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Latin American
Physiographic Features
Rio Grande River
• Mexicans call it Rio Grande del Norte
• 1,885 miles long
• Flows through southwestern United States and Mexico
• Separates Texas and Mexico
• Empties into Gulf of Mexico at Matamoras, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas
• Provides water for irrigation and drinking
Andes Mountains
• Stretches along the western edge of the entire continent of South America
• Forms the world’s longest contiguous mountain range
• Peruvian Andes hosts Machu Picchu, the ruins of a sacred Inca site
Sierra Madre Occidental
• Western Part of the main mountain range of Mexico
• Also includes the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre del Sur
• Extends south from Arizona and paralles the Pacific Coast for about 1,000 miles
• Iron ore, lead, silver, and gold can be found in the mountains
Plateau of Mexico
• Is 700 miles long and 4,000 – 8,000 feet high
• Is enclosed by the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental
• Contains several drainage basins that support some of Mexico’s major cities
• Northern section of the plateau is high and arid and is used for raising livestock
• Deserts of the south yield to the broad, shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico
• Teotihuacan and Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico.
Guiana Highlands
• Located near the northern coast of South America
• Guiana Highlands are bounded by the Orinoco and Amazon river basins
• Many rivers and heavy rainfall create deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls
• Rainforest is located on the Guiana Highlands
Lake Maracaibo
• Largest lake in South America
• Located in northwest Venezuela and serves as a major transportation route for goods
• Located in the lowlands of the Maracaibo basin
• Main industry in this area is the production of petroleum
Orinoco River
• 1,500 to 1,700 miles through rainforests and savannas
• The Ature and Maipures Cataracts (waterfalls) divide the upper and lower parts of the river
• Most of the river is navigable and is used for shipping and transport vessel
Yucatan Peninsula
• Separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea
• Located in southeastern Mexico
• Tropical Climate with hardwood forests and tropical wildlife
• Main industry is henequen, a hard fiber, to make mats and ropes
Amazon River
• Second longest river after the Nile
• Carries more water than any other
• Passes through the largest rainforests in the world, which covers 35% of South America
Sierra Madrid Oriental
• Eastern part of the main mountain range in Mexico
• Begins south of the Rio Grande near the US border and runs 700 miles parallel to the Gulf of Mexico
• The Sierra Madrid Oriental and the Sierra Madrid Occidental enclose the Plateau of Mexico, meeting in the southeast of the plateau
Lake Titicaca
• Located in the Andes on the Peru-Bolivia border
• One of the highest large lakes in the world…12,500 feet above sea level
• Third largest lake in Latin America
• Constant temperature of (51F/11C) enables local people to grow maize and wheat
Gran Chaco
• Is a lowland plains in central America
• Extends 250,000 miles
• Divided between Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina
• Is dry but becomes swampy during he rainy season
• Sparsely populated
• Oil is exploited from this area
Patagonia
• 300,000 mile region in Southern Argentina• Made up of semiarid plateau ending at the
Atlantic Ocean• Industries consist of sheep and oil
Pampas
• Wide grassy plains that extend into Paraguay
• Has been used for cattle grazing since the 1550’s
• The late nineteenth century the land was used for farming
• Famous for wheat, corn, flax, and oats
Atacama Desert
• Located in Northern Chili
• 600 mile long stretch with no vegetation and very little rainfall
• Has been mined for nitrates and copper
• Agriculture is restricted to narrow strips of arable land
Death valley Atacama Desert, Chile
Amazon Basin
• It’s huge…. 35% of South America
• Covers most of northern Brazil and parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela
• The rain forest is rich in plant and animal life
• Supplies half of the world’s supply of oxygen
Lake Nicaragua
• Located in Nicaragua and is the largest lake in Central America
• San Juan River drains the lake’s water into the Caribbean Sea
• Was once part of the Caribbean Sea
• Has several small islands and volcanoes in the lake
• Salt Water fish can be found in the lake
Ometepe Lake Nicaragua volcano island
Rio de la Plata
• Estuary formed by the Parana and Uruguay Rivers
• Located between Argentina and Uruguay
• 170 Miles long
• Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay is located on the Rio de la Plata
Tierra del Fuego
• An archipelago at the southern tip of South America
• Treacherous to navigate
• Is used mainly for sheep farming and oil drilling
• Divided between Chile and Argentina
Isthmus of Panama
• Narrow strip of land that makes us Panama and connects Central and South America
• Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean
• Rugged mountains to the west and lower mountains to the east
• Tropical Climate with abundant rainfall