LATIN AMERICA RESOURCES, CLIMATE, HEI Ch

RESOURCES  Latin America is home to many natural resources.  Mineral resources (gold, silver)  Energy resources (oil, natural gas)  The region is also rich in agricultural and forest resources

RESOURCES  Mineral Resources  Mining provides Latin America with many resources including tin, lead, titanium, copper, and nickel  Energy Resources  Major oil reserves can be found in Mexico and Venezuela  Hydroelectric power is rich in Brazil because of the Amazon River  Trinidad is a major exporter of natural gas

CLIMATE  Latin America has a varied climate for many reasons  Latin America spans a great distance on each side of the equator  There are big changes in elevation throughout Latin America  Ocean currents from both the Atlantic and Pacific affect the climate

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES  Rain Forests and grasslands are abundant throughout Latin America  Tropical wet: Rain forests (like the Amazon)  Tropical wet and dry: savannas and grasslands with seasonal rain are found in Brazil, Columbia, and Argentina

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES

DRY CLIMATE ZONES  Dry climate zones are mainly found in Mexico and various countries in South America  There are not any dry climate zones in Central America nor in the Caribbean  Semiarid: found in Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina  Desert: Parts of northern Mexico and Peru  The Atacama Desert is in northern Chile  The Atacama is the driest desert in the world  Patagonia in Argentina also contains a desert

DRY CLIMATE ZONES

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES  Most moderate climate zones in Latin America are located south of the equator  Humid Subtropical: varied vegetation, rainy winters and hot, humid summer  Southern Brazil  Paraguay  Uruguay  Northern Argentina  Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and moist winters  Chile  Chaparral vegetation: plant life unique to the Mediterranean climate

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES  Marine West Coast  Southwestern South America  Highlands  Found in the mountains of Mexico and South America

HEI: AGRICULTURE  Native people were the first in the Western Hemisphere to change the environment to grow food. A few tactics were used:  Slash-and-Burn: The slash-and-burn technique was used to clear fields  Farmers cut trees and brush, then burn debris and use the ashes for soil  Sometimes this process can be destructive to surrounding nature  After a few years and slashing, burning, and repeating, the soil is exhausted and the farmers move on to a new location.  This is one reason for the steadily shrinking rain forests

HEI: AGRICULTURE  Terraced Farming: an ancient technique for growing crops on hillsides and slopes  Farmers cut step-like fields into hillsides  Allows steep land to be cultivated  This technique reduces soil erosion because it makes it harder for the soil to be transported along the slopes (steps instead of smooth)  The Inca and the Aztecs used terrace farming

URBANIZATION  People are moving from rural areas to the city throughout Latin America  Today Latin America is as urban as Europe and North America  The most urbanized countries in South America include: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil  Most people move to cities in search of better lives

URBANIZATION  There are multiple push/pull factors at work regarding urbanization  The “push” factors that push people away from the farm/rural areas include  Poor medical care  Poor education  Low-paying jobs  The “pull” factors that bring people into the city include  Higher-paying jobs  Better schools  Better medical care

URBANIZATION  Some large cities in Latin America include  Rio de Janeiro  Sao Paulo  Buenos Aires  The largest city in Central America is Mexico City

URBANIZATION  Some of the problems growing cities face include  Unemployment  Crime  Environmental problems  Local governments cannot afford to handle the population growth in many of these cities  This problem strains the infrastructure including sewers, electricity, transportation, and housing