1. Latin America and the Caribbean
Physical Features of
Latin America and the Caribbean

2. Latin America
Latin America includes Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Latin America is a cultural region because the most commonly spoken languages are Spanish and Portuguese, and the religion of the area is Catholicism.

3. The Amazon River …second longest river in the world.
…flows mainly through Brazil.
…carries the greatest volume of water of any other river in the world.
Volume refers to the amount of water.

4. The Caribbean Sea …is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
…located between Cuba and South America.
…is a popular tourist destination!

5. The Gulf of Mexico …is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
…is located along the Mexican, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida coasts.
…the Mississippi and Rio Grande Rivers empty into the Gulf of Mexico.

6. The Pacific Ocean …is the world’s largest ocean.
…located on the western coasts of Latin America.

7. The Panama Canal
… was built through the Isthmus of Panama. An Isthmus is a narrow piece of land that connects two large bodies of land: N. America and S. America. The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.…is a transportation corridor!

8. The Andes Mountains …are located along South America’s western coast.
…are the world’s longest continuous mountain chain.

9. The Sierra Madre Mountains
…are the main mountain range of Mexico.
…are made up of three mountain chains: Sierra Madre Occidental (W),
Sierra Madre Oriental (E), and Sierra Madre del Sur (Southern coast).

10. The Atacama Desert …is the driest place on Earth.
…is located along the coast of Chile.

11. Atlantic Ocean
World’s second largest ocean. Located on the eastern coast of Latin America.