1 Latin America Unit 3. 2 Physical Geography of Latin America Chapter 7

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Latin America

Unit 3

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Physical Geography of Latin America

Chapter 7

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Landforms

• Middle America

– Mexico and Central America

• Central America

– an isthmus, or a narrow piece of land that links North America and South America

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Landforms

• Middle America– Lies where four tectonic plates meet– Deposits of ash and lava make the soil fertile

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Landforms

• Middle America– Central America

• Thick forests

• rugged mountains

• coastal marshes

– make it difficult to transport goods in that country

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Landforms

• The Caribbean– The islands of the Caribbean Sea

• A.K.A. = West Indies

– divided into the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas

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Landforms• The Caribbean

– The Greater Antilles

• Largest islands

– Cuba

– Hispaniola

– Puerto Rico

– Jamaica

– The Lesser Antilles

• an archipelago

– group of islands, curving from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad

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Landforms

• South America– The Andes

• world’s longest mountain system

– are a cordillera and stretch along the Pacific coast of South America for about 5,500 miles (8,851 km)

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Landforms

• South America– Tropical grasslands

• known as the Llanos

• stretch through eastern Colombia and Venezuela

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Landforms

• South America– Pampas

• Another well-known plain

• covers much of Argentina and Uruguay

• provides grazing land for beef cattle and fertile soil for growing grains

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Waterways

• Rivers– The Amazon

• Latin America’s longest river

• starts in the Andes and flows east about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) to the Atlantic Ocean

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Waterways

• Rivers– Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay

• form Latin America’s second-largest river system• These rivers flow into the Rio de la Plata

– a broad estuary, or area where river currents and ocean tides meet—which meets the Atlantic Ocean

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Waterways

• Other Waterways– Lake Maracaibo

• Venezuela • South America’s largest lake • contains some of Venezuela’s oil fields

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Waterways

• Other Waterways

– Lake Titicaca

• between Bolivia and Peru

• About 12,500 feet above sea level

• the world’s highest lake

• used by large ships.

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Waterways

• Other Waterways– Panama Canal

• Ships – use the canal to shorten travel time between the Atlantic

and Pacific Oceans

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A Wealth of Natural Resources

• Brazil– Latin America’s largest country

• rain forests

– provide timber, rubber, palm oil, and Brazil nuts

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A Wealth of Natural Resources

• Energy Resources– Venezuela

• region’s largest oil and natural gas reserves

• Other Resources– Silver

• mined in Mexico

– Colombian • Mines the world’s finest emeralds

– Chile • world’s largest exporter of copper

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Climate Regions

Section 2

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Tropical Climates– Tropical wet

• Vast rain forest are found here

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Tropical Climates– Amazon Basin

• South America• Home to the world’s largest rain forest

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Tropical Climates– Canopy

• Trees grow close together• Tops form a dense canopy

– Umbrella-like covering of leaves– So dense that sunlight seldom reaches the forest floor

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Tropical Climates– Caribbean islands

• Developed a tourism industry despite hurricanes

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Temperate Climates– Humid subtropical climate

• Short and mild winters• Long, hot, humid summers

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Temperate Climates– Chile

• Mediterranean Climate– Farmers grow large amounts of fruit

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Hot to Mild Climates

• Dry Climates– Atacama Desert

• One of the driest places on the earth

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Hot to Mild Climates

• El Nino– A set of changes in air pressure, temperature,

and rainfall• Begins in the Pacific Ocean• Waters off Peru’s coast are unusually warm

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Elevation and Climate

• Andes– Four altitude zones of climate

• Tierra Caliente– Hot land

• Tierra Templada• Tierra Fria

– Begins at 6,000 feet

• Tierra Helada– Zone of highest elevation– Temps as low as 20°F

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History and Cultures of Latin America

Section 1

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History and Government

Section 1

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Spain

Portugal

France, Britain, and the Netherlands

Caudillos

United States and Spain

Panama

Fidel Castro

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Key facts

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Early History

• Early Native American Civilizations– Olmec

• Lived in Southern Mexico• 1500 b.c.-300 b.c.• Grew corn, controlled minerals, built temples

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Early History

• Early Native American Civilizations– Maya

• Lived in the Yucatan Peninsula• 300 a.d.-900 a.d.• Skills

– Astronomy– Used their knowledge of stars, moon, and planets to

develop a calendar– Had a number system based on 20– Used hieroglyphics to record history

» A form of writing that uses signs and symbols

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Early History

• Early Native American Civilizations– Aztecs

• 1200 a.d.• Central Mexico• Tenochtitlan

– Aztec capital

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Early History

• Early Native American Civilizations– Inca

• 1400s• South America (Peru)• Empire

– Stretched more than 2,500 miles– Cuzco

» Capital

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Early History

• European Conquests– 1519

• Spanish Army – led by Hernán Cortés– Landed on Mexico’s Gulf coast – marched to Tenochtitlán, Mexico, and overtook the Aztec

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Early History

• European Conquests– 1532

– Francisco Pizarro

• attacked the Inca

• killed the ruler

• conquered that empire

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Early History

• Colonial Latin America– Spain

• built an empire that included: – South America– the Caribbean – Middle America– parts of present-day United States

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Early History

• Colonial Latin America– Portugal

• took control of what is today Brazil

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Early History

• Colonial Latin America– France, Britain, and the Netherlands

• overtook some Caribbean areas and parts of North America

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Revolutionaries Vs. Results

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Forming New Nations

• Independence– 1804

• enslaved Africans– under François-Dominique Toussaint-L’Ouverture – threw off French rule in Haiti

• Haiti – became the only nation ever created as a result of a

revolt by enslaved people

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Forming New Nations

• Independence– Simón Bolívar

• won freedom from the Spanish for the present-day countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia

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Forming New Nations

• Independence– 1817

• José de San Martín – liberated Chile and Argentina from Spanish rule

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Forming New Nations

• Political and Economic Challenges– Caudillos

• Ruled as dictators• Favored the wealthy over the poor

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Forming New Nations

• The United States and Latin America– 1898

• United States and Spain

– fought a war over Spanish-ruled Cuba

– Spain was defeated, and Cuba became a republic under U.S. protection

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Forming New Nations

• The United States and Latin America– 1903

• United States

– helped Panama win its freedom from Colombia

– gained permission to build the Panama Canal

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Forming New Nations

• Modern Times– 1959

• a young lawyer named Fidel Castro • carried out a revolution in Cuba and set up a

communist state– country whose government has strong control over the

economy and society as a whole

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Forming New Nations

• Modern Times– Latin America’s challenges

• population is growing• resources are limited• Growing trade in illegal drugs has increased crime

and corruption• tensions still exist between rich and poor because

of differences

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Cultures and Lifestyles

Section 2

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The People

• Population Patterns– Coasts of South America and areas in Mexico

and Central America• Where most people live

– Why?» Favorable climates» Fertile land

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The People

• Migration– Movement of people– included Europeans, Africans, and Asians,

either willingly or by force

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The People

• Growth of Cities– South America

• about 80 percent of people live in cities

– Central America and the Caribbean• about 65 percent are urban dwellers

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The People

• Ethnic Groups and Languages– Latin America’s Native Americans

– live in Mexico; Central America; and the Andes countries of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia

– African Latin Americans

– form a high percentage of the populations in the Caribbean islands and northeastern Brazil

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The People

• Languages– Spanish

• most widely spoken language in Latin America

– Portuguese• Brazilians mostly speak Portuguese

– Quechua– Creole

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Daily Life

• Religion– Most Latin Americans are Christian

• Roman Catholics– The largest Christian group

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Daily Life

• Family– Generations live together– Elders cared by their children– Adult brothers and sisters

• Live near each other and their children (cousins) form close relationships

– Father• Family leader• Decision maker

– Mother is leader of family in other parts of the Caribbean

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Daily Life

• The Arts– Murals

• Reflect Maya and Aztec traditions

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Latin America Today

Chapter 9

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Mexico

Section 1

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Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture

• Mexico’s People– Mestizos

• People with a Spanish and Native American heritage

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Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture

• Mexico’s People– Mexico City

• The largest city in Mexico

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Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture

• Mexico’s Government– President

• Can only serve 1 six year term

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Mexico’s Economy and Society

• Using the attached worksheet, list the key facts about Mexico’s economic regions.

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Mexico’s Economy and Society

• Economic and Social Changes– Smog

• A thick haze of fog and chemicals

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Mexico’s Economy and Society

• Population and Ethnic Challenges– Illegal immigration

• U.S.– Tightened controls along the border

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Central America and the Caribbean

Section 2

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Countries of Central America

Central America

Made up of seven countries

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Countries of Central America

Costa Rica

Has no army

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Countries of Central America

Panama

Profits from fees, or set charges, that ships pay to use the canal

An important banking center

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Countries of the Caribbean

Cuba

Command Economy- the communist government decides how resources are used and what goods and services are

produced

Many Cubans haven’t prospered under this system

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Countries of the Caribbean

Puerto Rico

A commonwealth-self governing territory of the U.S.

Makes more money from tourism than any other Caribbean island

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South America

Section 3

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Brazil

Known for its Amazon rain forest

Brazilians call the rainforest the selva

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Brazil

People

Largest population in all of Latin America

Portuguese culture

Largest cities- Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro

Many Brazilians have moved from rural to coastal cities to find better jobs

Favelas- overcrowded slum areas

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Brazil

Economy

Productive farms

Valuable mineral resources

Oil

Hydroelectric energy

Industries

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Brazil

The Rain Forest

Amazon- Brazil’s greatest natural resource

Deforestation- a cause of the world’s climate problem

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Brazil

Government

Portuguese- First and largest European group to settle Brazil

Democratic federal republic

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Argentina

People

second-largest country after Brazil

85% of people are of European ancestry, especially Spanish and Italian

Capital-Buenos Aires

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Argentina

Economy

Gauchos- national symbol

Ranches

Beef- chief export

Industrialized

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Argentina

Government

democratic federal republic

powerful president who is elected every four years

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Other Countries of South America

Venezuela

Capital- Caracas

President- Hugo Chavez

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Other Countries of South America

Columbia

Nearly 80 percent of Colombia’s people live in the valleys and highland plateaus of the

Andes

Bogotá is the capital and largest city

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Other Countries of South America

Chile

Mining forms the backbone of Chile’s economy