Features of Latin America

Standards  SS6G1 The student will locate selected features of Latin America and the Caribbean  a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, Amazon River, Andes Mountains, Sierra Madre Mountains, and Atacama Desert

Standards  SS6G1 The student will locate selected features of Latin America and the Caribbean  b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.

Essential Questions  What are the major physical- political features of Latin America and the Caribbean?  Where are the major physical- political features of Latin America and the Caribbean located on a map?

Physical Features of Latin America and the Caribbean  Latin America includes Mexico, Central America, and South America  The islands of the Caribbean are also considered to be part of Latin American  The region is called Latin America because the languages spoken there (mostly Spanish & Portuguese) developed from the Latin language.

The Amazon River  Second-longest river in the world  Flows primarily through Brazil in South America  Carries the greatest volume of water of any river in the world

The Caribbean Sea  An arm of the Atlantic Ocean  Located between Cuba and South America  Islands in the Caribbean Sea are popular tourist destinations because of their beautiful beaches and mild tropical climate

Caribbean Sea

Gulf of Mexico  Another arm of the Atlantic Ocean  Cradled by Mexico and the south U.S. coastline from Texas to Florida  The Mississippi River and Rio Grande are two major rivers that empty into the gulf

Pacific Ocean  Largest and deepest of the world’s five oceans  Larger than the total land area of the world

Panama Canal  Built through the Isthmus of Panama  Allows ships to travel easily between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

Andes Mountains  A chain of mountains along the western edge of South America  Longest continuous mountain range in the world

Sierra Madre Mountains  Main mountain range in Mexico  Has three major chains – the Sierra Madre Oriental (in the east), the Sierra Madre Occidental (in the west), and the Sierra Madre del Sur (along the southern coast)

Atacama Desert  Known as the driest place on Earth  Located at a high elevation along the coast of Chile  Average temperature is 72 by day and 39 by night  Parts of the desert have never had rain (as long as records have been kept)