CHAPTER 9: SOUTH AMERICA From the wettest jungle to the driest desert…South America has it all!
SECTION 1: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY How has South America’s rugged landscape both attracted and isolated people?
MOUNTAINS Andes mountains: world’s longest mountain chain Consist of CORDILLERAS: parallel chains or ranges of mountains An extension of the Rockies Created isolated groups
ALTIPLANO Andes encircle the ALTIPLANO: “high plain”; includes southeastern Peru and western Bolivia 2nd largest mt. plateau in the world
PATAGONIA Southern Argentina Andes create a rain shadow: makes it very dry and windy Contains valleys, glaciers, and fjords Extends into southern Chile
HIGHLANDS Brazilian Highlands Taper into Eastern Highlands---form a steep ESCARPMENT: cliff or slope btwn a higher and lower land surface
GRASSLANDS LLANOS: fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Colombia and Venezuela PAMPAS: grassy, treeless plains of southern South America—found mostly in Argentina and Uruguay
AMAZON RIVER Begins on eastern edge of the Andes Largest river basin in world: Covers c. 40% of South America (2,722,000 sq. miles); 4195 miles long
OTHER RIVERS Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay rivers form 2nd largest river system in S.A. Flow into the Rio de la Plata and then into Atlantic Ocean
LAKES Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela Lake Titicaca: border of Bolivia and Peru---world’s highest large lake
CLIMATE Vertical climate zones El Niño affects west coast Tropical Wet (rain forest) and tropical wet/dry (savanna) make up most of eastern S.A. Atacama Desert: along Pacific coast of Peru and Chile---created by Peru Current So dry, some places have never recorded rainfall Fog (camanchaca) is only source of precipitation
SECTION 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AMERICA
EARLY PEOPLE AND INCA Early indigenous groups: Moche, Mapuche, and Aymara Inca Empire: stretched from Ecuador to Chile---Machu Picchu is most well known city Inca were skilled engineers---built roads throughout empire No written language (used storytelling) Used QUIPUS, knotted cords, for financial records
DEFEAT OF THE INCA Silver and gold were important This attracted Spanish conquistadors Forces of Francisco Pizarro defeat Inca and imprison their leader, Atahualpa (1532) Spanish use the roads built by Inca to spread out
INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS Inspired by American and French Revolutions 1820s: Simón Bolívar wins independence for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia Also in 1820s: José de San Martín wins independence for Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina Postcolonial SA was unstable afterwards
INDEPENDENCE CONTINUED Caudillos began taking power in the late 19th century Political corruption, violence, large wealth gaps, unemployment are still problems throughout South America
POPULATION PATTERNS 4th largest continent; c. 400 million people Most people live on the coasts and along major rivers (80% live in cities) Not very densely populated Jobs hard to find; people leave for better opportunities BRAIN DRAIN: loss of highly educated and skilled workers to other countries Most go to N. America or Europe
SOCIETY Ethnically diverse Most are Roman Catholic Carnival is a celebration of the beginning of Lent (think Mardi Gras) Syncretism: Macumba and Candomblé
RESOURCES Forestry, farming, fishing, and ranching make up 20% of workforce Grains, soybeans, coffee, cocoa, citrus, cattle, sugarcane, tobacco, and cotton are produced Coca is popular Others: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin Venezuela, Ecuador, and Argentina are large exporters of petroleum