1. Latin America
Land & Water

2. Where is Latin America? Located in the Western Hemisphere
South of the United States
Includes everything from the northern border of Mexico to the southern tip of South America
Includes everything in the Caribbean too
Three basic regions:
Mexico & Central America (Middle America)
The Caribbean
South America

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

4. Topography

5. Satellite Image of Latin America

7. Mexico & Central America
Area stretches 2,500 miles, which is similar to distance from L.A. to N.Y.C.
Mountains run the full length like a backbone, with coastal plains on either side
In Mexico a plateau lies between two mountain ranges & most of the population lives there
Central America is a isthmus which connects Mexico with South America
Mountains, some with active volcanos, run down the middle & coastal plains run along the coast

8. The Caribbean Two types of islands exist in the Caribbean
Some are made of coral and others are the peaks of mountains that begin at the ocean floor
Islands that are formed from the tops of mountains include Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola
These islands all have lowlands along their coasts & many have sandy beaches & coral reefs that make the area very popular for vacationers

9. South America
Andes Mountains are the second highest mountains in the world and the longest
People farm this area even though the elevations are often difficult to cross
Highland areas exist east of the Andes in Brazil, Guyana, & Venezuela
In the south is an area called the pampas, which are huge plains of Uruguay & Argentina
The largest tropical rain forest on the planet lies in much of the northern half of Brazil & covers 1/3 of the continent
One of the driest areas of the world is the Atacama Desert in central Chile

10. Mountains and Peaks Sierra Madres Mts. Guiana Highlands
Brazilian Highlands
Andes Mts.
Patagonian Plateau

11. Andes Mountains (Peru)

12. The Eastern Flank of the Andes

13. Llamas in the Andes

14. Brazilian Highlands

15. Amazon Rain Forest

16. Cattle Ranching on the Pampas

17. Latin America’s Waterways
Gulf of Mexico
The rivers in Latin America provide transportation, food & in some cases energy for the people of this region
The Amazon is the second longest river in the world, but carries more water than any river in the world – 20% of all fresh water on the planet
More than a 1000 tributaries make this river very powerful
Other important rivers of South America include the Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers which make up the Río de la Plata system
People in Venezuela rely on the Orinoco River, Lake Maracaibo, & Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world)
Caribbean Sea
Lake Maracaibo
Orinoco R.
Amazon R.
Pacific Ocean
Parana R.
Lake Titicaca
Uruguay R.
Paraguay River
Rio de La Plata
Atlantic Ocean

18. Adios!