1. Major Geographical Features
Latin America
Major Geographical Features

2. Where is Latin America? Western Hemisphere south of the U.S.
Includes all nations from Mexico to the tip of South America.
Divided into three regions: Mexico and Central America (isthmus), Caribbean Islands, South America.

3. South America 3rd largest continent
Settled by Spanish, Portuguese, French, English

4. Amazon River 2nd longest river in the world
Flows 4,000 miles from Peru across Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean
Carries more water than any other river in the world
20% of all the fresh river water on Earth
It gathers power from over 1,000 tributaries

5. Amazon River
Called the “Ocean River” because it drains an area of more than 2,000,000 sq. miles

6. Caribbean Sea
Located east of Central America and northwest of South America

7. Caribbean Sea
Two types of islands are found here: 1. the smaller islands are made of coral (skeltons of tiny sea animals melded together over the years; 2. the larger islands are tops of huge underwater mountains (Examples are Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico)

8. Gulf of Mexico
Body of water west of Florida and east of Mexico

9. Pacific Ocean
The western border of South & North America.

10. Panama Canal The shortcut of the Western Hemisphere
The only way to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific without going around South America. (saves 7,800 miles in travel)
It took 45,000 workers 8 years to remove 211 million cubic yards of earth and rock and complete this modern wonder
It takes 8 hours for a ship to pass through the canal and costs $34,000.

11. Andes Mountains
Run 4,500 miles along the western coast of South America
Rise to more than 20,000 feet (the same height as 20, 100-story buildings stacked one on top of another.

12. Sierra Madre Mountains
Part of the mountain system from Canada through the U.S. to tip of South America
Run along western coast of Mexico in Central America

13. Atacama Desert
Located in northwest Chile, it is one of the driest regions in the world.