SOUTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICA

MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIESQUALITIES

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYPHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY IS DOMINATED IS DOMINATED BY THE ANDES MOUNTAINS S AND THE BY THE ANDES MOUNTAINS S AND THE AMAZON BASIN.AMAZON BASIN.

POPULATIONPOPULATION IS CONCENTRATED ALONG IS CONCENTRATED ALONG THE PERIPHERY (Coastal Areas).THE PERIPHERY (Coastal Areas).

CULTURAL PLURALISMCULTURAL PLURALISM EXISTS IN MOST EXISTS IN MOST COUNTRIES AND IS EXPRESSED COUNTRIES AND IS EXPRESSED REGIONALLY.REGIONALLY.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTERACTIONREGIONAL ECONOMIC INTERACTION HAS BEEN MINIMAL IN THE PAST.HAS BEEN MINIMAL IN THE PAST.

URBANIZATIONURBANIZATION 79%- CONTINENT-WIDE IN SOUTH 79%- CONTINENT-WIDE IN SOUTH

AMERICAAMERICA SOUTH AMERICA’S INCREASE BASED SOUTH AMERICA’S INCREASE BASED

ON RATE OF “ON RATE OF “NATURAL INCREASENATURAL INCREASE” ” ANDAND INTERNAL MIGRATIONINTERNAL MIGRATION

MAJOR CITIES INCLUDE:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Santiago, Chile

Caracas, Venezuela

Agriculture In South Agriculture In South AmericaAmerica

Fruit & specialized crops (Mostly in South)Fruit & specialized crops (Mostly in South) Mixed Livestock/Crops (Mostly in South)Mixed Livestock/Crops (Mostly in South) Grain Farming (Mostly in South)Grain Farming (Mostly in South) Subsistence Crops/Livestock (throughout)Subsistence Crops/Livestock (throughout) Mediterranean Agriculture (Central Chile)Mediterranean Agriculture (Central Chile) Plantation (Tropical) Ag (Along coastal fringe)Plantation (Tropical) Ag (Along coastal fringe) Traditional Cultivation (In Andes Mountains)Traditional Cultivation (In Andes Mountains) Shifting Cultivation (Amazon Basin)Shifting Cultivation (Amazon Basin) Livestock Ranching (primarily Brazil & Argentina)Livestock Ranching (primarily Brazil & Argentina) Non-agriculture areas (Western coast)Non-agriculture areas (Western coast)

Natural ResourcesNatural ResourcesVenezuela’s Orinoco River area contains 11

percent of the world’s gold.Brazil is also rich in gold, and Peru

is known for its silver deposits. Chile is the world’s leading exporter of

copper.Geographic inaccessibility, lack of capital, and social and political divisions hinder fuller development and distribution of natural resources in Latin America.

CULTURE SPHERESCULTURE SPHERES

Plantation Locations, soils, & tropical climates favor Locations, soils, & tropical climates favor

plantation crops, especially sugar.plantation crops, especially sugar.

European-commercial The most European part of South AmericaThe most European part of South America Includes the Pampas - temperate grasslandsIncludes the Pampas - temperate grasslands Economically most advancedEconomically most advanced

Mestizo-transitional Surrounds the Indigenous-subsistence regionSurrounds the Indigenous-subsistence region A zone of mixture- culturally & agriculturallyA zone of mixture- culturally & agriculturally Transition zonesTransition zones

CULTURE SPHERES CULTURE SPHERES (Continued)(Continued)

Indigenous- Subsistence Farming Correlates with the former Inca EmpireCorrelates with the former Inca Empire Includes some of South America’s poorest Includes some of South America’s poorest

areasareas Subsistence agriculture must contend with Subsistence agriculture must contend with

difficult environmental challenges: difficult environmental challenges: Mountains, deserts, rainforest.Mountains, deserts, rainforest.Undifferentiated

Characteristics are difficult to classify.Characteristics are difficult to classify. Sparsely populated (deserts and Sparsely populated (deserts and

rainforest)rainforest) Isolation and lack of developmentIsolation and lack of development