Landforms Andes Mountains: South America – Home of the Incas, 20,000 ft. above sea level Sierra Madre Mts: Mexico & Central – Ring of Fire, pg. 203 Llanos- Colombia & Venezuela; grassy, treeless plains, herding animals, farms Cerrado- Brazil; savannas, flat, farms Pampas- Argentina & Uruguay; grasslands, rich soil

Andes Mountains

Landforms Orinoco River- Venezuela Amazon River- 4,000 miles Parana River- Brazil; 3,000 miles Rio Grande- Border of Mexico and U.S. Greater Antilles- Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico Lesser Antilles- smaller islands

Amazon River

Panama Canal- Allows ships to travel between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Natural Resources Oil Reserves- pg. 206 Natural Gas- mountain valleys, gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea Orinoco’s River in Venezuela rich in gold Mexico and Peru known for silver Colombia- emeralds Chile- World’s largest exporter of copper

Climate & Vegetation

Elevation and Climate, pg. 208 Tierra Helada- less than 20 degrees, snowy frozen land Tierra fria degrees, spaced evergreen, dense shrub Tierra templada- 65 to 75 degrees, broad leaf evergreen, needle-bearing evergreen Tierra calinete- 75 to 80 degrees, Coastal areas and foothills with some trees

Tropical Wet Dominates most of the Region High Temps, abundant rainfall year round World’s wettest tropical plain Flooding Canopy- dense layer of leaves More plants and animals per square mile than anywhere on Earth

Canopy

Tropical Dry Southwestern Mexico, Caribbean islands, North-Central South America High temps, abundant rainfall, but extended dry season Grasslands flourish Llanos, etc

Humid Subtropical Southeastern South America Short cool winters, Long hot summers Short grasses, plenty of rain Farmers plant alfalfa, corn, cotton

Dry Climates Northern Mexico, Coastal Peru, Chile Atacama Desert, no rainfall ever been recorded Poor soil, no vegetation, prickly cacti, drought-resistant shrubs