Aztec Calendar Stone

Chichén Itzá : Mayan Ruins

Mayan Ruins at Tikal, Guatemala

Machu Picchu: Incan Ruins, Peru

Spanish Church, Mexico City Bullfighting Ring and Soccer (Fútbol) Stadium Mexico City

Christ the Redeemer Rio de Janeiro 100 ft tall Sits on Corcovado Mountain on a 20 foot base.

A Vast Region Stretches from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego. 8 million square miles Latin America: Region Based on Language Romance Languages Spanish and Portuguese Middle America Mexico and Central America The Caribbean Islands Greater and Lesser Antilles and Bahamas South America Continent

Mountain Ranges Stretching from North America Part of the Rocky Mountain chain. Sierra Madre Mexico Occidental and Oriental Tectonic Activity Heavy earthquake activity here and some volcanic activity. Sierra Madre Oriental Sierra Madre Occidental

Sierra Madre Ranges

Vertical Zones Elevation affects climate. This happens in Mexico and other Latin American countries. These areas are divided into Vertical zones based on elevation and climate. Tierra Fria: Area of high elevation and cool climate Tierra Caliente: Area of low elevation and hot climate Tierra Templada: Area of middle elevation and temperate climate.

Mexican Plateau Densely populated are of Central Mexico between the Sierra Madre Ranges. Central Highlands Chain of volcanic mountains that run across Central America. Many Caribbean island are also part of this range. Mexican Plateau The Andes: Longest Mountain Range in the World, 4,500 mi long. Cordilleras: Several Parallel mountain ranges. Tierra del Fuego: The land of fire, the end of S. America.

Andes Mountain Ranges

Tierra del Fuego

Altiplano: High plain in Argentina circled by the Andes Mountains. Patagonia: Hills and lower flatlands in southern Argentina. Highlands of Brazil There are several highland areas of Brazil Escarpment A steep cliff off the edge of a plateau Lowlands and Plains Grasslands Llanos: Venezuela Pampas: Argentina

Llaneros and Gauchos Cowhands of the Llanos and Pampas Llanos and Pampas

Water Systems Amazon: Largest river in the world. Flows through Brazil. Forms the Amazon Basin. Orinoco: Venezuela Rio de la Plata: Southern River system. Estuary: Area where ocean (salt) water and freshwater meet. Rio Grande: Forms part of the border between the US and Mexico. Rivers provide transportation and hydroelectric power in Latin America.

The Amazon

Orinoco River

Angel Falls in Venezuela The world’s tallest waterfall uninterrupted drop of 2,648 ft.

Section 2: Climate and Vegetation Tropical Regions: Near the Equator Amazon Basin Region surrounding the Amazon River. Earth’s largest rain forest Has more species of plants and animal per square mile than any place on earth. Rain forests Lush jungle vegetation Canopy: upper level of the trees, up to 130 ft. Tropical Savanna: Grasslands such as the Pampas and Llanos Desert and Steppe Regions: Atacama Desert The driest desert in the world. Caused by the rain-shadow effect of the Andes Mountains. Elevation and Climate: Highland climates in mountain areas. Vertical zonation.

Amazon Rain Forest

The average rainfall in Antofagasta part of the Atacama — is just 1 mm per year, and there was a period of time where no rain fell there for 400 years