Latin America Land & Water

Where is Latin America? Located in the Western Hemisphere South of the United States Includes everything from the northern border of Mexico to the southern tip of South America Includes everything in the Caribbean too Three basic regions: Mexico & Central America (Middle America) The Caribbean South America

Regions of Latin America The Caribbean Central America South America

Topography

Satellite Image of Latin America

Mexico & Central America Area stretches 2,500 miles, which is similar to distance from L.A. to N.Y.C. Mountains run the full length like a backbone, with coastal plains on either side In Mexico a plateau lies between two mountain ranges & most of the population lives there Central America is a isthmus which connects Mexico with South America Mountains, some with active volcanos, run down the middle & coastal plains run along the coast

The Caribbean Two types of islands exist in the Caribbean Some are made of coral and others are the peaks of mountains that begin at the ocean floor Islands that are formed from the tops of mountains include Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola These islands all have lowlands along their coasts & many have sandy beaches & coral reefs that make the area very popular for vacationers

South America Andes Mountains are the second highest mountains in the world and the longest People farm this area even though the elevations are often difficult to cross Highland areas exist east of the Andes in Brazil, Guyana, & Venezuela In the south is an area called the pampas, which are huge plains of Uruguay & Argentina The largest tropical rain forest on the planet lies in much of the northern half of Brazil & covers 1/3 of the continent One of the driest areas of the world is the Atacama Desert in central Chile

Mountains and Peaks Sierra Madres Mts. Guiana Highlands Brazilian Highlands Andes Mts. Patagonian Plateau

Andes Mountains (Peru)

The Eastern Flank of the Andes

Llamas in the Andes

Brazilian Highlands

Amazon Rain Forest

Cattle Ranching on the Pampas

Latin America’s Waterways Gulf of Mexico The rivers in Latin America provide transportation, food & in some cases energy for the people of this region The Amazon is the second longest river in the world, but carries more water than any river in the world – 20% of all fresh water on the planet More than a 1000 tributaries make this river very powerful Other important rivers of South America include the Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers which make up the Río de la Plata system People in Venezuela rely on the Orinoco River, Lake Maracaibo, & Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world) Caribbean Sea Lake Maracaibo Orinoco R. Amazon R. Pacific Ocean Parana R. Lake Titicaca Uruguay R. Paraguay River Rio de La Plata Atlantic Ocean

Adios!