Latin America Notes Guide: Part 2: South American Geography

The Andes

• Stretch along Western S.A. for ~5500 miles. World’s ______highest range.

• Tallest Peak: Mt. ____________________

• Ppl living there: Grow __________on _______________cut into mountains

• Also includes valleys and the_____________________, or “high plateau”

• The Climate of the Andes Mountains ________________with _____________

Plains and Highlands

• Central Plains extend east from the ___________and make up ______ of S.A

• Llanos are wide grasslands in northeastern ____________________and western ____________________

• Tropical ____________________in the Amazon Basin covers about ___________% of ____________________

• Gran Chaco-mostly ____________________ area of subtropical grasslands and low forests.

• ____________________-large grassy plain. Argentina’s most ____________________region.

South American Climate & Vegetation

Mountain Climates

• Near the ____________________, at the lowest elevations, the climate is ____________________.

• Midway up the mountains, the climate is more ____________________.

• At elevations <15,000 ft. there are low temps and icy winds.

• Vegetation is ____________________

Tropical Rainforest

• Much of South America lies in the ____________________.

• The ____________________rain forest covers more than 2 MILLION square miles.

• Its climate is _______________ and wet.

• ____________________falls throughout the year.

• Amazon Rainforest has the world’s richest collection of life forms.

• ____________________, monkeys, ____________________.

• Many varieties of trees.

Latin American History: Ancient Civilizations

The Olmec

• First known ____________________in South America

• Lived on Gulf Coast of Southern ____________________

• ____________________and Skilled ____________________

• Cities: _____________, housing areas, and ceremonial centers

• Chief God: ____________________

• Carved giant stone ____________________

• A cultural ____________________that shaped other cultures in the region.

The Mayans

• Lived in highlands and flatlands of ____________________Peninsula, Guatemala, and Belize

• Impressive cities with stone ____________________, ____________________, plazas, ball courts

• Grew corn, ____________________, and squash; traded salt, ____________________, and cotton with other cultures

• Advanced ____________________and ____________________; had a 365 day ____________________and a mathematical system based on the number ____________________

• Developed ____________________writing

The Aztec

• Lived in Valley of Mexico, location of modern ____________________

• Built a strong ____________________empire through ____________________and by collecting ____________________

• Built capital city of ____________________on an island in lake Texcoco

• Built ____________________dedicated to _____and ____________________

god in the center of the city.

• Created ____________________, or water gardens, to grow food and flowers

The Incas

• Lived in the ____________________Mountains in ____________________

• Early 1400s to 1533, controlled a large empire centered around ____________________, the Mtn capital city

• Built complex cities such as ____________________ ____________________

• Farmed by cutting ____________________into steep mountainside and building ____________________to irrigate land

• Constructed 14,000 miles of well-built ____________________for messengers to use

• Kept ____________________with quipus, ____________________cords

Latin American History: Colonization Through Independence

____________________Exchange

• After the Spanish came to America, ____________________and ____________________were traded between ____________________and ____________________. This trade is called the Columbian Exchange.

Conquered Lands

• 1521: Spanish ____________________Hernan ____________________defeats ____________________

• Mid-1500’s, ____________________sets up ____________________in various parts of Latin America

• Spain set up a ____________________society to rule this empire.

Independence from the Spanish

In the 1800s, Spain was fighting a war in Europe. Various groups in Latin America saw a chance to gain their freedom.

Mexico

In 1810, Father ____________________called on the people to rebel against Spain. The rebellion ____________________, and the Spanish ____________________him.

Another ____________________failed a few years later Spain granted ____________________independence with the treaty of Cordoba in 1821

South America

Simon ____________________, a ____________________general, led the fight in the ____________________part of South America.

Jose de San ____________________led the fight for independence in the ____________________part of the continent.

By 1825, nearly all of South America was ____________________. In 1822, ____________________gained independence from ____________________and

was ruled by _________ ___________

Notes Guide Review:

South American Geography:

What two major geographical features dominate the South American Continent?

Why is the Amazon Rainforest important?

Compare and Contrast two of the Ancient Civilizations discussed in the notes in the chart below

Civilization Civilization

What is the Columbian Exchange? When did it start, do you think?

How did Latin America gain its independence from Europe? Name two important people that fought for this independence.