LATIN AMERICA Economic Characteristics

Amazon River!!!! World’s Largest River!!!!! Found in the Amazon Rain Forest. Nile River World’s Longest River!!!!!!! Found in Egypt.

Amazon Rain Forest DEFORESTATION! It is being cut down at an alarming rate! due to … DEFORESTATION!

Venezuela Oil in: Ecuador Mexico

Copper in CHILE Atacama Desert

Venezuela Brazil

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT! Industry accounts for only a small part of the GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT! GDP = the total value of goods & services produced in a country in a year.

Hacienda – large farming/ranching estate

SUBSISTENCE FARMING Growing just enough food for themselves and their families.

Farming is practiced by carving steps out of the mountains. This is called TERRACING! Common in the ANDES MTS.

In the rainforest areas, poor farmers are cutting down the forests (deforestation) and burning off the vegetation. This is called SLASH and BURN!

Unfortunately, the soil is not very FERTILE and farmers are usually able to farm a piece of land for only a few years before moving to another location and starting the process all over!

Many large companies own land and have huge farms known as PLANTATIONS. This is known as PLANTATION agriculture. These types of farms grow CASH crops to be sold for profit. Sugar cane plantation

Examples of Cash Crops in Latin America: Coffee - Cacao – used to make chocolate Sugar Cane Sugar cane plantation

Latin American Cowboys are called Gauchos Or the Pampas of Argentina…. where the best beef cattle in the world is raised!! We’re usually found in grassland ranches…like the Llanos in Venezuela Latin American Cowboys are called Gauchos Llanos Pampas

PANAMA CANAL Connects Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean

In Mexico, many people are migrating to MEXICO CITY (URBANIZATION). They are looking for better places to live, better education, better health care.

Unfortunately, most end up living in SHANTYTOWNS on the outskirts of large MEGACITIES.

MEGACITIES = cities with a population over 10 million. Examples: Mexico City, Mexico Sao Paolo, Brazil Buenos Aires, Argentina

Favela is the Portuguese word for shantytown.

Mexico City’s major pollution problem??? SMOG!!!!

Economic Alliance NAFTA US, CANADA, & MEXICO

Brazil moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro To Brasilia

EJIDOS In Mexico, many community residents operate communally owned farms known as ... EJIDOS