Ch. 9-1: Physical Geography Ch. 9-1: Physical Geography of Latin Americaof Latin America

Essential Question: What are the important landforms and resources in Latin America?

Regions of Latin AmericaRegions of Latin AmericaMexico

Central America

Caribbean

South America

Mountains and HighlandsMountains and Highlands

• The Andes Mountains-– part of the mountain range that runs through a

portion of North, Central and South America.• United States- The Rocky Mountains• Central America- The Sierra Madres• South America- the Andes

Andes Mountains - Peru

Patagonia – Southern Andes

• Many volcanoes

• The longest mountain range in the world, nearly 5,000 miles long.

• Creates a barrier between the coastal cities on the west coast and the interior of the continent.

HighlandsHighlands

• The Guiana Highlands

• The Brazilian Highlands

Guiana Highlands

The Plains of Latin AmericaThe Plains of Latin America- Well suited for agriculture

Llanos: Colombia and Venezuela

Pampas: Argentina and Uruguay

Amazon River Basin: Brazil

The Pampas: Argentina

The Amazon River and Other Major The Amazon River and Other Major River SystemsRiver Systems

Amazon River: Brazil

Orinoco River: Venezuela and Colombia

Paraná River: Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina

The Mighty AmazonThe Mighty Amazon

• Amazon : Flows 4,000 miles from west to east and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Source is the Andes Mountains close to the Pacific Ocean.

The Orinoco RiverThe Orinoco River

• Flows mainly through Venezuela and Colombia. It creates part of the border between the two countries.

The ParanThe Paraná Riverá River

• begins in the Brazilian Highlands and flows southward through Paraguay and Argentina. It meets with several other rivers to create the Rio de la Plata

Islands of the CaribbeanIslands of the Caribbean

• Three Main Island Groups make up the West Indies:

The Bahamas

The Greater Antilles

The Lesser Antilles

The BahamasThe Bahamas

• Made up of hundreds of islands off of the southern tip of Florida.

The Greater AntillesThe Greater Antilles

• Made up of the largest islands in the Caribbean including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico.

The Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles

• Includes the smaller islands in the region southeast of Puerto Rico.

5 Minute Writing5 Minute Writing

• Where in Latin America would you prefer to live?

• Consider:– Physical features– Resources– Things you like to do that will be impacted by

your physical environment

Ch. 9-2: Climate and VegetationCh. 9-2: Climate and Vegetation

• Essential Question: How do the climate and vegetation patterns impact the daily life of the people?

Climate and VegetationClimate and Vegetation

Tropical WetRain forest (Brazil)

Tropical Wet and DryLlanos and Pampas (Venezuela and Argentina)

Semiarid Patagonia- Argentina

DesertAtacama Desert-

Chile

Mid-Latitude ClimatesMid-Latitude ClimatesHumid SubtropicalParaguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina

Mediterranean West coast of Chile

Marine West Coast Southern Chile, eastern Argentina

Highlands

Vertical Climate ZonesVertical Climate Zones

About 15,000 ft Tierra Helada (Mountain Tundra)

Tree Line

10,000-12,000 ft Tierra Fria (Cloud Forest)

6,000 -6,500 ft Tierra Templada (Wet forest)

2,500- 3,000 ft Tierra Caliente (Dry Forest and swamp)

5 Minute Writing5 Minute Writing

• Look back at what you wrote before.

• Has your answer changed based on the climate and vegetation? If so, how and why? If not, what do the climate and vegetation add to your selected area?

Ch. 9-3: Human-Environment InteractionCh. 9-3: Human-Environment Interaction

• Essential Question: How have agricultural techniques affected the physical environment?

AgricultureAgriculture

Slash-and-burn technique used to clear the land for farmland in the Amazon River basin.

Slash and burn- PanamaSlash and burn- Panama

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Slash and burn agriculture in Peru

• Terraced Farming is an ancient technique introduced by the Inca for growing crops on the side of a mountain. This reduces soil erosion.

Terraced farming - Peru

UrbanizationUrbanization

• Push and Pull factors: People are moving from rural to urban areas in search of better opportunities.

Push FactorsPush Factors• Push factors:

reasons people move away from rural areas

• Ex: Poverty, poor medical care, poor educational opportunities, low-paying jobs

Pull FactorsPull Factors

• Pull factors: reasons people are drawn to the cities.

• Ex: Possibilities for work, education, medical care.

From Country to City • Highly urbanized countries: Argentina, Chile,

Uruguay, Brazil • Subsistence farming barely supports people

and their families- they move to cities to improve their lives

Urbanization: The Move to the Cities

Rapidly Growing Cities • Six of Latin America’s most populous cities

are in South America - São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Lima, Peru- Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bogotá, Colombia;

Santiago, Chile • Most populous city in Latin America is

Mexico City- 18 to 20 million in city, 30 million in region

Urbanization: The Move to the Cities

Rapidly Growing Cities • Similar problems affect cities throughout

region - growing slums- increasing unemployment and crime- environmental problems include air pollution,

drinking water shortages • Governments can’t afford facilities to

support population increases- failing infrastructure—sewers, transportation,

electricity, housing

Urbanization: The Move to the Cities

Urban SprawlUrban Sprawl• Unemployment

• Crime

• Illegal Drug trafficking

• Slums

• Pollution

• Sanitation

• Shortages of clean drinking water and housing

The Constitution Square, Or Zócalo. With The Palacio Nacional, Mexico City, Located On The East Side.Photo Taken From The Top Of The Latin American Tower. Looking East. January 18, 2005

TourismTourism

• Advantages:

• ??

Advantages (Cont.)Advantages (Cont.)

• Creates jobs (mainly retail / transportation)

• Allows for some small scale business

• Creates tax revenue, which can be used for schools, hospitals, ect

• Helps create infrastructure

• Allows outsiders to experience other cultures first hand

TourismTourism• Disadvantages:

??

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

– Congestion– Pollution– Strain on local resources– Resentment and hostility– Large public debt due to building tourist

facilities– Vice (drugs, prostitution, ect)

More DisadvantagesMore Disadvantages

• Dilutes actual culture of natives / indigenous peoples

• Seasonal / low paying jobs

• “addiction” to minimum wage

• People turn their back on stability for modernity

5 Minute Writing5 Minute Writing

• Humans interact with the environment in different ways. We depend, modify, and adapt to our specific environment.

• Identify how Latin Americans have depended, modified, and adapted to their physical world.

ResourcesResourcesGoldSilver

OilNatural gas

Hydroelectric powerCopperTimber

Agricultural Products

Peru / MiningPeru / Mining

Mining ConditionsMining Conditions

• Crowded

• Dangerous

• Little reg.

ConditionsConditions

EffectsEffects

EffectsEffects

Hydro Electric PowerHydro Electric Power-Brazil-Brazil

Logging / DeforestationLogging / Deforestation(South America)(South America)

Increased 340% Since 2004Increased 340% Since 2004