LATIN AMERICAPHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

*PANAMA CANAL

• CONNECTS ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS• 48 MILES LONG• STARTED 1881, COMPLETED 1914• FRENCH FAILED• U.S. SUCCEEDED• 1999 GIVEN BY TREATY TO PANAMA

*LOCK = WATER STAIRS

*AMAZON RIVER• LARGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD

• 2ND LONGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD• NAVIGABLE 1,000 MILES INLAND

AMAZON RAINFOREST

AMAZON DRAINAGE BASINAMAZON RIVER BASIN

*DRAINAGE BASIN AREA DRAINED BY A RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES

*ANDES MOUNTAINS

YOUNG, TALL, AND SHARP LIKE THE AMERICAN ROCKIES

*EARTHQUAKEWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA = SUBDUCTION ZONE(PACIFIC RING OF FIRE)

ATACAMA DESERT

*EL NINOSOUTHEAST PACIFIC WARMER THAN USUAL

*LA NINAEASTERN PACIFIC

COOLER THAN USUAL

*SHIFTING CULTIVATION• LAND CLEARED• CROPS GROWN• SOIL DEPLETED• MOVE• LAND CLEARED• CROPS GROWN• SOIL DEPLETED• MOVE

SLASH AND BURN

*DEFORESTATION• DESTRUCTION OF FOREST

*TERRACE FARMING• FLAT, STAIR-STEP FIELDS ON A SLOPE• PREVENTS EROSION

*PAMPAS• WIDE FERTILE GRASSLANDS IN

SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA