Important Dates
• Latin American Map Key due – January 21st (Today)
• Latin America Map Test – January 27th
• Latin America Content Test – February 3rd
Physical Characteristics of Latin America
What is Latin America?
• North American: – Mexico – Central America
• All of South America
Central America
• An isthmus connecting South America to Mexico
• Isthmus: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas, usually with water on either side.
In your notes
• Shade in Latin America
Major Mountain Ranges of L. America Sierra Madres
• Mexico has mountains on its east and west coast with a plateau between
Occidental
Oriental
Plateau Definitiona large flat area of land that is higher than other areas of land that surround it
Major Mountain RangesAndes Mountains
• Longest mountain system in the world
• Stretch for over 5,500 miles, peaks over 20,000 ft.
Chilean Andes
Cordillera definition• Parallel
mountain chains
Columbian cordillera
Tectonic Activity
• Five plates meet in Central America – lots of ?
Biomes & Climate Zones of Latin America
TROPICAL CLIMATES ARE PREDOMINATE!
Why?
Reminder:During which months is it summer in South America?
Rain Forests
• Tropical wet climate is found in Caribbean and much of Central and South America
• Year round hot temperatures
• Rain Forests located here
Rainforest Facts• Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land
surface. • Scientists estimate that more than half of all the
world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests.
• Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.• Seventy percent of the plants in the rainforest are
trees.• About 1/4 of all the medicines we use come from
rainforest plants.
Rainforests, continued
• Tall straight trees with few branches until you get to the top of the tree. Why?
• Canopy– umbrella like covering of leaves where little or no
sunlight reaches the forest floor
Where do you think most animals live?
Amazon River Basin• South America
has the world’s largest rain forest – Amazon River Basin– Highest amount of
biodiversity in the world
• Def: the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment
Coastal Desert• Atacama Desert
– One of the driest places on earth
– Along the Pacific coast of northern Chile
– Located in the rain shadow of the Andes
Rain Shadow Effect• Windward – located
on the side that is facing the direction that the wind is blowing from
• Leeward - located on the side that is sheltered from the wind
Rain Shadow Effect• Orographic Effect -
As the air system moves up the side of the mountain, the temperature drops, causing the water vapor in the air to also cool off and condense.
Tropical Grasslands
• llanos
• Lowland plain
• Stretch through eastern Colombia and Venezuela
Temperate Climates
• Most temperate zones lie SOUTH of the Tropic of Capricorn (southeastern South America)– From southern Brazil to
the Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay
• Winters are short and mild, summers are long and humid
Seasonal Differences
Temperate Grasslands – Pampas• Flat fertile grasslands in Southeast S.
America
• Herding cattle is a major economic activity in the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay– Gauchos – cowboys of Pampas
Archipelagoes – collection of islands
Tierra del Fuego
Caribbean
1. The grasslands located in the tropical region of S. America are called __.
2. The Atacama desert is caused by the __ of the __ mountains
3. The Caribbean islands are considered a(n) __.
4. Central America is considered to be a(n) __ b/c it is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger pieces of land.
5. The majority of Latin America’s climate is considered __.
6. The South American rainforest is centered around the ___ River Basin.
7. Why are there so many earthquakes and volcanoes in Latin America?
8. Which kind of plate boundary is most likely to produce earthquakes?
9. The ___ mountain ranges run on either side of Mexico with a(n)__ in the middle.
10. The grasslands in the more temperate region of South America are known as the ___.
11. Most the biodiversity in the rainforest is located in the ___.
Recommended
