1. Chapter 16 – South America
Section 1: Brazil – Geography Shapes a Nation

2. The Amazon Rain Forest is a large area of abundant rainfall and dense vegetation in northern Brazil
Gets more than 80 inches of rain each year
Average temperature of 80°F
Millions of species of plants and animals, including orchids, jaguars, and toucans
Dense foliage makes travel difficult, and few people live in this area
Amazon Rain Forest

3. Canopy Deep in Brazil’s rain forest, the light barely penetrates
At the top of the trees, the leaves form a dense mass called a canopy
Sun and rain beat down on the canopy
On the ground, it is almost chilly
Cool, moist air is filled with sounds, such as calls of birds, monkeys, and insects
Canopy

4. Resources of the Rain Forest
Many modern medicines have been made from rain forest plants
Produce one-third of the world’s oxygen
Holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water
Several million different species of plants, animals, and insects – some that have not even been discovered yet
Resources of the Rain Forest

5. Threats to the Amazon Rain Forest
Too many trees cut down
Will not be enough trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Animals losing homes
Loss of plant life, some of which may produce important medicines
Smuggling
Approximately 12 million animals are smuggled out of Brazil each year; many are endangered
Illegal logging of Brazilian mahogany
Pollution
Caused by mining; mercury used in gold mining polluted streams in the 1980s
Threats to the Amazon Rain Forest

6. In the 1950s, the government of Brazil wanted to develop Brazil’s interior region using the resources of the rain forest
They built the new capital city, Brasilia
Located on the vast interior plain, or savanna, called the Cerrado
Today, population is nearly 2 million people and the site for many of Brazil’s companies and organization headquarters
Congresso Nacional
Cathedral of Brasilia
Brasilia

7. Rio de Janeiro Former capital of Brazil (1822-1960)
One of Brazil’s many cities that grew up along the coast
Large harbor for trade
Population 6,450,000
Most of Rio’s people live in well-built homes
About 20% of Rio’s population live in favelas, or slums, with no running water or electricity
Rio de Janeiro

8. Population:
19.9 million
Sao Paulo

9. Cultural Regions of Brazil
Northeast (Caribbean region)
Sugar plantations shaped this culture
Enslaved Africans brought their culture with them
Area is rich in art and music; samba dance was started here
South
European immigrants shaped this culture
Portuguese people brought cattle ranching, wheat farming, and coffee production to this region
Rain Forests
Indigenous peoples continue to lead traditional lives isolated in this region
230+ groups live here
Yanomami people are examples of hunter-gatherers
Cities
African and European cultures blend together here in cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
Carnival mixes Catholic and African traditions
Cultural Regions of Brazil

10. Most of the land that is suitable for farming are owned by only a few people
Some of them choose not to farm the land
About 1/3 of Brazil’s farmland, 300 million acres, is unused
Farm Life in Brazil

11. Chapter 16 – South America
Section 2 – Peru:
An Ancient Land Looks to the Future

12. The Uros people have adapted to the geography of the lake
They’ve created about 70 islands on the lake
They make the islands out of totora reeds
They join the floating roots together, then lay cut reeds on top. This process creates an island that is firm enough to support small communities of people with huts and livestock
Islands up to 2m thick
Life on Lake Titicaca

13. Geographic Regions of Peru
Mountain Region, or Sierra
Contains the Andes Mountains and the Altiplano
Altiplano – high plateau in the Andes, which holds Lake Titicaca; about 12,000 feet above sea level
Coastal Region
Dry area dotted with oases
Oasis – fertile area in a desert with a water source
Europeans built cities along the coast on the oases
More than 6 million people live in Lima, Peru’s capital
Forested Region, or Selva
Mainly lands of rain forest
Hot, humid all year
Isolated; few roads connect the selva region to the coast; Natives living as their ancestors did
Geographic Regions of Peru

14. Coast:
Desert / oasis
Only 2in. rain yearly
Spanish speaking
Manufacturing, agriculture, refining
Sierra:
Mountains
Varied rainfall
Quechua speaking
Farming, herding, tourism
Selva:
Rain forest
75-125in. rain yearly
Varied indigenous languages
Fishing, hunting - gathering

15. People of Peru Natives make up almost half of Peru’s population
Most Natives are Quechua
Another one-third of population are Mestizo
The remaining people are of European, African, and Asian descent
People of Peru

16. Quechua People in the Altiplano
City dwellers in the Altiplano have:
electricity, paved streets, telephones
But, mixing the new with the old, modern houses are made of adobe with red tile roofs, but have a foundation that are remains of Incan stonework
Village dwellers are:
isolated, no telephones, and few buses drive through their village
Raise animals for wool
Llamas, alpacas, sheep
Cuzco, Peru
Quechua People in the Altiplano

17. Geography of the Altiplano
Mountain environment:
to cross the deep gorges between mountain peaks, Incas invented suspension bridges
The Incas built suspension bridges over the gorges using huge cables made of woven reed. If a bridge broke, local workers rushed to fix it, so that travel could continue unimpeded. The Incas built hundreds of bridges. Every other year, bridges were replaced.
Geography of the Altiplano

18. Chapter 16 – South America
Section 3: Chile –
Land of Contrasts

19. First explorer to circumnavigate, or go all the way around, the globe
Went around the southern tip of South America in 1520, through a narrow, dangerous passage through the islands at the “bottom” of the continent
The passage he sailed through is in present-day Chile
This strait now bears his name –
Strait of Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan

20. Chile produces more copper than any other country in the world
To avoid relying too much on one resource, the government has encouraged agriculture and new industry
The United States is Chile’s largest trading partner
About 18% of Chile’s exports are sold to the U.S.
Exporting

21. The Andes Mountains run down the whole length of Chile, like a giant spine
On average, this narrow country is only about 100 miles wide, but extremely long
It runs 2,650 miles down the Pacific coast
The longest, narrowest country in the world
Driest place in the world
Atacama Desert in the north is the driest region in the world (aside from Antarctica)
Desert is rich in copper, so the region is dotted with mines
Not many plants or animals can survive here
Geography of Chile

22. Chile’s long, central valley has rolling hills, high grasses, and dense forests
Most people live here; the capital of Santiago is here
Farming and Mining are important in this area
The southern part of this central region is the Lakes Region, with forests, waterfalls, and glacier- topped mountains
Many mountains in this region are volcanoes; volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur often in Chile
Varied Landscapes

23. Divided between Chile and Argentina are the islands of Tierra del Fuego
This is Spanish for “Land of Fire”
When Magellan sailed past these islands, he saw smoke from the fires of indigenous people who lived there
Because of the smoke, he named the large island Tierra del Fuego
This region is only 600 miles from Antarctica
Icebergs dot the area and penguins come ashore
Land of Fire

24. People of Chile 90% of Chile’s population are Mestizo
The other 10% are Native Americans
In the far south of Chile, sheep herders brave the strong winds
In the central valley, farmers grow wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, corn, tomatoes, and fruits
In the cities, people in business suits go in and out of tall skyscrapers
More than 80% of Chile’s people live in cities
Miners work in the Atacama Desert, but few people live in the area
People of Chile

25. Agricultural Revolution
When copper prices fell in the 1980s, Chile realized it must diversify, or add variety, to its economy
By the late 1980s, agriculture had become a billion- dollar industry, providing jobs for 900,000 Chileans
Chile shipped wheat, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables all over the world
Being in the southern hemisphere, Chile provides fruits and vegetables for northern hemisphere countries (U.S., Japan, and most of Europe) from October through May
Chile’s produce is also free from most insect pests and diseases; the farming regions are protected by the Andes mountains, so some pests that plague other countries never reach Chile
Agricultural Revolution

26. General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte
In 1973, armed forces, led by General Ugarte, took control of Chile’s government
Congress could not meet during his rule
Opposition political parties were banned
People who spoke out against his military regime were killed, imprisoned, or “disappeared”
Ruled from 1973 until 1990, when he transferred power to the new democratically elected president
Commander-in-chief of Chilean Army from 1973 to 1998
General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte

27. Democratic Government
Today, Chile has a democratic government
Presidents serve a single 4-year term, but they can be re-elected after sitting out one term (which she has done / , 2014-)
Current President Michelle Bachelet
Democratic Government

28. Chapter 16 – South America
Section 4 – Venezuela:
Oil Powers the Economy

29. Caracas Capital city of Venezuela
Population: 3,055,000 in the metropolitan area
Winds blow through this valley, sweeping the exhaust of the city’s cars, buses, and taxis out – leaving the air clean
Caracas

30. Land Made Wealthy by Oil
Outside of the Persian Gulf region, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world
In the 1970s, many Venezuelans migrated from the countryside to work for oil companies.
They helped maintain giant oil rigs in Lake Maracaibo; they also worked in oil refineries
Land Made Wealthy by Oil

31. Economics Venezuela’s economy is dominated by oil
Oil accounts for 80% of Venezuelan exports
Much of the oil lies under Lake Maracaibo
There are also large deposits in the NE part of the country near the Orinoco River
There are also large amounts of coal, iron ore, and minerals
Economics

32. Ups and Downs of Oil Prices
1970s – oil prices went up: Oil Boom
Boom – period of business growth and prosperity
1980s and 1990s – Oil exporting countries produced more oil that the world needed
Prices fell
Many Venezuelans lost their jobs
– oil workers went on strike
This crisis kept 200 million barrels of oil and gasoline from the world market
Soon after, prices began to rise
By 2004, oil prices were at their highest in 20 years
Ups and Downs of Oil Prices

33. Government Businesses
Late 1980s and 1990s, the government sold some of its businesses to private corporations
Privatization – occurs when governments sell its industries to individuals or private companies
The government hoped the private companies would make big profits and hire more workers
Private companies did hire more workers, but employees received less pay that when they worked for the government
Government Businesses

34. Hugo Chavez – elected president in 1998; lead Venezuela until his death in March 2013
Started programs designed to help the poor; many of his reforms caused deep political divisions between rich and poor
April 2002 – forced out of office for 2 days during a failed coup attempt
Coup – the overthrow of a ruler or government by an organized group, which then takes power
August 2004 – a referendum, or official vote, was called to try to remove him from office
It failed when 59% of voters supported Chavez
Government

35. Nicolás Maduro Current President –
Took office April 2013 in special election, after death of Hugo Chavez; served as vice-president
Nicolás Maduro