Physical Geography of Latin/Mesoamerica

Map of Latin America (Central and South America)

Mountains and Highlands The Andes Mountains  Part of a Mountain Range that runs through the western portion of North, Central, and South America (Rockies in the U.S./Sierra Madre in Mexico)  Many active volcanos  Home to the Inca in Peru Highlands  Made up of mountainous or hilly sections (Guiana Highlands)  Includes Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Guiana, and Brazil)

Plains Grain and Livestock Llanos of Columbia and Venezuela  Vast plains in Columbia and Venezuela  Grassy, treeless area used for livestock and farming  Similar to Great Plains in U.S. Plains of Amazon River Basin  Expansive plains in Brazil called “Cerrado”  Flat terrain with moderate rainfall  Good for farming, but much of it is undeveloped Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay  Areas of grassland and rich soil in northern Argentina and Uruguay  Main product is cattle and wheat

Rivers Orinoco River  Mainly in Venezuela  Flows more than 1,500 miles along the Columbia-Venezuela border to the Atlantic Amazon River  Flows 4,000 miles from East to West  Starts in Andes and ends in the Atlantic  Fed by 1,000 tributaries  Carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world Parana River  Flows 3,000 miles from Brazilian Highlands  Ends up as an estuary

Major Islands of the Caribbean Bahamas  Hundreds of islands between Cuba and Florida  Nassau is the capital Greater Antilles  Larger islands including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.  Served as a base of operations for Spanish Conquest Lesser Antilles  Smaller islands southeast of Puerto Rico

Resources of Latin America Mineral Resources  Gold, silver, iron, copper, bauxite, tin, lead, and nickel all abundant  Also mine gem stones, titanium and tungsten  One of world’s leading miners of raw material Energy Resources  Oil, coal, natural gas, uranium and hydroelectric power all plentiful