Agenda 9/25/20121. Warm-up: Week 5, Day 1.
a) Two questions. Two minutes for each question. 2. Intro to South America Power Point3. Map & Notes on South America:
a) Physical Geography• Parts 3 & 4 of the World Map Activity is due
Friday Sept. 28 in class. • Remember this is a test grade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STAAR Test
• Questions are very rarely recall of material from the class.
• Most questions will ask you to use a skill and content knowledge to answer a question. – This is a harder type of question!
General Facts:
• 4th largest continent in land area• In the Western Hemisphere, South of Central
America• Between the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans– 7,000 miles across
Mountains:
• Andes Mountains- the longest and some of the highest in the world– Run 4,500 miles in western South America. – Once part of the Incan Empire
Mountains
andPeaks
Andes Mts.
Sierra Madres Mts.
Guiana Highland
s
Brazilian Highland
s
Patagonian
Plateau
Andes Mountains (Peru)
The Eastern Flank of the Andes
Llamas in the Andes
Guianan Highlands, Venezuela
Brazilian Highlands
Patagonian Region (Chile)
Grasslands/Plains
• Most of South America = mountains and poor soil = unproductive land.
• Pampas in Argentina & Uruguay = fertile soil for growing crops & grazing cattle.
Valleys
Plainsand
Basins Amazo
n Basin
Pam
pas
Mato Gross
oGran Chac
o
Llano
s
Amazon Rain Forest
Mato Grosso
Cattle Ranching on the Pampas
Gauchos of the Pampas, Argentina
Deserts
Atac
ama
Dese
rt
Nazca Desert
Atacama Desert
Nazca Desert
Rainforests
• In northern part = warm, humid climates– Amazon Rainforest- world’s largest – in Brazil.
• Being cut down (deforestation) for ranches & farms.
Amazon Rain Forest
On the Ground Floor of the Rain Forest
Three-Tiered Canopy
Jungle Fauna
Deforestation in the Amazon
Bodies of Water
• Amazon River- 2nd longest in the world, largest in the world = more water.
• Others are Orinoco R. and Rio de la Plata– Most people live along or near rivers.
Bodiesof
Water
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea
Amazon R.
Orinoco R.
Uruguay R.
Magdalena R.
Sao Francisco
R.
Lake Titicac
a
Lake Maracai
bo
Rio de La Plata
Parana R.
The Panama Canal
Going Through the Panama Canal
Climate
• Warm because near the equator• Mountains & Ocean winds = comfortable
temperatures• More people at higher elevations where
cooler.
The Tropical Hemisphere
LatinAmerica
nClimaticZones
Elevation
Altitudinal Zonation:Vertical Climate