Latin America: Physical Geography

Mountains  Latin America spans from the border between the U.S. and Mexico, all the way down to the southern tip of South America.  This region includes Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands  Its highlands, lowlands, rain forests, and plains are bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea  The Andes Mountains in South America are part of a chain of mountain ranges that run through the western portion of North, Central, and South America.  This range is called the Rockies in the U.S., the Sierra Madre in Mexico, and the Andes in South America.

Plains for Grains and Livestock  South America has wide plains that offer rich soil and moderate rainfall for growing crops and grasses for grazing livestock.  Colombia and Venezuela contain vast plains called llanos, which are grassy, treeless areas similar to the Great Plain in the U.S.  Brazil also contains expansive plains in the interior of the country called the cerrado, which are savannas with flat terrain and moderate rainfall.  Argentina and Uruguay contain plains called the pampas, which are areas of grasslands and rich soil.

Rivers  South America has 3 major river systems: the Orinoco, the Amazon, and the Parana.  The Orinoco River flows over 1,500 miles through the northern part of the continent, mainly in Venezuela.  The Amazon River flows 4,000 miles west to east from the Andes Mountains, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.  The Amazon carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world!  The Parana River flows 3,000 miles south and west from southern Brazil through Paraguay and Argentina.

Islands  The Caribbean Islands consist of 3 major groups: -Bahamas -Greater Antilles -Lesser Antilles  Altogether they are sometimes called the West Indies  The Greater Antilles are the larger islands in the Caribbean.  The Lesser Antilles are the smaller islands in the Caribbean.

Climate Climate ZonesClimate TypesCharacteristicsCountries Tropical-Tropical Wet -Tropical Wet and Dry -Hot and rainy year round, rainforests -hot, savannahs, seasonal rain -Brazil -Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina Dry-Semiarid -Desert -dry, with some rain, Grass-covered plains -shrubs growing in gravel or sand -Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina -Northern and coastal Peru, Northern Chile (Atacama Desert), Southern Argentina (Patagonia) Mid-Latitude (located south of the equator) -Humid Subtropical -Mediterranean -Marine West Coast -Highlands -rainy winters, hot/humid summers -hot/dry summers, cool/moist winters -cool/rainy winters, mild/rainy summers -vary from moderate to cold depending on elevation -Paraguay, Uruguay, S. Brazil, S. Bolivia, N. Argentina -West coast of Chile -SW South America, S. Chile, Argentina -Mountains of Mexico and South America

Based on climate and physical features, what do you think are the most populated and least populated areas in Latin America?