1. South America has many different land forms. The Andes Mountains are located on the west coast in Peru which has rich soil for farming. The Amazon Basin located in Brazil is home to the world’s largest rainforest which takes up 1/3 of the continent. In the south through Argentina and Paraguay is the Pampas Plains which are similar to the Great Plains in the U.S.

2. Some of the longest and largest rivers in the world are found in South America. The rivers provide fish, transportation when roads aren’t available, and hydroelectric power. The Amazon River is 7,000 miles long and has 1,000 tributaries. It’s the world’s 2 nd largest river carrying 20% of the world’s river water and drains an area of more than 2 million sq miles. The Rio de la Plata separates Argentina and Paraguay. Mouth of the Amazon River Rio de la Plata

3. Tropical Wet Hot humid, rainy weather all year round (parts of Brazil – rainforest area) These climates and many beautiful beaches make tourism a major economic industry in Latin America. Humid Subtropical Similar to Southern U.S. - crops grow well here Tropical Wet and Dry Hot, rainy, but not all year (parts of Brazil and most of the Caribbean)

4. South America Oil found, especially Venezuela Plants and fish Forests cover about ½ of the continent (Brazil) good for Logging Industry. Rich soil – coffee and other crops flourish

5. * Not all countries have a natural resource * Some countries don’t have the money to develop their resources * Weather can cause problems as it can affect the supply but climate is good for tourism. * Prices of resources can go down * Plant diseases can lower the amount of crop raised * Oil Dependence – can be risky as prices change, natural disasters can affect supply

6. In the 1900s, foreign countries started investing in South America to improve their economic situation. However, the South Americans did not benefit, the foreign companies made money which gave them a lot of economic power. To improve their economic situation, they began building their own factories. Things started to improve in the 1970s, but during the 1980s the price of oil which was needed to run factories rose while product prices dropped. Countries then borrowed money and were now in debt.

7. The logging industry is a primary business in Brazil. The businesses are profiting from the cutting down of trees in the rainforests, but it’s not good for the environment. Today, Latin American countries limit how much foreign countries can invest in their countries to avoid losing control of their economy. They also trade with one another to get items they need cheaper. Signing of the founding charter of the Bank of the South.

8. During the 1400s, Spain and Portugal began searching for new trade routes to Asia. In 1492, Christopher Columbus thought he found India, but instead he found the Americas. Spain and Portugal soon became rivals over the land in the Americas. In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed, it gave Spain land in the west, and Portugal land in the east. This is why Brazil is Portugal’s only South America colony.