1. Latin America Physical Geography Ch. 9.1

2. Latin America Latin America includes all of the following Mexico Central America South America The Caribbean Islands

4. Mountains The Andes Mountains can be found in South America This mountain range is a continuation of: The Rockies (USA) The Sierra Madre (Mexico) There are many active volcanoes throughout the region These mountain ranges were home to important civilizations Inca Mayans

5. Andes Mountains

6. Mountains Other mountain ranges in Latin America include The Guiana Highlands (northeast South America) The Brazilian Highlands (east coast of Brazil) Sierra Madre (Mexico) Remember “highlands” are an area made up of mountains or hilly sections of a country.

7. The Plains South America has wide plains that offer rich soil for growing crops and grasses for grazing livestock. Llanos Found in Columbia and Venezuela Vast plains that are grassy and treeless Similar to the Great Plains in the USA Cerrado Plains of the Amazon River Basin Savannas with flat terrain and moderate rainfall Suitable for farming Mostly undeveloped, but Brazilian government is encouraging movement here

8. The Plains Pampas Found in Argentina and Uruguay Plains with areas of rich soil Main products are cattle and wheat grain The gaucho culture has grown up in this region The “gaucho” is similar to the American cowboy

9. Rivers in Central America and Mexico The Rio Grande Forms the border between the United States and Mexico This is the largest river in Mexico and all of Central America Central America is less dependent on river systems than North America because of their proximity to the oceans.

10. Rivers in South America Orinoco River Northern part of South America, mainly in Venezuela 1500 miles long Drains the interior lands of Venezuela and Columbia Amazon River 4000 miles from west to east Flows from the Andes eastward across the central lowlands to the Atlantic 1000 tributaries (small river or stream) feed into the Amazon The Amazon carries more water into the ocean than any other river in the world

11. Rivers in South America Paraná River Originates in the highlands of Brazil 3000 miles south and west through Paraguay and Argentina Turns into an estuary (large body of water open to sea) between Argentina and Uruguay This estuary is called the Rio del la Plata

13. Major Islands of the Caribbean The Caribbean Islands consist of three major groups The Bahamas The Greater Antilles The Lesser Antilles All together these islands are sometimes called the West Indies These islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492

14. Major Islands of the Caribbean The Bahamas The Bahamas are made up of hundreds of islands of the southern tip of Florida and north Cuba Nassau is the capital and largest city in the Bahamas

15. Major Islands of the Caribbean Greater Antilles Made up of the larger islands in the Caribbean Includes Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola The Island of Hispaniola is divided into the Dominican Republic and Haiti Lesser Antilles Small islands southwest of Puerto Rico Divided into the Windward and Leeward islands Wind blows toward the Windward and away from Leeward