1. Chapter 9, Section World Geography Chapter 9 Regional Atlas: Introduction to Latin America Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

2. Chapter 9, Section World Geography Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. Chapter 9: Regional Atlas: Introduction to Latin America Section 1: Historic Overview Section 2: Physical Characteristics Section 3: Climates Section 4: Ecosystems Section 5: People and Cultures Section 6: Economics, Technology, and Environment Section 7: Database

3. Chapter 9, Section Bellringer What do you know about Latin America? What would you like to learn about Latin America?

4. Chapter 9, Section 1 Historical Overview

5. Chapter 9, Section 1 Historical Overview Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas established civilizations in Mexico and South America. Spain and Portugal carved out empires in which cultural convergence combined Native American, European, and African traditions. After independence in the early 1800s, democracy did not follow. In the 1900s, many countries moved toward democratic reforms. Latin Americans worked to achieve substantial economic gains in the 1900s.

6. Chapter 9, Section Economic and social systems remained largely unchanged after most Latin American countries gained independence.

7. Chapter 9, Section 2 Physical Characteristics

8. Chapter 9, Section 2 Physical Characteristics Mountain ranges that form part of the Ring of Fire run the length of Latin America, and earthquakes and volcanoes are common. The Amazon Basin and the pampas in southeastern South America are the largest lowland areas of Latin America. Caribbean islands are either the tops of underwater mountains or cays formed by the accumulation of coral.

9. Chapter 9, Section 3 Climates

10. Chapter 9, Section Atmospheric and oceanic currents affect climate in Latin America. 3 Climates Tropical wet and tropical wet and dry climates cover most of Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Humid subtropical climate covers much of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The west coast of Peru and northern Chile is drier, with mostly arid and semiarid climate zones. Mediterranean and marine west coast climates run along southern Chile.

11. Chapter 9, Section Hurricane-prone areas in Latin America include countries that border the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.

12. Chapter 9, Section El Nino is an ocean current/climate condition that causes droughts and floods around the world.

13. Chapter 9, Section Classwork Work on worksheet for Chapter 9

14. Chapter 9, Section Bellringer After many Latin American countries gained independence, what were their economic and social systems like?

15. Chapter 9, Section 4 Ecosystems

16. Chapter 9, Section The largest ecosystems in Latin America are the tropical forests and tropical grasslands. 4 Ecosystems Tropical rain forests and tropical grasslands cover much of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. The arid areas to the west of the Andes and in northern Mexico are mostly desert. In higher elevations, vegetation varies with altitude.

17. Chapter 9, Section Cuba, Haiti/Dominican Republic, and Jamaica are some of the most well known independent island countries in the Caribbean.

18. Chapter 9, Section Most people in Latin America have ancestry of European, Native American, or African descent. People and Cultures Most people in South America live on the coasts or along rivers. Brazilian cities have grown dramatically as people have migrated in search of jobs. Migration patterns have created great ethnic and cultural diversity. 5

19. Chapter 9, Section The location of large centers of population in Latin America mostly border oceans.

20. Chapter 9, Section 6 Economies, Technology, and Environment

21. Chapter 9, Section Latin American economies are based on agriculture, but they are diversifying to include industry. 6 Economies, Technology, and Environment Traditionally, Latin American economies have been based on cash crops. Most mining is done in the Andes and in the highlands of Mexico and of Central America. Increased farming in the Amazon is reducing the rainforest. Most oil is extracted in Mexico and in northern South America.

22. Chapter 9, Section In order to reduce foreign control of businesses, Latin American leaders imposed regulations on foreign-owned companies.

23. Chapter 9, Section Database As the number of state-owned businesses in Mexico’s market economy has dwindled, the GDP per capita has steadily grown. Cuba’s command economy declined significantly after the loss of aid from the former Soviet Union. Brazil’s economy was boosted by the launch of MERCOSUR, but excessive spending resulted in rising debt and budget deficits. Honduras’s traditional economy was growing at a moderate pace until the country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1999. 7

24. Chapter 9, Section Honduras has a mainly traditional economy, Mexico has a market economy, and Cuba follows a command economy.

25. Chapter 9, Section Video Latin American revolutions

26. Chapter 9, Section Classwork Finish the Chapter 9 worksheet