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General Overview of Latin AmericaRuns from Mexico to
Tierra Del Fuego which is over 7000 miles
Includes all of Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands
Bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Video
Mountains and HighlandsAndes Mountains
◦Runs the entire length of North, Central, and South America North America – Rocky Mountains Mexico – Sierra Madre South America – Andes
◦They keep people from moving across into the interior of South America
◦Was the home of the Incas in Peru
Mountains and HighlandsHighlands –
Mountainous or hilly sections of a country
Guiana Highlands – In the northeast region of South America
Plains of Latin AmericaLlanos of Columbia and Venezuela
◦Grassy treeless areas used for livestock and farming
Amazon River Basin◦In the interior of Brazil◦Known as the cerrado◦Vast savannas with moderate rainfall
perfect for farming◦Had been ignored but now the Brazilian
government is encouraging settlement
Plains of Latin AmericaPampas
◦ Found in northern Argentina and Uruguay
◦ Main products – wheat and cattle
◦ Gauchos Accomplished
horsemen Very similar to the
cowboys in the United States
Rivers of Latin AmericaCentral America
and the Caribbean◦ These areas do not
have large river systems
◦ Unlike South America, they do not depend on rivers for transportation
◦ River to know – Rio Grande (border of Mexico and United States)
Rivers of Latin AmericaOrinoco River
◦Runs through northern half of South America
◦Flows 1500 miles to the Atlantic◦Forms part of the border between
Venezuela and ColumbiaParana River
◦Starts in the highlands of southern Brazil◦Flows 3000 miles to the Atlantic◦Known as the Rio de la Plata in Uruguay
Rivers of Latin AmericaAmazon River
◦ Flows 5000 into the Amazon River
◦ Starts in the Andes near the Pacific Ocean
◦ Fed by 1000 tributaries
◦ Carries more water to the ocean than any other river
Islands of the CaribbeanMade up of three groups of islands:Bahamas – hundreds of islands south
of FloridaGreater Antilles – Cuba, Jamaica,
Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti)
Lesser Antilles – Southwest of Puerto Rico◦Windward Islands – Winds blow across
them◦Leeward Islands – Sheltered from winds
El NinoWeather pattern
caused by warm water off the coast of South America
Causes warm winters in US and other abnormal weather
Can cause problems around the world
Resources of Latin AmericaEnergy Resources
◦Oil, natural gas, hydroelectric powerMineral resources
◦Gold, silver, iron, copper, tin, lead, nickel◦Also have gems and titanium◦Among the world’s leaders in raw
material productionProblems in Latin America
◦Much of what is produced is owned by other countries
◦What is produced is exported away
Slash-and-Burn Farming Clear cutting trees, brush, and
grass. Then burning the refuse.Began by the Pre-Columbian
native AmericansProblems with Slash-and-Burn
◦Soil is used up quickly◦People move and do it again. This
destroys even more land
Terraced FarmingAncient way of
growing crops on the sides of hills and mountains
Farmers cut flat areas into the sides of mountains and plant crops on them
Cuts down on soil erosion
UrbanizationPeople in Latin America are rapidly
moving from rural to urban areas.Most urbanized countries –
Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and UruguayPush-Pull Factors
◦Push factors – Poor medical care, poor education, low paying jobs, and rich own all the land
◦Pull factors – Better jobs, schools, and medical care
UrbanizationLatin America has many large
cities◦Rio de Janeiro◦Buenos Aries◦Mexico City – 30 million people in
entire metropolitan areaProblem with rapid growth
◦Slums & pollution◦Strain on the infrastructure