Major Geographical Features Latin America Major Geographical Features

Where is Latin America? Western Hemisphere south of the U.S. Includes all nations from Mexico to the tip of South America. Divided into three regions: Mexico and Central America (isthmus), Caribbean Islands, South America.

South America 3rd largest continent Settled by Spanish, Portuguese, French, English

Amazon River 2nd longest river in the world Flows 4,000 miles from Peru across Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean Carries more water than any other river in the world 20% of all the fresh river water on Earth It gathers power from over 1,000 tributaries

Amazon River Called the “Ocean River” because it drains an area of more than 2,000,000 sq. miles

Caribbean Sea Located east of Central America and northwest of South America

Caribbean Sea Two types of islands are found here: 1. the smaller islands are made of coral (skeltons of tiny sea animals melded together over the years; 2. the larger islands are tops of huge underwater mountains (Examples are Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico)

Gulf of Mexico Body of water west of Florida and east of Mexico

Pacific Ocean The western border of South & North America.

Panama Canal The shortcut of the Western Hemisphere The only way to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific without going around South America. (saves 7,800 miles in travel) It took 45,000 workers 8 years to remove 211 million cubic yards of earth and rock and complete this modern wonder It takes 8 hours for a ship to pass through the canal and costs $34,000.

Andes Mountains Run 4,500 miles along the western coast of South America Rise to more than 20,000 feet (the same height as 20, 100-story buildings stacked one on top of another.

Sierra Madre Mountains Part of the mountain system from Canada through the U.S. to tip of South America Run along western coast of Mexico in Central America

Atacama Desert Located in northwest Chile, it is one of the driest regions in the world.