Physical and Political Features Latin America Physical and Political Features

Amazon River The world’s second longest river. Flows from the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean- almost entirely through the country of Brazil. ( Just south of the equator )

Andes Mountains Run the length of the western side of South America. ( 4500 miles ) Where the Amazon River begins.

Atacama Desert Located on the west coast of South America – south of Peru – occupying most of Chile. The Andes Mountains on the east block winds and rain- making it one of the driest places on Earth.

Atlantic Ocean North Atlantic Ocean South Atlantic Ocean The eastern border of South America above the equator. South Atlantic Ocean The eastern border south of the equator- Eastern border of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina

Caribbean Sea Body of water : east of Mexico and Central America north of South America south of Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica.

Gulf of Mexico Body of Water: north of the Caribbean Sea east of Mexico south of the United States

Pacific Ocean Western border of: Mexico Central America the entire western coast of South America ( South Pacific Ocean )

Panama Canal NOT a physical feature since it is man-made. It runs 50 miles across the isthmus of Panama. Allows for ships to travel from the Atlantic to Pacific ( and vice versa ) rather than sail all around South America.

isthmus a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water that otherwise separates them.

Sierra Madre Mountains- chief mountain range of Mexico Sierra Madre Oriental Located in northeastern Mexico Sierra Madre Occidental Located in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona Sierra Madre del Sur-  a mountain range in southern Mexico

Central Plateau Flat, arid land located in central Mexico . Surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains.

Bolivia Capital- LA Paz One of only two landlocked countries in South America. ( Paraguay is the other )

Landlocked A country completely surrounded by land. No water borders at all.

Brazil Largest country in South America- all countries except Ecuador and Chile share a border with Brazil. Atlantic Ocean is the eastern border. Capital- Brazilia Home of the Amazon Rain Forest( the world’s largest )

Columbia Located in northwestern South America. Water borders are Caribbean Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. Connected to Panama. Capital- Bogota.

Cuba Largest island in the Carribean. East of the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Atlantic Ocean and north of the Caribbean Sea. Capital- Havana

Hispaniola- the collective term for Haiti and Dominican Republic Capital- Port-au-Prince Located southeast of Cuba, north of the Caribbean Sea, south west of the Atlantic Ocean. Western border of Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Eastern border of Haiti Capital- Santo Domingo The larger of the two islands on Hispaniola

Mexico Located south of the United States. Pacific Ocean on the west, Gulf of Mexico on the east. Capital- Mexico City

Panama “ Tail end “ of the Central American Isthmus. Connects Central America to South America. Capital- Panama City

Venezuela Located in northeast South America Caribbean Sea borders the north. Atlantic Ocean to the east ( Guyana ) Brazil borders the south, Columbia borders the west. Capital- Caracas