Latin America

At a Glance Land area 7,885,082 sq mls Population = 453,000,000 Population density = 58/per square mile Urban population = 70% Largest city = Mexico City Population under 15/over 65 = 36%/5% Land area 9,631,420 sq mls Population = 298,444,215 Population density = 78/per square mile Urban population = 77% Largest city = New York City Population under 15/over 65 = 20%/12.5% Latin AmericaUnited States of America

Latin America a region that was influenced by Spanish/Portuguese settlers 1/6 of world’s land surface Runs for 5,500 miles From Rio Grande to Cape Horn In between have –Mexico –7 countries of Central America –13 island nations –12 countries of South America Lies between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans Map of Latin America

Geographical features Mountains Plains Rivers Rain Forests Deserts

Mountains Dominate much of Latin America One chain called La Cordillera In Mexico split and are called –Sierra Madre Occidental –Sierra Madre Oriental –Sierra Madre del Sur South America –The Andes 4000 miles/Longest continuous mts chain in the world/back bone of South America In Peru In Argentina Copper Canyon in Mexico

Problems Mts. cause –Block communication –Travel is difficult –Loyalties and ties with region rather then to nation –Mts are young and still developing = volcanic eruptions/earthquakes/ avalanche Earthquake in Mexico City

Plains Coast and inland plains Two of the most important –Pampas of Argentina –Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela

Argentine Pampas Spread almost 500 miles north to the Salado del Norte River and south to the Colorado River In the east the Pampas are hot, west they are dry Domain of the gaucho = person who works with cattle –Late 1800s way of life disappeared One of the breadbaskets of the world –Cereals/cattle/pigs

Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela From the delta of the Orinoco River in Venezuela westward into southern Colombia Made up of level areas, rolling plains and low mesas (broad flat elevated areas) Cattle major economic activity

Rivers Five major river systems –Magdalena in Colombia –Orinoco in Venezuela –Amazon in Brazil –Sao Francisco in Brazil –Rio de la Plata in Argentina

Rain Forest Mostly near the Equator Stay green all year-round Rainy and hot More kinds of trees and animals than any other area of the world Largest/oldest = Amazon Basin –Covers 1/3 of South America

Deserts Patagonian and Monte deserts of Argentina Atacama Desert in Chile –One of the driest in the world –No vegetation grows –People in towns have never seen rain Patagonian Desert Atacama Desert

Antiplano of Southern Peru

Santiago Mayan Women

Igauza Falls, Argentina

Walking Palm Tree, Costa Rico’s Rain Forest

Rain Forest Parrot

Brazilian Rain Forest

Volcano in Ecuador

Andres Mountains, Chile