1. The Physical Geography of Latin America

2. Mexico Mountains dominate Mexico
Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre del Sur
Central Plateau: makes up more than half of the country’s area
Most of Mexico’s people live in the plateau region

3. Central America Central America is an isthmus
Isthmus: a narrow strip of land that has water on both sides and joins two larger bodies of land.
Narrow plains run along the coasts
Between the plains are mountains
More then a dozen (12) of these mountains are active volcanoes

4. The Panama Canal Human made waterway
Stretches across the Isthmus of Panama
Purpose is to shorten travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

5. The Caribbean The Caribbean is made up of two types of islands
Smaller islands are made up of coral (tiny sea animals that over hundreds of years meld together to create a rocklike substance)
Larger islands are the tops of huge underwater mountains

6. The Caribbean Breakdown
The Greater Antilles:
Larger islands (Cuba Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica)
The Lesser Antilles:
An archipelago: a group of islands
From the Virgin Islands down to Trinidad
The Bahamas
Another archipelago

7. South America Andes Mountains run along the western coast.
2nd highest mountain range in the world
World’s longest mountain system

8. South America
The Amazon River Basin contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world
This rainforest covers more than 1/3 of South America

9. South America
Pampas are flat grassland regions that are very similar to the Great Plains of the U.S.
Located in Argentina and Uruguay

10. South America Patagonia
Located in the southernmost part of Argentina and Chile
Made up of the Andes Mountains, plains, plateaus, and glaciers

12. South America from Space

13. Rivers and Lakes Amazon River second longest river in the world
Flows 4,000 miles from Peru across Brazil
Contains about 20% of all the fresh water on Earth
Collects more than 1,000 tributaries
Tributaries: the rivers and streams that flow into a larger river.

14. Rivers and Lakes
The Rio de la Plata is made up of the Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers.
Form the 2nd largest river system in Latin America
The 3 rivers flow into an estuary
An area where river currents and ocean tides meet

15. Rivers and Lakes Venezuela has the Orinoco River and Lake Maracaibo
Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes mountains
Highest lake in the world

16. Climate of Latin America

17. The Tropics Much of Latin America is located in the Tropics
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
This area receives direct rays of the sun for much of the year

18. Climate Zones Climate Zone Location Tropical Wet
Some Caribbean Islands and much of Central and South America
Tropical Dry
Parts of Central America, most Caribbean Islands, and north central South America
Steppe
Northern Mexico, coastal Peru and Chile, northeastern Brazil, and southeastern Argentina
Desert
Pacific coast of Northern Chile (Atacama Desert)
Mediterranean
Central Chile
Humid Subtropical
Southeastern Brazil to the Pampas in Argentina and Uruguay
Marine West Coast
Southern Chile and Southern Argentina

20. Climate of Latin America
Andes:
Below sub-zero temperatures
why are the Andes Mountains cold?
Amazon River Basin:
Tropical heat (80°F)
Receives over 80 inches of rain per year
Atacama Desert
One of the driest places on Earth
what physical feature creates the desert?

21. The Atacama Desert

22. Climate in the Caribbean
Climate is usually sunny and warm
Hurricane Season: June to November