1. From Mexico to Chile and Argentina
Latin America
From Mexico to Chile and Argentina

2. Latin America

3. WHY is it called Latin America?
Latin is a language
The two widely spoken languages are Latin-based
Portuguese is spoken in Brazil
And Spanish just about everywhere else!!!

4. In the Southern Hemisphere:
Remember that SEASONS are REVERSED:desrever

5. When it is winter in the USA...
…it is summer in South America (and southern Africa & Australia & Antarctica)

8. Mountain Ranges Andes Sierra Madres 2nd highest range in the world.
Run from Chile to Panama
Sierra Madres
In Mexico
3 different areas
ORIENTAL
OCCIDENTAL
DEL SUR

9. SOUTH AMERICA’s ANDES

10. Peaks in the ANDES

11. Looking up

12. RAIN SHADOW EFFECT Windward side of the mountains
Leeward Side or “protected” side of the mountains
ANDES
Pacific Ocean
The Andes Mountains create rain shadows on leeward slopes and cause moisture to be blocked. That’s how we see such dry areas in Latin America. The Andes are so high that they block moisture from the ocean and create grasslands and deserts on the other side of the mountains.

13. Inca city of Machu Pichu

14. Mexico’s Sierra Madres

15. Sierra rocky cliffs

16. Green slopes

17. Looking across the range

18. Amazon River Basin (dark green)

19. Amazon River Basin Over 1000 tributaries feed the Amazon River.
Drains an area almost the size of the USA.
Amazon largest river in world.
Drains 60 times more water then the Nile.

20. Amazon flowing through the rainforest.

21. Rainforests Rainforests cover much of Latin America.
Rain forests are near the equator.
Amazon rainforest covers almost 2 million acres.

22. Water fall in the forest

23. Deserts Atacama Desert Driest desert in the World.
Sheltered from the rainforest by the Andes

24. Atacama

25. Archipelagoes (groups of islands)
Bahamas
Hundreds of islands of the tip of Florida and to the North of Cuba
Greater Antilles
Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola
Lesser Antilles
Smaller islands to the South of Puerto Rico

26. Bahamas

27. Bahamas from space

28. The Beach

29. Warm Blue Water

30. IMPACTS of Physical Features?:
Location of urbanization?
People settle along coasts
High population growth rate?
YES! Arable land means more food
Large cities are called: MEGACITIES
Sao Paulo Rio Mexico City