Latin American Physiographic Features

Rio Grande River Mexicans call it Rio Grande del Norte 1,885 miles long Flows through southwestern United States and Mexico Separates Texas and Mexico Empties into Gulf of Mexico at Matamoras, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas Provides water for irrigation and drinking

Andes Mountains Stretches along the western edge of the entire continent of South America Forms the world’s longest contiguous mountain range Peruvian Andes hosts Machu Picchu, the ruins of a sacred Inca site

Sierra Madre Occidental Western Part of the main mountain range of Mexico Also includes the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre del Sur Extends south from Arizona and paralles the Pacific Coast for about 1,000 miles Iron ore, lead, silver, and gold can be found in the mountains

Plateau of Mexico Is 700 miles long and 4,000 – 8,000 feet high Is enclosed by the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental Contains several drainage basins that support some of Mexico’s major cities

Northern section of the plateau is high and arid and is used for raising livestock Deserts of the south yield to the broad, shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico Teotihuacan and Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico.

Guiana Highlands Located near the northern coast of South America Guiana Highlands are bounded by the Orinoco and Amazon river basins Many rivers and heavy rainfall create deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls Rainforest is located on the Guiana Highlands

Lake Maracaibo Largest lake in South America Located in northwest Venezuela and serves as a major transportation route for goods Located in the lowlands of the Maracaibo basin Main industry in this area is the production of petroleum

Orinoco River 1,500 to 1,700 miles through rainforests and savannas The Ature and Maipures Cataracts (waterfalls) divide the upper and lower parts of the river Most of the river is navigable and is used for shipping and transport vessel

Yucatan Peninsula Separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea Located in southeastern Mexico Tropical Climate with hardwood forests and tropical wildlife Main industry is henequen, a hard fiber, to make mats and ropes

Amazon River Second longest river after the Nile Carries more water than any other Passes through the largest rainforests in the world, which covers 35% of South America

Sierra Madrid Oriental Eastern part of the main mountain range in Mexico Begins south of the Rio Grande near the US border and runs 700 miles parallel to the Gulf of Mexico The Sierra Madrid Oriental and the Sierra Madrid Occidental enclose the Plateau of Mexico, meeting in the southeast of the plateau

Lake Titicaca Located in the Andes on the Peru-Bolivia border One of the highest large lakes in the world…12,500 feet above sea level Third largest lake in Latin America Constant temperature of (51  F/11  C) enables local people to grow maize and wheat

Gran Chaco Is a lowland plains in central America Extends 250,000 miles Divided between Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina Is dry but becomes swampy during he rainy season Sparsely populated Oil is exploited from this area

Patagonia 300,000 mile region in Southern Argentina Made up of semiarid plateau ending at the Atlantic Ocean Industries consist of sheep and oil

Pampas Wide grassy plains that extend into Paraguay Has been used for cattle grazing since the 1550’s The late nineteenth century the land was used for farming Famous for wheat, corn, flax, and oats

Atacama Desert Located in Northern Chili 600 mile long stretch with no vegetation and very little rainfall Has been mined for nitrates and copper Agriculture is restricted to narrow strips of arable land

Death valley Atacama Desert, Chile

Amazon Basin It’s huge…. 35% of South America Covers most of northern Brazil and parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela The rain forest is rich in plant and animal life Supplies half of the world’s supply of oxygen

Lake Nicaragua Located in Nicaragua and is the largest lake in Central America San Juan River drains the lake’s water into the Caribbean Sea Was once part of the Caribbean Sea Has several small islands and volcanoes in the lake Salt Water fish can be found in the lake

Ometepe Lake Nicaragua volcano island

Rio de la Plata Estuary formed by the Parana and Uruguay Rivers Located between Argentina and Uruguay 170 Miles long Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay is located on the Rio de la Plata

Tierra del Fuego An archipelago at the southern tip of South America Treacherous to navigate Is used mainly for sheep farming and oil drilling Divided between Chile and Argentina

Isthmus of Panama Narrow strip of land that makes us Panama and connects Central and South America Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean Rugged mountains to the west and lower mountains to the east Tropical Climate with abundant rainfall