1. CHAPTER 9: SOUTH AMERICA
From the wettest jungle to the driest desert…South America has it all!

2. SECTION 1: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
How has South America’s rugged landscape both attracted and isolated people?

3. MOUNTAINS Andes mountains: world’s longest mountain chain
Consist of CORDILLERAS: parallel chains or ranges of mountains
An extension of the Rockies
Created isolated groups

4. ALTIPLANO
Andes encircle the ALTIPLANO: “high plain”; includes southeastern Peru and western Bolivia
2nd largest mt. plateau in the world

5. PATAGONIA Southern Argentina
Andes create a rain shadow: makes it very dry and windy
Contains valleys, glaciers, and fjords
Extends into southern Chile

6. HIGHLANDS Brazilian Highlands
Taper into Eastern Highlands---form a steep ESCARPMENT: cliff or slope btwn a higher and lower land surface

7. GRASSLANDS
LLANOS: fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Colombia and Venezuela
PAMPAS: grassy, treeless plains of southern South America—found mostly in Argentina and Uruguay

8. AMAZON RIVER Begins on eastern edge of the Andes
Largest river basin in world: Covers c. 40% of South America (2,722,000 sq. miles); 4195 miles long

9. OTHER RIVERS
Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay rivers form 2nd largest river system in S.A.
Flow into the Rio de la Plata and then into Atlantic Ocean

10. LAKES Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela
Lake Titicaca: border of Bolivia and Peru---world’s highest large lake

11. CLIMATE Vertical climate zones El Niño affects west coast
Tropical Wet (rain forest) and tropical wet/dry (savanna) make up most of eastern S.A.
Atacama Desert: along Pacific coast of Peru and Chile---created by Peru Current
So dry, some places have never recorded rainfall
Fog (camanchaca) is only source of precipitation

12. SECTION 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AMERICA

13. EARLY PEOPLE AND INCA
Early indigenous groups: Moche, Mapuche, and Aymara
Inca Empire: stretched from Ecuador to Chile---Machu Picchu is most well known city
Inca were skilled engineers---built roads throughout empire
No written language (used storytelling)
Used QUIPUS, knotted cords, for financial records

14. DEFEAT OF THE INCA Silver and gold were important
This attracted Spanish conquistadors
Forces of Francisco Pizarro defeat Inca and imprison their leader, Atahualpa (1532)
Spanish use the roads built by Inca to spread out

15. INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS
Inspired by American and French Revolutions
1820s: Simón Bolívar wins independence for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia
Also in 1820s: José de San Martín wins independence for Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina
Postcolonial SA was unstable afterwards

16. INDEPENDENCE CONTINUED
Caudillos began taking power in the late 19th century
Political corruption, violence, large wealth gaps, unemployment are still problems throughout South America

17. POPULATION PATTERNS 4th largest continent; c. 400 million people
Most people live on the coasts and along major rivers (80% live in cities)
Not very densely populated
Jobs hard to find; people leave for better opportunities
BRAIN DRAIN: loss of highly educated and skilled workers to other countries
Most go to N. America or Europe

18. SOCIETY Ethnically diverse Most are Roman Catholic
Carnival is a celebration of the beginning of Lent (think Mardi Gras)
Syncretism: Macumba and Candomblé

19. RESOURCES
Forestry, farming, fishing, and ranching make up 20% of workforce
Grains, soybeans, coffee, cocoa, citrus, cattle, sugarcane, tobacco, and cotton are produced
Coca is popular
Others: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin
Venezuela, Ecuador, and Argentina are large exporters of petroleum