1. Physical Geography Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America
Honors World Geography

2. Mexico Landforms Mexico is a large country
3 times the size of Texas
Most of the country is made up of a rugged central plateau, called the Mexican Plateau
Can be as high as 9,000 feet
3 mountain ranges border the Mexican Plateau:
Sierra Madre Oriental in the east (1)
Sierra Madre Occidental in the west (2)
Sierra Madre del Sur in the south (3)

3. Mexico Landforms continued
Valley of Mexico
At the southern end of then Mexican Plateau
Mexico City located here
The floor of this broad valley is about 7500 feet above sea level
can cause a shortness of breath and a lack of energy due to the thin air
Mexico narrows to the south to form an isthmus
Isthmus: Narrow strip of land connecting two large land areas w/ water located on both sides
Isthmus of Tehuantepec

4. Mexico Landforms continued
The Pacific Ocean & the Gulf of Mexico lie just about 150 miles apart at Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Yucatan Peninsula
Mexico’s flattest region
Limestone lies beneath the surface
Erosion has created many caves and sinkholes in the area
Sinkhole: Steep-sided depression that forms when the roof of a cave collapses

5. Mexico Climate 3 Factors that help explain Mexico’s climate:
High pressure weather system creates a dry arid climate w/ little rainfall in NW Mexico (1)
Trade winds from the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea bring much rainfall to the SE (2)
Elevation produces varied climates in mountainous regions (3)

6. Central America/Caribbean Landforms
Central America is an isthmus that links North & South America
Pacific Ocean lies to west, West Indies lie to the east
West Indies
Include the Greater Antilles/Lesser Antilles
Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico
Hispaniola: Dominican Republic/Haiti
Lesser Antilles: 20 small island countries
Narrow coastal plains found in Caribbean/Central America

10. Central America/Caribbean Landforms continued
Rugged hills/mountains lie in the interior
Travel/communication can be difficult
Tectonic forces shape both regions
Central America, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico lie on Caribbean plate
Cocos Plate dives beneath Caribbean plate
Created mountains
Some areas of Caribbean have active volcanoes
Martinique formed from volcanoes

11. Central America/Caribbean Climate/Vegetation
Sunny & warm tropical climates
Tropical & wet dry climates typical
temperatures seldom vary more than 10° between summer & winter
During winter, high pressure brings dry weather
A summer rainy season happens when low pressure cells begin to move north across the region
In Central America, the climate zones follow the terrain

12. Central America/Caribbean Climate/Vegetation continued
the Caribbean coast gets the full effect of the moist trade winds
Dense forests are common
Eastern side of mountain gets heavy rain as moist air rises & cools
Mountain valleys in west usually lie in the rain shadow
Throughout the Caribbean, elevation greatly affects climate
Mangrove-type of tree with roots that grow in saltwater; found in tropical coastal areas of the world

16. South America Landforms
Andes Mountains
South America’s great mountain range
extends along the continent’s Pacific coast
Tectonic activity causes volcanic eruptions & earthquakes
Altiplano-lies between the Andes Mts.
Means “High Plateau”
12,000 feet above sea level

17. South America Landforms continued
Plains cover much of South America
The largest plain is the Amazon River Basin
Llanos-N.E. Colombia/western Venezuela---means plains in Spanish
Gran Chaco-Between Andes/Brazilian Highlands---chaco means hunting land
Pampas
wide grasslands
At eastern edge is Argentina’s most densely populated area

18. South America/Bodies of Water
Lake Titicaca
freshwater lake located on the border of Peru & Bolivia
3,200 square miles
3 Major River Systems in S. America
Amazon (1)
World’s largest river in volume
Orinoco (2)
Paraná (3)

21. South American Climate
5 Elevation Zones of the Andes:
Tierra helada-above 16,000 ft.---permanently covered in snow
Paramo-10,000 to 16,000 ft.
Tierra fria-6,000 to 10,000 ft
Tierra templada-3,000 to 6,000 ft.
Tierra Caliente- sea level to 3,000 ft.