Latin America’s Geography

Latin America starts with Mexico and runs all the way south. Includes 2 continents – part of North America & all of South America

Part in North America is known as Central America or Middle America which goes from the Rio Grande to the Isthmus of Panama Rio Grande Isthmus of Panama

Define: isthmus

The main languages of Spanish and Portuguese have Latin roots Why “Latin America”? The main languages of Spanish and Portuguese have Latin roots

Isolating Factors The variety of geographic features, like mountains and rainforests, separate areas of Latin America form one another

Mountains La Cordillera start in the Rocky Mountains of the US, continue through the Sierra Madre of Mexico and extend through the Andes of South America

Sierra Madre (sierra means mountain)

Andes Mountains

Andes Mountains

Machu Picchu (Incan ruins in Andes)

Ex. Yucatan Peninsula, Amazon Rainforest, & Pampas Lowlands Areas at or near sea level; usually near the coast and in some inland areas Ex. Yucatan Peninsula, Amazon Rainforest, & Pampas

Yucatan Peninsula – eastern Mexico surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico

Amazon Rainforest - Amazon River starts in the Andes Mountains and flows east across all of Brazil. It is the widest river in the world.

Around the river is the Amazon Rainforest, the largest in the world

Pampas - grasslands in Uruguay and Argentina

Regionalism Strong local traditions that divide people within a country or region caused by the isolating factors

Based on what has been discussed, explain why Latin America experiences regionalism:

Based on what has been discussed, do all people in Latin America share the same culture? Why or why not?