1. LATIN AMERICA
Chapter 9

2. Latin America Includes the following: Mexico Central America (7)
Caribbean nations
South America

3. Panama Canal
Finished in 1919, controlled by the U.S. until Dec in which time it went back to Panama
Ships enter a bay and go through a system of locks, cost to build -- $380 million
Collect $32,000 per vessel to enter (depending on size)
Commission collected $375 million in tolls
$175 million in fees
U.S. paid Panama $90 million a year

4. Mexico Eastern range -- Sierra Madre Oriental
Western range -- Sierra Madre Occidental
They connect in southern Mexico
Plateau of Mexico lies between them (mesa - isolated Mt. with a flat top). Mexico City is located here

5. South America Andes Mt. -- second highest mt. in the world
Brazilian highlands -- cover 1/4 of S.A
Llanos -- lowland region between Venezuela and Colombia. (tropical grassland)

6. Facts / Terms
Amazon -- carries more water than any other river in the world
Climate of the Amazon River Basin -- tropical wet
High elevations in South America -- cool temp. and sparse pop.
Timberline -- the boundary above which forest vegetation can live
Alpine Tundra -- grows above the timberline
Plains -- llanos, pampas and gran chaco

7. Amazon Rainforest The rainforest can have several layers of canopy
2.7 million square miles of South America are rainforest
Warm temp. and heavy rain creates the single largest and most varied mass of vegetation in the world
Canopy -- uppermost branches
cover an area
The rainforest can have several
layers of canopy

8. Pictures of the Rainforest

9. Caribbean Islands
Islands formed from Mt. ranges on the floor of the ocean and from cays -- low lying coral islands
3 Island groups:
1. The Bahamas -- closest to the U.S>
2. Greater Antilles -- 4 largest islands (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica)
3. Lesser Antilles -- small islands to the south

10. Last of ch. 9 notes
Caribbean climate -- warm tropical climate all year
80 degree average
Sierras block rain in Mexico -- northern Mexico is an arid climate
Mexico city -- elevation of this city is 7,350 feet
74 degree high in July