Chapter 9 : Lesson 1 Physical Geography of South America

Essential Question How has South America’s rugged landscape both attracted and isolated people?

Regions of Latin America Mexico Central America Caribbean South America

Cordillera: parallel chains or ranges of mountains

Altiplano: Spanish for “high plain,” a region in Peru and Bolivia encircled by the Andes

Escarpment: a steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface

Highlands The Guiana Highlands The Brazilian Highlands

Llanos: fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Colombia and Venezuela

Pampas: a grassy, treeless plains of southern South America

The Pampas: Argentina

Mountains and Highlands The Andes Mountains- part of the mountain range that runs through a portion of North, Central and South America. United States- The Rocky Mountains Central America- The Sierra Madres South America- the Andes

Andes Mountains - Peru Patagonia – Southern Andes

Many volcanoes The longest mountain range in the world, nearly 5,000 miles long. Creates a barrier between the coastal cities on the west coast and the interior of the continent.

The Amazon River and Other Major River Systems Brazil Orinoco River: Venezuela and Colombia Paraná River: Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina

The Mighty Amazon Amazon : Flows 4,000 miles from west to east and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Source is the Andes Mountains close to the Pacific Ocean.

The Orinoco River Flows mainly through Venezuela and Colombia. It creates part of the border between the two countries.

Review Question: Chapter 9 : Lesson 1 Read pages 218-222 and answer Review Questions on page 222 Hand in Google Class Room.