Latin America

Geography and History

The Physical Geography of Mexico and Central America

• Stretches 2,500 miles from the US border to South America

• Mountains dominate

• Mexico’s Central Plain make up ½ of the country• Most people live

here

• Isthmus of Central America• Connects Pacific

Ocean and Caribbean Sea

• Coastal Plains • Narrow• Volcanic – provides

good soil for farming

Overview of Latin America

Middle America

South America

Sierra Madre Occidental, Durango,

Mexico

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Copper Canyon, Mexico

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The Panama Canal is a transportation corridor used to move people and products from one

place to another.

The Physical Geography of the Caribbean

• Made up of two types of Islands – Skeleton and underwater Mountains

• Underwater Mountains• People make a living from

farming because soil is so good

• Skeleton Islands• Smaller• Coral – made up of

skeletons of dead sea animals

Cat Island, Bahamas

The Physical Geography of South America

• Many Types of Landforms• Andes Mountains

• Run 15,000 Miles along Western Coast• Rich soil for farming• Very steep

• Rolling Highlands – East • Amazon River Basin

• Home to the World’s largest rainforest = 1/3 of the continent

• Pampas – South• Large plain that stretches through

Argentina and Paraguay

Andes Mountains - between Chile and Argentina

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Pampas

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The Rivers of South America

• Some of the longest and largest in the world

• Used for transportation when roads are not available

• Provide fish and hydroelectric power

Mouth of the Amazon River

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The Rivers of South America

• Amazon

• World’s 2nd Largest – 7,000 miles• Carries 20 % of the world’s river water• Has 1,000 tributaries• Drains an area of more than 2 million sq

miles

• Rio de la Plata• Separates Argentina and Paraguay

Amazon River

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Rio de la Plata

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Climate•Tropical Wet• Hot humid, rainy weather all year round (parts of Brazil)• Rainforest will be in this area

•Tropical Wet and Dry • Hot, rainy, but not all year• Parts of Mexico, Brazil, and most of the Caribbean

•Humid Subtropical• Similar to Southern US• Crops grow well he• These climates make tourism a major economic industry in Latin

America.

Early Civilizations - Mayans• Mayan Civilization and

Culture• In Mexico and Central

America• Lasted from 300-

900AD• Most important crop

was maize• Built great cities that

were also religious centers

Capital city Tikal

• Science, Technology and Religion• Hieroglyphics –

system of picture writing

• Number system – similar to present day decimal system

• Mayan Priests• Study the planets

and stars• Designed and

accurate calendar

Mystery of the Mayans

• AD 900, the Mayans left their cities

• No one knows why

• Their descendants are still living in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador

Palenque Ruins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Palenque_Ruins.jpg

Aztecs

• Arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the 1100’s

• Found a permanent home in 1523 on an island in Lake Texacoco – city called Tenochtitlan

• 1400’s Aztecs conquered other people and forced them to pay a tribute.• Tribute = a tax this

helped them become rich.

• Science and Technology• Aztec Doctors made

over 1000 medicines from plants

• Astronomers predicted eclipses and the movements of the planets

• Priests kept records using Hieroglyphics

• Conquered by Hernan Cortes.

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The Incas

• About 1200, they settled in Cuzco • In the Andes which is

now Peru• Most were farmers who

grew maize• Got control of entire

Cuzco Valley through wars

• Valley stretched over 2,500 Miles

• Conquered by Francisco Pizarro

• Accomplishments• Cuzco center of

government, trade, learning, and religion

• Built over 19,000 miles of roads with most over very steep mountains

• Increased crop production by building stone terraces into the slopes of the mountains

• Built aqueducts

Machu-PicchuLost City of the Incas

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European Exploration

• 1400s – Spain and Portugal searching for new trade routes to Asia came to the Americas.

• 1492 – Columbus thought he had found India, instead he found the Americas

• Spain and Portugal became rivals over land in the Americas

Spain in the New World

•Conquistadors (Spanish explorers) and Land• Spain would give them the right to hunt for treasure in these new lands

• They would give Spain one – fifth of what they found

• They could use ANY means to get their treasure

Oil Painting by Alfredo P. Alcala

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Hernando Cortes

• 1519 went to Mexican Coast in search of treasure

• Aztec thought the Spanish were gods

• Moctezuma – emperor• Welcomed Spanish• Peace did not last• He ended up being

killed

• Spanish teamed up with an Aztec Rival• Able to surround the

city• Aztecs surrendered in

1521

Francisco Pizarro

• Heard the tales of the wealth of the Incas

• 1531 set sail with 180 soldiers

• Captured and killed emperor

• 1535 – conquered most of the empire including the capital

Spain Conquers the Empires of Latin America

• Only took 15 years• Had guns, cannons, and horses• European diseases wiped out villages

Spanish Colonization

• 1540s – Spain had land from Kansas (US) down through South America except Brazil

• Three classes of people• Spanish• Mestizos• Native Americans

• Spain gave its settlers the right to demand taxes or labor from the Native Americans• Many died from

overwork, malnutrition, and diseases

• Population went from 25 million in 1519 down to 3 million in 50 years