Chapter 9: Latin America: Physical

Geography

GUIDELINE QUESTIONS: 169-172

• 1) What are some of the landforms in Latin America?

• 2) Name the three geographic regions in Latin America and describe their landforms

• 3) What does the Amazon River provide for the people of Latin America?

GUIDELINE QUESTIONS: 176-178

1) What are some of the natural resources that make up Latin America? (SA, Mex and CA, and the Caribbean)

2) How does weather affect natural resources? Why is relying on one resource problematic for a country?

3) What are ways countries can diversify their economy?

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• I. Latin American Landforms

• A. Variety and Contrast• B. wet rain forests, broad

rivers, sunbaked deserts, grassy plains, mountains

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• II. Mexico • A. Mountains dominate

the region of Mexico• B. Central Plateau: makes

up half of Mexico’s area and most people live there (a large raised area of mostly level land)

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• III. Central America• A. Isthmus: narrow strip

of land with water on both sides and joined by two larger bodies of land

• B. plains, mountains, and volcanoes run through the area (volcano ash= good soil for farming)

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• IV. The Caribbean • A. small islands made of

coral• B. larger islands are the

tops of huge underwater mountains (people make living by farming)

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• V. South America• A. Andes Mountains: run 4,500

miles along the western coast of South America (rich soil- farming)

• B. East of the Andes= rolling highlands (Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, and other SA countries)

• C. South of Andes= Pampas, large plains area stretching through Argentina and Uruguay

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• VI. Rivers of Latin America

• A. serve as transportation corridors

• B. fish provide food• C. rushing water from

large rivers provide power for electricity

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• VII. Amazon: The Ocean River• A. second largest river in the

world flowing from Peru across Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean (4,000 miles)

• B. carries more water than any river in the world

• C. gathers power from 1,000 tributaries (rivers and streams that flow into a larger river)

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL FEATURES

• VIII. Other Rivers and Lakes• A. Paraná ,Paraguay, and

Uruguay rivers form the Rio de la Plata (system that separates Argentina and Uruguay)

• B. Lake Titicaca – highest lake in the world and lies in the Andes Mts. between Peru and Bolivia

EXIT TICKET: 9/15/15

• Choose 2 of the 3 topics and answer in 1-2 sentence responses.

• 1) List 3-5 roles that rivers of Latin America provide for its people.

• 2) What are 3 physical features found in South America?

• 3) What are 3-5 physical features found in Mexico and Central America?

GUIDELINE QUESTIONS:173-175

• 1) What is the climate like in the Caribbean?

• 2) What are four types of climate seen in the regions of Latin America?

• 3) Name 3 to 4 factors that affect climate in the regions of Latin America.

• 4) How does vegetation affect how and where people of Latin America live?

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• I. Climate of the Caribbean• A. sunny and warm• B. June- November =

hurricanes that tear roofs off houses and shatter windows

• C. higher up the mountains you go, the cooler it gets

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• II. Climate Regions of Latin America

• A. Tropical wet climate= hot, humid, rainy weather where rain forests thrive

• B. Tropical wet and dry climate= equally hot but rainy season does not last all year long (most of the Caribbean and parts of Mexico and Brazil)

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• C. Humid subtropical- hot, wet summers and cool winters (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay)

- farmers raise wheat and apples• D. Arid- farmers raise

sheep in the colder, drier area known as Patagonia

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• III. Factors that Affect Climate

• A. Elevation- height of land above sea level= key factor in the climate of mountainous Latin America

• B. higher the elevation, colder the temperature

• C. Regions close to Equator are warmer than those far away

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• D. Wind patterns (winds move colder, drier air from the North and South Poles toward the Equator)

• E. Caribbean- sea breezes blowing toward shore help keep temperatures moderate

SECTION 2: HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• IV. Natural Vegetation and Climate• A. Amazonian Rain Forest- green

leaves, tangled vines, hot, heavy air with moisture

• B. Atacama Desert (northern Chile)- barren land, little life, western side is dry, Andes shield this region from rain

• C. Elevation affects vegetation- To grow at higher elevations, plants need to withstand cool temperatures , chill winds, and irregular rainfall

GROUP ACTIVITY: 9/18/15

• In groups of 2 or 3, answer one of the two questions below:

• 1) Latin America has been called a land of extremes. Do you agree or disagree? Write a 5-7 sentence paragraph telling why. Support your opinion with examples.

• 2) Write a 5-7 sentence paragraph using examples to support this view, “The weather in Latin America is a great friend to the people, but also an enemy.”

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• I. Latin American Natural Resources

• A. Variety includes fish, petroleum, water, silver, and forests

• II. Mexico and Central America• A. Mexico= oil, natural gas, silver,

gold, copper, ore, coal, wood (trees)

• B. Central America= coffee, cotton, sugar cane, bananas, cacao trees

• C. Hydroelectricity : using energy of flowing water to produce power

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• III. The Caribbean • A. useful farming resources• B. sugar cane, coffee,

bananas, cacao, citrus fruits• C. Jamaica: produces bauxite-

a mineral to make aluminum• D. nickel in Cuba and DR• E. oil in Trinidad

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• IV. South America• A. Oil in Venezuela• B. plants, fish, forests• C. Brazil and Colombia=

COFFEE• D. Economy relies on sugar

cane, cotton, and rice

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• V. Economic Factors and Weather:• A. Depending on one resource can

be problematic• B. when price goes down, exports

of that crop bring less money• C. weather and disease can cause

businesses to lose money• D. hurricanes, droughts, plant

disease can damage crops

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• VI. Depending on Oil• A. Oil companies produce

more oil than needed= decrease in demand and less income for that country

• B. Earthquakes destroy Ecuador’s oil pipeline= their income is slashed

SECTION 3: GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

• VII. Avoiding Problems of One Resource Country

• A. Diversify: other ways to make money

• B. build factories to provide jobs• C. Venezuela: factories and

farms to be less reliant on oil• D. El Salvador: use cotton, corn,

sugar to steer away from coffee

GROUP ACTIVITY: 9/23/15

• Choose from 1 of the 2 options below:• 1) “How a country uses its natural

resources affects the well being of its people.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer in a 5-7 sentence paragraph

• 2) How are the countries in Latin America tied to their natural resources? Explain the good and the bad in a 5-7 sentence paragraph