LATIN AMERICA Unit 3

Introduction  Includes all the countries in the Western Hemisphere except the U.S. and Canada  3 sub regions: Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and South America

Physical Features  Volcanoes, rainforests, deserts and mountains  2 mountain ranges in Mexico- Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental  Volcanic islands make up some of the Caribbean islands  Andes Mountains are on the western edge of South America  Other physical features in South America include: The Amazon River, Lake Titicaca, The Atacama Desert and Angel Falls

Climate  Lots of different climates  Countries near the equator stay hot all year round (tropical)  In the mountains (highlands)- the higher you go (elevation), the colder it is  Caribbean Islands are hot and wet. They also experience hurricanes

Vegetation  Incredible variety of plants  Most widespread is the broadleaf evergreen forest  Cactus plants live where it is dry  Tropical grasslands are in the Caribbean Islands  Amazon Rainforest has the largest vegetation zone

Human Geography of Latin America  Home to 33 countries and 570 million people  Brazil is the largest country and has the most people  Most people speak either Spanish or Portuguese- based on the language of Latin

History  Maya civilizations lived in Mexico and Central America  Aztecs lived in Mexico  Incas lived in South America  Columbus landed in the Caribbean. This brought many Europeans  Europeans brought Africans over to work as slaves  Christianity was brought over, as well  Dictators ruled many countries  Now, most countries elect their leaders

Population  Population is growing fast  ¾ of the people live in urban areas (cities)  Most large cities are located near water  Most Latin Americans are Christian-Catholics are most common

Economic Activity  Lots of natural resources-silver, gold, copper, uranium  9% of the world’s petroleum (oil)  Rivers provide hydroelectric power  Farming is important-coffee is an important export  Forestry is also important- building materials and fuel  Tourism brings in lots of money (Caribbean Islands)