Latin America

Geography

Latin America• The name describes

the lands in the Western Hemisphere south of the United States

• Stretches over 7,000 miles

• Covers a large area between the Atlantic and Pacific

Regions• Mexico

– Country just south of the United States• Central America

– Countries that lie between Mexico and Colombia

• West Indies (Caribbean)– The islands located in the Caribbean Sea– Called Indies by early European explorers

because they thought the islands were part of India

• South America– Continent south of Central America – Made up of many nations

Mountains– Andes Mountains

stretch over 4,500 miles in the western part of South America

– Separate people in different parts of South America from each other

– Has resulted in many different cultures

Grassland Plains (Pampas)• Mountains and poor soil make Latin

America’s land unproductive• Pampas are an exception to this

•Argentina and Uruguay•Llanos of Venezuela•Provide much of the fertile soil in Latin America

•The rest of the land cannot produce enough to feed the people of the region

•Most people, however, work in Agriculture

Rain Forests• Located on the east

coast of Central America and the northern part of South America

• Warm, humid climates

• Receive a great deal of rainfall

• Have made transportation and communication difficult among the people of Latin America

Rivers• The Amazon river

•2,300 miles long•2nd longest river in the world

• Orinoco River• Rio de la Plata River• A large percentage of Latin America’s

population lives near these river systems• They provide a link in the area’s transportation

system

Climate• Majority is warmer

because it lies near the equator

• Mountains + winds from the oceans = moderate climate

• Result: population density is greatest in the higher elevations where temps are comfortably cool

• Areas of dense population-Food shortages occur and there is inadequate housing, health, and educational services

Resources• Mexico and Venezuela have large amounts

of oil• Most nations lack oil and other resources

– This hurts their industrial development

• Major crops grown in Latin America– Coffee, bananas, sugar, and cocoa– Most nations rely on single cash crops (crops

raised for a profit), making them dependent on changes in world prices