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Physical Geography of Latin America
Latin America reaches from the border between the U.S. and Mexico down to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America
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Mountains Andes Mountains Has many volcanoes They form a barrier to
settlement, so most of population is on eastern side of the Andes Mountain ranges were home to Incas in Peru IQP #1: Mountainous Terrain has caused various climates within South America. Mountains also prevent invasion, separate cultures, and give you a location to terrace farm.
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Plains Llanos Cerrado Pampas Located in Columbia and Venezuela
Vast (large), treeless and grassy plain Area is used for livestock grazing and farming Cerrado Located in the Amazon River Basin in Brazil Savanna with flat terrain and moderate rainfall Area is suitable for farming Pampas Located in Argentina and Uruguay Areas of grasslands and rich soil Area is used for raising cattle and growing wheat
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Rivers Orinoco River Winds thru northern part of continent
Drains interior lands along Columbia – Venezuela border to the Atlantic Home to the Native American tribe: the Yanomamo Some remarkable animals live in and around the Orinoco. They include aggressive meat-eating fish called piranhas, 200-pound catfish, and crocodile as long as 20 feet. More than 1,000 bird species live in the Orinoco River basin.
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Rivers Amazon River Starts in the Andes and flows to the Atlantic.
Largest river in the world. Amazon carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world
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Rivers Parana River Origins in highlands of southern Brazil
Travels through Paraguay and Argentina. Empties in the Atlantic
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Major Islands of the Caribbean
3 groups– The Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles Islands are sometimes called the West Indies and were first land encountered by Christopher Columbus The Bahamas are made up of hundreds of islands off the southern tip of Florida and north of Cuba. The Greater Antilles: larger islands The Lesser Antilles: smaller
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Resources of Latin America
Mineral Resources Gold, silver, iron, copper, bauxite, tin, lead and nickel are abundant Also mines produce precious gems, titanium and tungsten South America is among world’s leaders in the mining of raw materials
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Resources of Latin America
Energy Resources Oil, coal, natural gas, uranium, and hydroelectric power are all plentiful in Latin America Venezuela and Mexico have major oil resources Brazil is rich in hydroelectric power Trinidad has vast reserves of natural gas
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Climate Reasons for varied Climate
Ranges from hot and humid (Amazon River) to dry and desert (northern Mexico and Southern Chile). Reasons for varied Climate A large part of Latin America is on or close to the equator Big change in elevation Warm currents of Atlantic an cold Pacific currents affect climate
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Vegetation Vegetation
Rain forests, savanna (flat grasslands), and desert areas all found in region Vegetation varies from tropical forests, grasslands and desert shrub Much of the original savanna vegetation inland has been cleared. Called deforestation It has been replaced by plantations and ranches.
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Tropical Climate Zones
Tropical Wet Climate is hot and rainy Amazon Rain Forest Largest forest in the world 2 million square miles Mostly located in Brazil Scientists have discovered 2500 varieties of trees Animals include the Anaconda, jaguar, and the piranha
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IQP #2: Most of Brazil, Central Africa, and South East Asia are all near the equator and all have this common physical characteristic. They all have a T________R__ climate.
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Tropical Climate Zones
Tropical Wet and Dry Savannas grasslands dotted with trees common in tropical and subtropical regions Hot climates with seasonal rain Found in Brazil, Columbia and Argentina Semiarid dry with some rain Large grass- covered plains Desert shrubs Found in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina Desert Northern Mexico, much of Peruvian coast Atacama Desert is in Northern Chile Argentina’s southern zone Patagonia has a desert
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Mid- Latitude Climate Zones
Humid Subtropical Rainy winters and hot, humid summers Includes Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and southern Bolivia Mediterranean Hot, dry summers, cool moist winters Parts of western Chile Marine West Coast Cool, rainy winters and mild, rainy summers Found in southern Chile and Argentina Highlands Temperatures depend of elevation Moderate to cold Found in the mountains of Mexico and South America
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Earthquakes Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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Human- Environment Interaction
Agriculture Reshapes the Environment Native people changed their environment to grow food They burned the forest to clear land They diverted streams to irrigate crops Slash and Burn Agriculture Definition burning trees, brush, and grasses to clear fields for farming Farmers use this practice today This is the main reason for the destruction and shrinking of the rain forests Terraced Farming technique for growing crops on hillsides or mountainous slopes Farmers and workers cut step-like horizontal fields into hillside and IQP #3: Terraced farming is a modification that improves your lifestyle. Now you can grow food!
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Urbanization: The Growth of Cities
Throughout Latin America, people are moving from rural areas into cities in search of jobs and a better life From country to city Most urbanized areas in Latin America Argentina, Chile and Uruguay Many people in rural areas struggle to make a living and feed their families. They are subsistence farmers Push and Pull factors Push and Pull factors move people from rural areas to the city Push factors are factors that “push” people to leave rural areas. They include : poor medical care, low-paying jobs Pull factors are factors that “pull” people toward cities they include: higher paying jobs, better schools, and better medical care
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Rapidly Growing Cities Megacities
Largest cities in South America. Mexico City, Mexico 20 million people Sau Paulo and Rio de Janiero, Brazil Buenos Aires, Argentina Lima, Peru Bogota, Colombia Santiago, Chile Problems: slums, high crime, pollution , shortage of water supplies, poor infrastructure Local governments cannot afford the maintenance of the infrastructure
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Education Many Latin American citizens are unable to get a meaningful job because of the lack of education. This prevents them from taking advantage of a free-market system.
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Tourism Tourism is a growing industry in Central America and the Caribbean Advantages of Tourism Tourists spend money and help create jobs New hotels, restaurants, shops popped up in the Caribbean Resorts offer activities that provide jobs for local people like being guides In this way, tourism closes the income gap. Jobs raise income and gives the local people a stake in their society Disadvantages of tourism As resorts are built, congestion occurs and pollution increases Gap between rich tourists and poor local residents sometimes creates resentment Often owners of tourism places are not from there and sent profits back home which does not help local economy IQP #4: Tourism and agriculture are the two largest economic activities within Central America and the Caribbean.
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