Latin America Physical Geography 8.1

Physical Geography 8 mil sq. miles (~equal to N.A.) Made up of Middle America and South America –Caribbean sometimes debated as part of MA

Yellow- Caribbean Green- Central America Red- Middle America Purple- South America All together is LATIN AMERICA

Physical Geography Caribbean aka West Indies –3 parts: Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, & Bahamas Brazil is largest and most pop. of LA’s countries

Highlands Begins in Pac. Ranges/ Rockies  Mexico’s Sierra Madre  CA’s Central Highlands  SA’s Andes –map pg 195 Crust collision, sits on Ring of Fire

Why would ppl settle here? –Cooler climates –Rich in resources… like what?? Water, fertile soil, forests, minerals –Protection

Highlands Mexico’s Sierra Madre –Sierra Madre Oriental (eastern) & Sierra Madre Occidental (western) meet at Sierra Madre del Sur –Surrounds Mxn Plateau Mild climate (elev), volcanic soil in South= settlement

Highlands Most Caribbean islands part of Central Highlands (range goes across sea) –Volcanic islands –Some still active

Student News Daily Drug Smuggling Tunnel Online in new Current Events Section

Highlands Andes Mtns –4500 miles long, world’s longest –Cordilleras –Encircle high plains (altiplano) in Peru & Bolivia –Home to the INCA!! (and llamas)

Atacama Desert “Human Planet: Deserts” video clip Driest place on Earth! –Some areas have never received rainfall since recordkeeping began More than a million ppl live here –Live near coast, oases, or farm with drip-irrigation Fog Catching Net: –Fog rolls in  condenses on net  drips to pipes  water crops

Highlands Mato Grosso Plateau- from eastern Peru & Bolivia to most of Brazil –Low pop. –Mostly savanna, some woods Brazilian Highlands- from MGP to eastern Brazil, ends in escarpment (cliff)

Lowlands Coastal plains along Brazil’s coast –Next to escarpment –Prime area for settlement/tourism Llanos (Colombia & Venezuela) & Pampas (Argentina & Uruguay) –Grazing plains, pampas= breadbasket –Cowboys= llaneros or gauchos, respectively

Pampas- grain fields

Agua MA’s rivers are small, but SA’s are HUUUUGE –Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) is major one, though, outside SA Amazon miles (NYC to Rome, Italy) –20% of Earth’s freshwater, 10X the volume of the Mississippi –Hundreds of sm. rivers join it  Amazon Basin (creates a valuable functional region)  40% of SA –Only navigable for 2300 miles from Atlantic

Agua Parana, Paraguay, & Uruguay  next lgst water system –Commercial highway, hydroelectricity –Flow into estuary (Rio de la Plata) before Atlantic

Lake Titicaca- world’s highest (elev.) navigable lake (Andes- Peru & Bolivia) –12,500 ft above sea level –Center for Incas –Lgst in SA in volume Notice the intense terracing!!

Agua Lake Titicaca is fed by rivers, melting glaciers, & rainfall –Losing water with shorter rain seasons & less glaciers (lowest since 1949)

Lake Maracaibo- SA’s largest (Venezuela) –Caribbean inlet Brackish water –Rich oil fields Ven. in OPEC Land is sinking in areas due to removal of oil Caribbean Sea

Lake Nicaragua- CA’s largest lake (b/w Nicaragua & Costa Rica) –Smaller than Titicaca –Has small volcanic islands w/in –Known for Caribbean pirates!

Resources Oil: Gulf of MX and southern Caribbean  MX, Ecuador and Venezuela are leaders in world (OPEC) Leaders in gold, silver, emeralds, copper (ancient civs. prospered with them) Problems: geography, lack of $, social/political unrest  prevent development of resources