Caribbean South America Chapter 9 PowerPoint Notes *These countries are more similar to the Caribbean Island countries than the other countries in South America…

Physical Geography The Andes Mountains (some of the highest in the world) are located in parts of Colombia. The Andes are known as a cordillera because they are several parallel mountain ranges Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana have many rivers and a wide variety of plant and wildlife. Angel Falls in located in Venezuela and is the highest waterfall in the world (3,200 ft.) Angel Falls Andes Mtns.

Physical Geography The climate in this area of South America is typically humid and tropical. This is because of the location near the equator. Especially in the areas of the Amazon Basin, rain falls continually throughout the year. This provides water to the huge forests in this region. Some of the main resources that exist are due to the fertile soil. Crops like bananas, coffee, sugarcane, and rice are found here. The closeness to the Caribbean Sea and the numerous waterways provide an abundance of fish. Venezuela is a huge producer of the world’s oil. Link to Venezuela Video

History & Culture Colombia’s natives (Chibcha) inspired the El Dorado idea to many of the Spanish settlers in the 1500s-1600s… Colombia achieved independence from Spain (like other countries in South America) in the 1800s… Their culture had a very difficult time throughout the 1800s-1900s due to the geography. The places people lived was usually separated by rugged terrain. Therefore communities and civilizations developed different economic, social, and political identities. This led to many conflicts throughout the region. Colombia Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname Venezuela was used by the Spanish for agriculture…but, like some of the other areas in the Caribbean, the 1800s marked an era of civil war Venezuela has become somewhat of an economic power due to their large amounts of oil reserves Hugo Chavez has seized control of the Venezuelan presidency, some fear he has become much like a dictator with too much power

The Guianas Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana mostly rely on agriculture as the dominant way of life in these areas. French Guiana sends its representatives to Paris France since it still belongs to France. The population of these countries is more diverse than Colombia and Venezuela. A mixture of different cultures and ethnicities exist. Suriname Guyana