – vast plains of eastern Colombia and western Venezuela (2:57)

The river is home to meat-eating fish called piranhas, catfish and 20 ft. crocodiles.

Elevation Zones

Climate - 5 Elevation Zones in the Andes Tierra helada – above 16,000 ft. – always snow covered Paramo – 10,000 to 16,000 ft. – potatoes, grasslands, hardy shrubs and grazing Tierra fria – 6,000 to 10,000 ft. – potatoes, wheat, oats, barley, beans, corn, rye Tierran templada – 3,000 to 6,000 ft. – coffee, corn, cotton, potatoes, sugarcane,tobacco Tierra caliente – sea level to 3,000 ft. – bananas, cacao, rice, sugarcane

Resources Good soil for rich agriculture Oil, iron ore, bauxite Lowlands provide forests for timber Sea coasts – fish and shrimp Some rivers produce hydro electric power

Caribbean South America Major Landforms and Rivers Climates VegetationNatural Resources SECTION 1 Physical Geography Andes Llanos Guiana Highlands Orinoco River tierra caliente tierra templada tierra fría paramo tierra helada sugarcane, bananas, mountain forests, coffee, potatoes, wheat, grasslands good soil, oil, iron ore, bauxite, timber, fish and shrimp

South America Physical Geography (6:28)

Section 2 - Colombia – Early History Advanced cultures have lived in Colombia for more than 1,500 years The Chibcha people had a well developed civilization – practiced pottery, metal working – made fine gold objects They inspired the legend of El Dorado

Spanish Conquest At about 1500, Spanish explorers arrived in Caribbean South America The Spanish seized the treasure Enslaved the Indians Set-up large estates

Independence In the late 1700’s people in Central and South America struggled for independence In 1830 the area became New Granada and then Colombia Violent struggles for control continued through the 1900’s. Today, Colombia is the areas most populous country.

Early Spanish Expeditions Gonzalo Jimnez de Quesada, Nicolaus Federmann, Sebastin de Belalczar, Inspired by gold Expeditions through Colombia

The Legend of ‘El Dorado’ Ancient rituals when appointing new ruler Gold and treasures Lake Guatavita Attempts made to drain lake Never found treasures

Legend of Coffee Kaldi the goatherder Goats eating red beans from bushes Lively goats Kaldi up all night

Quinine Bark Also called Cinchona One of the rainforest’s most important discoveries (1640s) cures Malaria, a blood parasite mosquitoes

Malaria Question: What can you say about the countries that are at risk of Malaria?

Colombia Today SECTION 2Colombia coffee bananas cassava flowers oil iron ore, gold, coal, tin, emeralds regional isolation cultural diversity traditional cultures Roman Catholicism soccer tejo Aspects of the Economy Aspects of Culture

The Colombian Way of Life (24:10)

Section 3: Venezuela

Main Idea Questions (cont.) Venezuela’s revolt against Spain was led by Simon Bolivar. Spanish settlers had to learn agriculture because they found very little gold that they came for.

Vocabulary Indigo – a plant used to make a deep blue dye Caudillos – Venezuela’s military leaders Llaneros – cowboys of the Venezuelan Llanos Pardos – people of mixed African, European, and South American Indian ancestry

Slash-and-burn agriculture in the Amazon rain forest of Peru

Maize planted on former rainforest land

Overhead view of clear-cutting for slash-and- burn agriculture in the Peruvian Amazon

Crocodile Species How many species are in South American Countries?

Piranha Up to 60 cm long – most smaller Razor sharp teeth Prey on dead fish Rarely attack live prey Sensitive to blood in water / feeding frenzy Rivers in Eastern and Central South America

Venezuelan Culture SECTION 3Venezuela Ancestry Pardos constitute a majority of the population. Venezuelan Indians are a small minority. Language Spanish is the official language. More than 25 other languages are spoken. Religion Most Venezuelans are Roman Catholic. Venezuelan Indian religions are practiced. Sports and Leisure Joropo is the national dance. Baseball, soccer, and toros coleados are popular sports.

Venezuela Today (23:29)

Section 4: Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname

Section 4 - Early History of the Guianas Rugged highlands and rainforests dominate and isolate the three countries known as the Guianas Spain was the first European country to claim the Guianas Later on, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands developed settlements

Guyana Former British colony Only English speaking country 1/3 pop. descended from African slaves 1/2 pop. Indentured Indian agricultural workers – after slavery Ethnic tensions between groups The Rivers of Guianas

French Guiana

French Guiana is treated like a “state” of France Prisoners use to be sent to a prison called “Devils Island.” Economic activities are forestry and shrimp fishing The town of Kourou was developed into a space center for the European Space Agency

Main Idea Question Colonists in the Guinanas brought indentured servants because slavery had been outlawed by European countries, and settlers needed a new source of labor. Early settlers in the Guianas raised Coffee, tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane.

Wars fought in Europe often determined who controlled these countries Europeans established coffee, tobacco, sugar cane plantations They brought Africans to work as slaves In the mid 1800’s, indentured servants were brought from India, China and Southeast Asia They developed pidgin language

Vocabulary Indentured servants – people who agree to work for a certain length of time often for travel expenses Pidgin languages – a simple language so that people who speak different languages can understand each other (3:32)

Guianas Today These countries are now known as Guyana (formerly British Guyana), Suriname (Dutch) and French Guiana Guyana means “land of waters.” Agriculture is along the coastal plains The population is very diverse The capital of Guyana is Georgetown

Suriname

Suriname Suriname farms are along the coasts. Major exports are lumber and aluminum The capital is Paramaribo Very diverse – South Asians, Africans, Chinese, Indonesians and people of mixed heritage

SECTION 4 The Guianas NetherlandsFrance The Guianas COUNTRIES THAT INFLUENCED THE GUIANAS SpainGreat Britain

Chapter Wrap-Up 1. What are the five common elevation zones in the Andes region? 2. What are the three resources found in Caribbean South America? 3. How did geography affect political upheavals throughout the history of Colombia? 4. Why did Venezuela revolt against Spanish colonial rule? 5. How does the political status of French Guiana differ from that of Guyana and Suriname? 1. What are the five common elevation zones in the Andes region? 2. What are the three resources found in Caribbean South America? 3. How did geography affect political upheavals throughout the history of Colombia? 4. Why did Venezuela revolt against Spanish colonial rule? 5. How does the political status of French Guiana differ from that of Guyana and Suriname? CHAPTER 15