Unit 3 Latin America

Section 1:The Physical Geography

of Latin America

Mexico

• Mountains dominate Mexico– Sierra Madre Occidental– Sierra Madre Oriental– Sierra Madre del Sur

• Central Plateau: makes up more than half of the country’s area– Most of Mexico’s people

live in the plateau region

Central America• Central America is an

isthmus– Isthmus: a narrow strip of

land that has water on both sides and joins two larger bodies of land.

• Narrow plains run along the coasts

• Between the plains are mountains– More then a dozen (12) of

these mountains are active volcanoes

The Panama Canal

• Human made waterway• Stretches across the Isthmus of Panama• Purpose is to shorten travel time between the Atlantic

and Pacific Ocean

The Caribbean

• The Caribbean is made up of two types of islands– Smaller islands are made up of coral (tiny sea animals that over

hundreds of years meld together to create a rocklike substance)– Larger islands are the tops of huge underwater mountains

The Caribbean Breakdown

• The Greater Antilles:– Larger islands (Cuba

Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica)

• The Lesser Antilles:– An archipelago: a group of

islands– From the Virgin Islands

down to Trinidad

• The Bahamas– Another archipelago

South America

• Andes Mountains run along the western coast.– 2nd highest mountain

range in the world– World’s longest mountain

system

South America

• Highlands are located in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana

• The Brazilian Highlands end in an escarpment– Steep cliff at the edge of

a plateau with a lowland area below

South America

• The Amazon River Basin contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world– This rainforest covers more

than 1/3 of South America

South America

• Pampas are flat grassland regions that are very similar to the Great Plains of the U.S.– Located in Argentina

and Uruguay

South America

• Patagonia

• Located in the southernmost part of Argentina and Chile

• Made up of the Andes Mountains, plains, plateaus, and glaciers

South America from Space

Rivers and Lakes

• Amazon River– second longest river in the

world– Flows 4,000 miles from Peru

across Brazil– Contains about 20% of all

the fresh water on Earth– Collects more than 1,000

tributaries• Tributaries: the rivers and

streams that flow into a larger river.

Rivers and Lakes

• The Rio de la Plata is made up of the Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers.– Form the 2nd largest river

system in Latin America

• The 3 rivers flow into an estuary– An area where river

currents and ocean tides meet

Rivers and Lakes

• Venezuela has the Orinoco River and Lake Maracaibo

• Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes mountains– Highest lake in the

world

Section 2: Latin America Climate and

Natural Vegetation

A Varied Climate and Vegetation

• Latin America’s broad range of climate, vegetation due to 3 factors:

• it spans great distances on either side of the equator

• it has big changes in elevation due to the mountains

• its climate’s affected by both warm Atlantic, cold Pacific currents

Tropical Climate Zones

Tropical Wet • Rain forests—dense forests with different species of trees• hot and rainy all year • unique ecosystem—community of plants, animals living in balance • Largest is Brazil’s Amazon rain forest with 2 million square miles• 2,500 types of Amazon trees

– animals include anaconda, jaguar, piranha Tropical Wet and Dry • hot with seasonal rain

– Savannas found in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina

Dry Climate Zones

Semiarid • Dry climate with some rain• home to vast, grass-covered plains or desert shrubs

– found in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina

Desert • Found in north Mexico, coast of Peru, north Chile’s

Atacama Desert• parts of Argentina’s southern Patagonia are desert • Vegetation is mostly shrubs growing in gravel or sand

Mid-Latitude Climate Zones

Humid Subtropical • Rainy winters and hot, humid summers;

varied vegetation– parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, south Brazil and

Bolivia, north Argentina Mediterranean • Hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters• vegetation is chaparral (drought-resistant

trees) • this is the climate of part of Chile along the

west coast– climate similar to that of California

Mid-Latitude Climate Zones

Marine West Coast • Cool, rainy winters and mild, rainy

summers; forest vegetation• occurs in southern Chile and Argentina

– similar to the climate of Oregon or Washington

Highlands • Varies from moderate to cold due to

elevation, wind, sun, landscape– found in mountains of Mexico and South

America

“A Blending of Cultures”

Human Geography of Latin America

Mexico Political

Mexico Physical

Central america Political

Central america physical

Caribbean Islands political

Caribbean islands physical

South America political

South america physical

Section 3: Mexico

Places & Terms Spanish Conquest: The conquering of the Native

Americans by the Spanish. Tenochtitlan: Ancient Aztec capital Mestizo: People of mixed Spanish & Native American

heritage Maquiladoras: Factories in Mexico that turn imported

materials into finished products for export. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement

Section 3: Mexico• Native Americans & the Spanish Conquest

– The rich fabric of native life in Mexico was torn apart by the Spanish conquest. In 1519 Hernando Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico & marched until he reached the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan (present day Mexico City). By 1521 he & his soldiers had conquered the Aztecs.

– Until 1821 Mexico remained apart of the Spanish Empire.– Spanish influence still remains in Mexico with it’s

language & Catholic religion.– Mexico has large mestizo population – people of mixed

Spanish & Native American heritage.

Cortes’ route to conquering the aztecs

Section 3: Mexico• Economics: Cities & Factories

– Mexico continues to struggle with two main economic challenges.• 1. Attempting to close a long-standing gap between

the rich & the poor. (Haves & Have Nots)• 2. Attempting to develop a modern industrial economy.

– Many people are moving to the cities seeking jobs, largely abandoning their farming roots.

– Most factories or Maquiladoras’ are located along the border of the US. (Why? Think NAFTA)

Section 3: Central America & The Caribbean

• Places & Terms– Cultural hearth: Heartland or place of origin of a major

culture.– Panama Canal: Ship canal cut through Panama

connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.– Reggae: Music developed in Jamaica in the 1960’s.

Blends African, Caribbean, & American music often dealing with social and religious problems.

Section 3: Central America & The Caribbean

• Central America is know as a cultural hearth as well as a crossroads.

• The Mayan Indians built a great civilization that spread throughout the region. What exactly happened to the Mayan people still remains very much a mystery.

Section 3: Central America & The caribbean• Although Central America was ruled by Spain, the

Caribbean was settled & claimed by many European powers.– In addition, with disease brought over by the Europeans that

killed many of the native peoples, Africans were brought over to work as slaves further blending the cultural exchange.

– Sugar remains an important crop in the Caribbean to this day as well as citrus fruits.

– The Panama Canal connects the two great oceans making Panama a crossroads of world trade.

Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south America

• Places & Terms– Inca: People of South America who built a

civilization in the Andes Mountains. (conquered by Francisco Pizarro in 1533)

– Quechua: Language of the Inca Empire. Now spoken in the Andes highlands.

– Mercosur: Economic common market that began operating in the southern cone of South America in 1995. (think NAFTA for South America)

Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south America

• One of the greatest civilizations of the Americas arose in the rugged Andes Mountains of Peru. They were later conquered by Francisco Pizarro in 1533.

http://www.history.com/shows/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas#

Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south america

• The Mercosur Trade Group– Economic common market that began in

South America in 1995.– Goals include:

• Make member economies more stable• Increase trade within the region• Channel some profits to groups who need it most

Section 4 South America

• Population density and distribution• Most of the population lives on the countries

coast lines

Sao Paulo, Rio de Janerio, and Bueno Aires ranked in the top 15 largest cities in the world

Section 4: Brazil

• Places & Terms– Treaty of Tordesillas: Treaty between Spain &

Portugal in 1494 that gave Portugal control over the land that is present day Brazil.

– Carnival: The most colorful feast day in Brazil.(think Mardi Gras)

– Samba: Brazilian dance with African Influences.

Section 4: Brazil

• The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) gave Portugal control over much of the land that became present-day Brazil. South America became a continent divided into the Spanish speaking west & the Portuguese-speaking east.

Section 4: Brazil

• Brazilian Life Today– The most colorful feast day in Brazil is

Carnival. Floats and parade through the streets of Rio de Janeiro and people dance to the music of the samba.

– There is a widening gap between the rich & the poor much like other Latin American countries resulting in crime waves and drug abuse.