From The Andes to the Amazon:

The Physical Geography of Latin America

Latin America

• Divided into Three Regions– Middle America– The Caribbean– South America

• Middle America• Mexico • Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama,

Belize, Nicaragua, etc.)

The Caribbean Islands

• Formerly known as West Indies, divided into three main island groups:

• The Bahama Archipelago– Collection of 700 islands northeast of Cuba

• Greater Antilles– Four largest islands: Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and

Hispaniola (divided into Haiti & Dominican Republic)• Lesser Antilles

– Separates Caribbean Sea from Atlantic Ocean– Includes Trinidad & Aruba

South America

• Connected to Central America by an isthmus, a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas

• Includes Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, & Argentina

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough For Latin America

• Latin America’s mountains begin in North America as the Rockies

• Part of The Ring of Fire– Subduction zone– Volcanoes and Earthquake

• Sierra Madre– Eastern range-Sierra Madre Oriental– Western range-Sierra Madre Occidental– Meet near Mexico city to form Sierra Madre del

Sur

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough For Latin America

• Mexican Plateau– Densely populated due to

• Mild climate, fertile volcanic soil, adequate rainfall

• World’s longest mountain chain-4,500 miles• Second highest-some more than 20,000 feet• Cordilleras- consist of several ranges that run parallel to

one another • Altiplano

– High plain in Peru and Bolivia encircled by the Andes

• Patagonia– Plateau made up of hills and lower flatlands

Grasslands

• Llanos (tropical)– Spanish for “plains”. During the rainy seasons, becomes temporary

wetlands due to high amounts of flooding– Land is unfit for farming, so settlers in the area turned to cattle

herding

• Pampas (temperate)– Spanish for “lowlands”

• Fertile soil• Used for grazing, growing wheat • and corn

Bodies of Water

• River Basin- the land area drained by a river and its tributaries

• Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers– Form second largest system in Latin America– Provide inland water routes and hydroelectric

power– Flow into broad estuary (area where tide meets a

river current)-Rio de la Plata

Bodies of Water

• Few large lakes in Latin America• Lake Maracaibo– Actually inlet of Caribbean Sea– Contains the most important oil fields in

Venezuela

Natural & Non-Renewable Resources

• Significant natural resources– Minerals, forests, farmland, and water

• Oil and Natural gas– Gulf of Mexico and southern Caribbean Sea

• Mineral Wealth– Gold in Venezuela– Silver in Peru and Mexico– Nonprecious minerals of economic value

Why Would People Live Here?• Area of Settlement– Cooler Climates– Rich natural resources

• Water, volcanic soil, timber and minerals– Blocked movement and trade

• Most settled areas on eastern and northern coasts– Isolated regions

• Very Diverse• Much of Latin America between Tropic of Cancer and

Tropic of Capricorn– Tropical climates and vegetation– Hot temperatures and abundant rainfall

• Elevation and Climate– Climates most affected by elevation– Vertical Climate zone: tropical regions which indicate

specific patterns of elevated growth• Tierra Caliente-bananas, sugar, rice, cacao• Tierra Templada-coffee and corn• Tierra Fria-potatoes and barley