By: Mr. Maney

 Essential Questions/Main Objectives: 1) Why study Latin America? 2) What are the main geographic features of Latin America and how do they affect people’s lives? 3) Who are the peoples of Latin America both past and present?

Regions of Latin America Central America The Caribbean South America South America

 Main objective: Explain the main geographic features of Latin America and how do they affect people lives.

 Statistics: - Land Size: 742, 490 sq. miles - Water: 19, 116 sq. miles - Total Land Area: 761, 606 sq. miles - Mexico is divided into 31 states and 1 federal district. - Capital: Mexico City

The Tropical Hemisphere

 Sierra Madre – “mother range” - Occidental: runs north to south in western Mexico - Oriental: runs north to south in eastern Mexico - Del Sur: mountain range in southern Mexico - Trans-Mexican Volcano Belt – pine forests, volcanic activity. Volcanoes are found throughout the country but concentrated in the southern portion of the country.

Active Volcanoes

 Gulf Coast Plains lies to the east (along the Gulf of Mexico)  Coastal Plain (western Mexico)

 Central Mexico Plateau - Northern & central Mexico - Covered mostly by deserts & very dry shrublands

 Tropical & subtropical  Dry central areas between the mountains  Wet and forested in the higher altitudes  Wet and dry seasons

 A long line of volcanoes (many still active) extends from Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico

 Baja Peninsula extends about 750 miles south from U.S. border.  Yucatan Peninsula seperates Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. - Tree covered, thick tropical jungles along borders with Central America

 Rio Grande River – Rio Bravo in Mexico; creates border between U.S. & Mexico  Pacific Ocean – borders Mexico to the west  Gulf of Mexico – borders Mexico to the east  Caribbean Sea – east of Mexico