The Americas Part 4 Landscape and Population of Latin America

Latin America extends from the southern border of the U. S. to the bottom of South America, also known as “Tierra del Fuego”.

7 Nations make up Central America.

There are 3 main groups of islands in the Caribbean: The Bahamas The Bahamas The Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles The Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles

Without Alaska, Brazil is bigger than the continental United States.

Latin America is loaded with many different amazing physical features. From the longest mountain chain in the world, to the world’s driest desert, tallest waterfall, biggest rain forest, and beautiful islands, Latin America has it all. Check it out!

At 3,212 feet Angel Falls is the tallest in the world. It is located in the nation of Venezuela.

Angel Falls

The Andes Mountains are the second tallest, and the longest chain of mountains on earth.

Mount Aconcagua – 22,841 feet in elevation Flying Over the Andes

The Andes Mountains Climate Zone

Tierra del Fuego – “The Land of Fire”Tierra del Fuego – “The Land of Fire”, so named for the campfires of the natives. Tierra del Fuego – “The Land of Fire”

At 12,500 feet in elevation, Lake Titicaca is one of the highest NAVIGABLE lakes in the world.Lake Titicaca

There are not a lot of rivers in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. However, South America is loaded with them. The Orinoco drains a large portion of the north, while the Parana is a major river in the south. The Amazon is the second longest river on earth, and has more than 1,000 TRIBUTARIES. It is the largest water drainage area on earth. In fact, it drains more water than the next 7 largest rivers combined!

This cross marks the spot where the headwaters of the Amazon begin. It is at a cliff in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

This is the world’s largest water drainage area.

{The Amazon is the world’s largest water drainage area.} {Surfing the Amazon—Watch out for large snakes and piranhas!} {The Amazon is the world’s largest water drainage area.} {Surfing the Amazon—Watch out for large snakes and piranhas!}

The Atacama Desert on the west coast of South America is the driest on earth.

The Atacama Desert

The Nazca Lines of Peru In Peru, there are some very unique drawings that can only be seen from the air. In Peru, there are some very unique drawings that can only be seen from the air. They were done by an ancient Indian civilization known as the Nazca. They were done by an ancient Indian civilization known as the Nazca. They were first seen from the air in the 1930s, and in 1994 were declared a “World Heritage Site”. Archaeologists differ on their purpose, but most agree they have a religious meaning.

The Spider

The Monkey

The Dog

The Astronaut The Nazca Lines

Languages of Latin America Green = Spanish Orange = Portuguese Blue = French Teal = English

Ethnic Diversity Today there are over half a billion people living in the nations of Latin America. There are Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and mixtures of these different groups. Mexico with 110 million people, and Brazil with almost 200 million, are the two most populated countries.

Population Density and Distribution Even with a population of over 550 million, there is much of Latin America that is sparsely populated. Much of the population is concentrated in coastal areas. Regions like the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rain Forest are much less populated.

The mountainous areas as well as the rain forest zones are much less populated. The population is mainly clustered near the coasts.

Latin American Cities There are more than 20 cities in Latin America that have more than 1 million people in them. 4 of these cities rank in the Top 20 on earth, including 2 of the Top 5: Mexico CitySao Paulo Buenos Aires Rio de Janeiro

Growth of Cities,

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sao Paulo, Brazil is one of the largest cities on earth, and is the largest city in the Sao Paulo, Brazil is one of the largest cities on earth, and is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere.

Mexico City, Mexico is the largest city in Latin America. Mexico City, Mexico is the largest city in Latin America.

Roman Catholicism When the Spanish and Portuguese came, they felt it was their duty to bring their Catholic faith with them. Today, the Catholic Church is still very influential in Latin America and continues to be the largest religion. When other Europeans arrived, they brought their religions and traditions with them as well. By the 1960’s Protestantism and other Christian religions began to grow rapidly.

A statue of Christ overlooks the city and harbor of Rio de Janeiro. The statue reflects the Catholic Church’s heavy influence on Latin America’s historical and cultural heritage.

Breakdown of Religions in 2000