1. Latin America
Unit 3
Movement Latin America stretches from Mexico in North America to the southernmost tip of South America. The region has a great variety of physical contrasts. Steamy tropical forests, thundering waterfalls, cold mountain peaks, and peaceful island beaches make up Latin America.

2. Physical Geography of Latin America
Chapter 7
The physical environment affects how people live. Latin America’s vast expanse of rain forest is the largest in the world and contains valuable resources. In mountainous areas, climate and vegetation are affected more by altitude than by latitude.

5. Landforms Middle America Mexico and Central America Central America
an isthmus, or a narrow piece of land that links North America and South America
Mountains are prominent features in many parts of Latin America.
Geographers divide the region of Latin America into three subregions: Middle America, the Caribbean, and South America.

6. Landforms Middle America Lies where four tectonic plates meet
Deposits of ash and lava make the soil fertile
Mountain ranges run along Mexico’s eastern and western coasts with a high plateau between.

7. Landforms Middle America Central America Thick forests
rugged mountains
coastal marshes
make it difficult to transport goods in that country
Central America has mountains and lowlands along its coasts.

8. Landforms The Caribbean The islands of the Caribbean Sea
A.K.A. = West Indies
divided into the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas

9. Landforms The Caribbean The Greater Antilles The Lesser Antilles
Largest islands
Cuba
Hispaniola
Puerto Rico
Jamaica
The Lesser Antilles
an archipelago
group of islands, curving from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad
The third group is the Bahamas, another archipelago.
Cuba has about half of the Caribbean’s land area.
Some islands are low-lying, but others, formed by volcanoes, have rugged mountains.
Some volcanoes are still active and can be damaging, but the fertile volcanic soil is good for growing sugarcane and tobacco.

10. Landforms South America The Andes world’s longest mountain system
are a cordillera and stretch along the Pacific coast of South America for about 5,500 miles (8,851 km)
The Andes mountain ranges and the vast Amazon Basin are South America’s major landforms.
Between the mountain chains lie plateaus and valleys, where most people live and farm.

11. Landforms South America Tropical grasslands known as the Llanos
stretch through eastern Colombia and Venezuela
The Amazon Basin is a low-lying area formed the Amazon River and covering 2.7 million square miles (7.0 million sq. km).
Highlands to the north and south border the basin.
The Brazilian Highlands end in an escarpment, a series of steep cliffs that drop down to the Atlantic coastal plain.

12. Landforms South America Pampas Another well-known plain
covers much of Argentina and Uruguay
provides grazing land for beef cattle and fertile soil for growing grains

13. Waterways Rivers The Amazon Latin America’s longest river
starts in the Andes and flows east about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) to the Atlantic Ocean
Latin America’s waterways provide important transportation routes.
Heavy rains and many tributaries, or small rivers that flow into a larger river, feed the Amazon.

14. Waterways Rivers Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay
form Latin America’s second-largest river system
These rivers flow into the Rio de la Plata
a broad estuary, or area where river currents and ocean tides meet—which meets the Atlantic Ocean
The Orinoco River flows through Venezuela to the Caribbean Sea, carrying fertile soil into the Llanos region.
Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo is South America’s largest lake and contains some of Venezuela’s oil fields.

15. Waterways Other Waterways Lake Maracaibo Venezuela
South America’s largest lake
contains some of Venezuela’s oil fields
Lake Titicaca lies between Bolivia and Peru.

16. Waterways Other Waterways Lake Titicaca between Bolivia and Peru
About 12,500 feet above sea level
the world’s highest lake
used by large ships.

17. Waterways Other Waterways Panama Canal Ships
use the canal to shorten travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

18. A Wealth of Natural Resources
Brazil
Latin America’s largest country
rain forests
provide timber, rubber, palm oil, and Brazil nuts
Latin America has vast natural resources, but political and economic troubles have kept some countries from fully using them.
, Brazil, is more than 55 percent forest, including a large area of tropical rain forests.
Brazil has large amounts of bauxite, gold, and tin but limited oil and natural gas reserves.
Its deposits of iron ore and manganese help support one of the world’s largest iron and steel industries.
To reduce its dependence on oil imports, Brazil uses alcohol produced from sugarcane and gasoline to produce a fuel for cars called gasohol.

19. A Wealth of Natural Resources
Energy Resources
Venezuela
region’s largest oil and natural gas reserves
Other Resources
Silver
mined in Mexico
Colombian
Mines the world’s finest emeralds
Chile
world’s largest exporter of copper
Mexico has large amounts of oil and natural gas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
Both countries use the supplies for their own energy needs as well as for exports.
Bolivia and Ecuador also have valuable oil and natural gas deposits.
Silver is mined in Mexico and Peru, and Venezuela has rich iron ore deposits.
The Caribbean islands generally have relatively few mineral resources, although Jamaica has large deposits of bauxite.
Cuba mines nickel, and the Dominican Republic mines gold and silver.
The Central American countries of Nicaragua and Guatemala have rich gold deposits, but political conflicts and transportation problems make mining these deposits difficult.

20. Climate Regions
Section 2

21. Hot to Mild Climates Tropical Climates Tropical wet
Vast rain forest are found here

22. Hot to Mild Climates Tropical Climates Amazon Basin South America
Home to the world’s largest rain forest

23. Hot to Mild Climates Tropical Climates Canopy
Trees grow close together
Tops form a dense canopy
Umbrella-like covering of leaves
So dense that sunlight seldom reaches the forest floor

24. Hot to Mild Climates Tropical Climates Caribbean islands
Developed a tourism industry despite hurricanes

25. Hot to Mild Climates Temperate Climates Humid subtropical climate
Short and mild winters
Long, hot, humid summers

26. Hot to Mild Climates Temperate Climates Chile Mediterranean Climate
Farmers grow large amounts of fruit

27. Hot to Mild Climates Dry Climates Atacama Desert
One of the driest places on the earth

28. Hot to Mild Climates El Nino
A set of changes in air pressure, temperature, and rainfall
Begins in the Pacific Ocean
Waters off Peru’s coast are unusually warm

29. Elevation and Climate Andes Four altitude zones of climate
Tierra Caliente
Hot land
Tierra Templada
Tierra Fria
Begins at 6,000 feet
Tierra Helada
Zone of highest elevation
Temps as low as 20°F

30. History and Cultures of Latin America
Section 1

31. History and Government
Section 1
Native American civilizations of Latin America developed ways of living that used the resources of their environment. People who lived in different areas depended on trade to obtain the goods they wanted. In colonial times, the people of Latin America exchanged goods with Europeans.

32. Spain
Portugal
France, Britain, and the Netherlands
Caudillos
United States and Spain
Panama
Fidel Castro

33. Key facts

34. Early History Early Native American Civilizations Olmec
Lived in Southern Mexico
1500 b.c.-300 b.c.
Grew corn, controlled minerals, built temples
Some Native Americans developed advanced civilizations in the region. Europeans later conquered much of the region and set up colonies.
Some Olmec cities specialized in farming, growing maize, or corn, and squash and beans.
Others controlled important mineral resources such as jade and obsidian, a hard, black, volcanic glass.

35. Early History Early Native American Civilizations Maya
Lived in the Yucatan Peninsula
300 a.d.-900 a.d.
Skills
Astronomy
Used their knowledge of stars, moon, and planets to develop a calendar
Had a number system based on 20
Used hieroglyphics to record history
A form of writing that uses signs and symbols
About A.D. 900, the Maya civilization mysteriously collapsed.

36. Early History Early Native American Civilizations Aztecs 1200 a.d.
Central Mexico
Tenochtitlan
Aztec capital
Around A.D. 1200, the Aztec people from the north moved into central Mexico and captured Tula.

37. Early History Early Native American Civilizations Inca 1400s
South America (Peru)
Empire
Stretched more than 2,500 miles
Cuzco
Capital
During the 1400s, the Inca empire, in what is now Peru in South America, stretched more than 2,500 miles (4,023 km) along the Andes.
The Inca ruler put in place a complex system of record keeping.

38. Cortez vs. Pizarro

39. Early History European Conquests 1519 Spanish Army
led by Hernán Cortés
Landed on Mexico’s Gulf coast
marched to Tenochtitlán, Mexico, and overtook the Aztec

40. Early History European Conquests 1532 Francisco Pizarro
attacked the Inca
killed the ruler
conquered that empire

41. Early History Colonial Latin America Spain
built an empire that included:
South America
the Caribbean
Middle America
parts of present-day United States

42. Early History Colonial Latin America Portugal
took control of what is today Brazil

43. Early History Colonial Latin America
France, Britain, and the Netherlands
overtook some Caribbean areas and parts of North America
The arrival of the Europeans transformed the populations of these lands by settling the land, setting up colonial governments, and spreading Christianity among the Native Americans.
They also used Native Americans as workers to grow cash crops.
Eventually, European landowners brought enslaved Africans for labor.

44. Revolutionaries
Vs.
Results

45. Forming New Nations Independence 1804 enslaved Africans Haiti
under François-Dominique Toussaint-L’Ouverture
threw off French rule in Haiti
Haiti
became the only nation ever created as a result of a revolt by enslaved people
Most of Latin America gained independence in the 1800s, but hardships followed for many of the new nations.
Despite many battles, Mexicans did not gain their independence until 1821, becoming a republic in 1823.
That same year, the countries of Central America won their freedom from Spain.

46. Forming New Nations Independence Simón Bolívar
won freedom from the Spanish for the present-day countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia

47. Forming New Nations Independence 1817 José de San Martín
liberated Chile and Argentina from Spanish rule
By the end of the 1820s, all of Spain’s and Portugal’s colonies in Latin America had won their independence.
Many of the new Latin American countries ended slavery.

48. Forming New Nations Political and Economic Challenges Caudillos
Ruled as dictators
Favored the wealthy over the poor
Many Latin American nations hoped their countries would become stable democracies with prosperous economies.
Obstacles arose, however, including conflict over the role of religion in their society, boundary lines, tensions between the rich and poor, and leaders known as caudillos who often ruled as dictators.
During the late 1800s, businesspeople from the United States and Europe set up companies throughout Latin America, exporting such products as bananas, sugar, coffee, copper, and oil.
Some Latin American countries decided to grow only one or two key products.
Prices and profits increased as a result, but a decline in demand caused prices to drop, followed by losses in income and jobs.
Benefits to Latin America’s dependence on exports included foreign investors who built ports, roads, and railroads; in turn, these caused city growth and the creation of a middle class.

49. Forming New Nations The United States and Latin America 1898
United States and Spain
fought a war over Spanish-ruled Cuba
Spain was defeated, and Cuba became a republic under U.S. protection
The United States also gained control of Puerto Rico.

50. Forming New Nations The United States and Latin America 1903
helped Panama win its freedom from Colombia
gained permission to build the Panama Canal
Over the next 25 years, American troops landed in Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic to protect U.S. political and economic interests.

51. Forming New Nations Modern Times 1959
a young lawyer named Fidel Castro
carried out a revolution in Cuba and set up a communist state
country whose government has strong control over the economy and society as a whole
In the mid-1900s, Latin American leaders borrowed heavily from banks in other countries, acquiring a large debt that weakened their economies.
Prices rose, wages fell, and people lost jobs.
Dissatisfied political and social groups in some countries rebelled against leaders who ruled ruthlessly or were in power too long.
In 1959 a young lawyer named Fidel Castro carried out a revolution in Cuba and set up a communist state.
In El Salvador, fighters supported by Castro battled government troops armed by the United States.

52. Latin America’s challenges

53. Forming New Nations Modern Times Latin America’s challenges
population is growing
resources are limited
Growing trade in illegal drugs has increased crime and corruption
tensions still exist between rich and poor because of differences
Difficult economic and political reforms in the 1980s helped strengthen many Latin American countries, but these changes were often harsh and turned many Latin Americans against dictators.
During the 1990s, democratic movements succeeded in several countries.
Latin America’s population is growing rapidly, but resources are limited.
Growing trade in illegal drugs has increased crime and corruption, and tensions still exist between rich and poor.
In the early 2000s, angry voters in Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, and Chile elected new leaders who promised changes that would weaken the power of the wealthy and benefit the poor.

54. Cultures and Lifestyles
Section 2

55. The People Population Patterns
Coasts of South America and areas in Mexico and Central America
Where most people live
Why?
Favorable climates
Fertile land
Latin Americans come from a variety of cultures, but many share common characteristics.
Latin America’s highest birthrates are in Central America.
Guatemala and Honduras are expected to double in population by 2050.

56. The People Migration Movement of people
included Europeans, Africans, and Asians, either willingly or by force
Some Latin Americans migrate to the United States.
All of these new arrivals bring elements of their culture with them.
Latin Americans also move within their country or the region.
In certain rural areas, population growth has resulted in a shortage of fertile land, and smaller farms cannot support large families.
People often leave to find jobs elsewhere, usually in cities, resulting in urbanization.

57. The People Growth of Cities South America
about 80 percent of people live in cities
Central America and the Caribbean
about 65 percent are urban dwellers
Today most Latin Americans live in rapidly growing cities.
Most Latin Americans leave villages for the cities to find better jobs, schools, housing, and health care.
As city populations grow, jobs and housing become scarce and many people find themselves in miserable conditions.

58. The People Ethnic Groups and Languages
Latin America’s Native Americans
live in Mexico; Central America; and the Andes countries of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
African Latin Americans
form a high percentage of the populations in the Caribbean islands and northeastern Brazil
Latin America’s people include Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and mixtures of these groups.
Since the 1400s, millions of Europeans, mostly Spanish or Portuguese, have settled in Latin America. Italians, British, French, and Germans have come as well.
In the 1800s, many Spanish and Italian immigrants settled in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, so these three nations today are mainly populated by people of European descent.
They are descended from enslaved Africans brought as laborers during colonial days.
Large Asian populations live in the Caribbean islands and some countries of South America.
In Guyana about one-half of the population is of South Asian or Southeast Asian ancestry.
Many people of Chinese descent make their homes in Peru, Mexico, and Cuba.
About 1 million people of Japanese descent live in Brazil.
In countries such as Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Colombia, mestizos, or people of mixed Native American and European descent, make up the largest part of the population.
In Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil, people of mixed African and European descent form a large percentage of the population.

59. The People Languages Spanish Portuguese Quechua Creole
most widely spoken language in Latin America
Portuguese
Brazilians mostly speak Portuguese
Quechua
Creole
Native American languages are still spoken in many countries.
Quechua, spoken centuries ago by the Inca, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia.
In the Caribbean, English and French are widely spoken.
In some countries, people have developed a pidgin language by combining parts of different languages.
An example is Creole, spoken in Haiti.

60. Daily Life Religion Most Latin Americans are Christian Roman Catholics
The largest Christian group
Do Graphic organizor

61. Daily Life Family Generations live together
Elders cared by their children
Adult brothers and sisters
Live near each other and their children (cousins) form close relationships
Father
Family leader
Decision maker
Mother is leader of family in other parts of the Caribbean

62. Daily Life
The Arts
Murals
Reflect Maya and Aztec traditions

63. Latin America Today
Chapter 9

64. Mexico
Section 1
Patterns of economic activities result in global interdependence. Many Mexicans now depend on factory jobs. Those who cannot find work at home migrate to the United States in search of work.

65. Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture
Mestizos
People with a Spanish and Native American heritage
Mexico’s culture reflects its Native American and Spanish past as well as modern influences.
Many Mexican cities are organized around large plazas, or public squares, that serve as centers of public life.

66. Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture
Mexico City
The largest city in Mexico

67. Mexico’s People, Government, and Culture
Mexico’s Government
President
Can only serve 1 six year term
Mexico is a federal republic.
The president has more power than the legislative and judicial branches but can serve only one six-year term.
After a revolution in the early 1900s, one political party ruled Mexico for decades, but in 2000, voters elected a president from a new party.

68. Mexico’s Economy and Society
Using the attached worksheet, list the key facts about Mexico’s economic regions.
Mexico’s North region has large stretches of land that are dry and rocky, so farmers have built canals to carry water to fields of cotton, grains, fruits, and vegetables grown for export.
Grasslands in the North support cattle ranches.
Mexican cowhands are called vaqueros.
The North also profits from rich deposits of copper, zinc, iron, lead, and silver.
Manufacturing is located in cities such as Monterrey, Tijuana, and Ciudad Juárez, near or along the Mexico–United States border.
Many foreign companies have built maquiladoras, or factories in which workers assemble parts made in other countries. The finished products are then exported.
Central Mexico holds more than half of Mexico’s people.
Although it is situated in the Tropics, this area has a high elevation that keeps it from being hot and humid.
Temperatures are mild, and the climate is pleasant year-round.
Fertile soil created by volcanic eruptions over the centuries allows for productive farming.
Large industrial cities, such as Mexico City and Guadalajara, prosper in central Mexico.
Workers make cars, clothing, household items, and electronic goods.
The coastal area along the Gulf of Mexico is a center of Mexico’s energy industry because of offshore oil and gas deposits.
Mexico’s South is the poorest economic region.
The mountains in the center of this region have poor soil.
Subsistence farms are common here.
Coastal lowlands have good soil and abundant rain.
Wealthy farmers grow sugarcane or bananas on plantations.
Both coasts in the South have beautiful beaches and a warm climate.
Resorts at Acapulco on the Pacific coast and Cancun on the Caribbean coast’s Yucatán Peninsula attract tourists from around the world.

69. Mexico’s Economy and Society
Economic and Social Changes
Smog
A thick haze of fog and chemicals
While Mexico’s economy is improving, the country still faces significant challenges from poverty, overcrowded cities, and environmental issues.
As Mexico’s economy has grown, pollution has increased.
The mountains that surround Mexico City trap car fumes and factory smoke, resulting in smog, an unhealthy, thick haze of fog and chemicals, often covering the city.

70. Mexico’s Economy and Society
Population and Ethnic Challenges
Illegal immigration
U.S.
Tightened controls along the border
Mexico’s population has grown rapidly in recent decades, and many people have moved to the cities to find jobs.
Because many jobs pay low wages, people have been crowded together in slums.
Many Mexicans who cannot find work become migrant workers, or people who travel to find work when extra help is needed to plant or harvest crops.
They legally and sometimes illegally cross Mexico’s long border to work in the United States.
Despite low pay, migrant workers can earn more in the United States than in Mexico.

71. Central America and the Caribbean
Section 2
The physical environment affects how people live.

72. Countries of Central America
Made up of seven countries
Farming is the main way of life in Central America, where many people are poor.
Guatemala has rugged mountains, thick forests, and blue lakes.
About half its people are descended from the ancient Maya but many others are of mixed Maya and Spanish origin.
Maya languages and Spanish are spoken.
Guatemala has fertile volcanic soil.
Most of the land is owned by a small group of people who hold most of the wealth and power.
During the late 1990s, rebel groups fought the government for control of the land, resulting in more than 200,000 people killed or missing.
In the past, many Guatemalan farmers produced only bananas and coffee, but today they are shifting production to other crops that have higher values, such as fruits, flowers, and spices.
In 2004, Guatemala and its Central American neighbors agreed to free trade, or removal of trade barriers, with the United States in the hope of selling more of their goods to their northern neighbor.

73. Countries of Central America
Costa Rica
Has no army
In Costa Rica, a stable democracy rules, and no wars have been fought within or outside the country since the 1800s.
As a result, Costa Rica has no army—only a police force to keep law and order.
Costa Rica also has fewer poor people than other Central American countries.
One reason is a higher literacy rate, or the percentage of people who can read and write.
Workers with reading skills can be more productive and earn higher incomes.

74. Countries of Central America
Panama
Profits from fees, or set charges, that ships pay to use the canal
An important banking center
Panama lies on the narrowest part of Central America.
It is best known for the Panama Canal, which shortens distance and travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
In 1999 the United States gave Panama control of the canal.
Today, fees that ships pay to use the canal go to Panama, and the commerce brought by the canal has made the country an important banking center.

75. Countries of the Caribbean
Cuba
Command Economy- the communist government decides how resources are used and what goods and services are produced
Many Cubans haven’t prospered under this system
Although most Caribbean island countries are poor, several are turning to tourism to help their economies grow.
Cuba lies about 90 miles south of Florida.
It has a command economy, in which the communist government decides how resources are used and what goods and services are produced.
To end Cuba’s past dependence on sugar exports, the government is developing tourism and other industries, although these efforts have not yet succeeded.
The country’s longtime dictator, Fidel Castro, tightly controls society, and people who criticize the government are often arrested and jailed.

76. Countries of the Caribbean
Puerto Rico
A commonwealth-self governing territory of the U.S.
Makes more money from tourism than any other Caribbean island
Since 1952, Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth, or a self-governing territory, of the United States.
Puerto Ricans are American citizens, and they can come and go as they wish between Puerto Rico and the United States mainland.

77. South America
Section 3

78. Brazil Known for its Amazon rain forest
Brazilians call the rainforest the selva
Brazil is a leading economic power, but concerns have grown about its use of the Amazon rain forest.
Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world and the largest in South America.
The country is known for its Amazon rain forest, which Brazilians call the selva.
With 187 million people, Brazil has the largest population of all Latin American countries.

79. Brazil People Largest population in all of Latin America
Portuguese culture
Largest cities- Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro
Many Brazilians have moved from rural to coastal cities to find better jobs
Favelas- overcrowded slum areas
The culture is largely Portuguese, but today’s Brazilians are of European, African, Native American, Asian, or mixed ancestry.
Almost of them speak a Brazilian form of Portuguese, which includes words from Native American and African languages.
São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are among the largest cities in the world.
In recent years, millions of Brazilians have moved from rural areas to coastal cities to find better jobs, often settling in favelas, or overcrowded slum areas that surround many Brazilian cities.
To reduce city crowding, the government now encourages people to move back to less-populated, inland areas.
In 1960 Brazil moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to the newly built city of Brasília, 600 miles inland, and now home to more than 2 million people

80. Valuable mineral resources
Brazil
Economy
Productive farms
Valuable mineral resources
Oil
Hydroelectric energy
Industries
Brazil grows more coffee, oranges, and cassava than any other country.
Brazil’s agricultural success is due to farmers having cleared more rain forest land to grow crops, using new use machinery to perform many tasks, and planting crops that have been scientifically changed to produce more and to prevent disease.
Brazil has valuable mineral resources, such as iron ore, bauxite, tin, manganese, gold, silver, and diamonds.
Offshore deposits of oil, as well as hydroelectric power from rivers, supply the country with energy.
Brazil also uses sugarcane to produce a substitute for gasoline.
Most manufacturing takes place in São Paulo and other southeastern cities.
Factory workers produce machinery, airplanes, cars, food products, medicines, paper, and clothing.

81. Brazil The Rain Forest Amazon- Brazil’s greatest natural resource
Deforestation- a cause of the world’s climate problem
Brazil’s Amazon rain forest is the world’s largest rain forest area, yet it also has the highest rate of deforestation.
To increase jobs and make products for export, Brazil’s government has encouraged mining, logging, and farming in the rain forest.
Tropical forests give off huge amounts of oxygen and play a role in maintaining the Earth’s climate patterns.
They also provide shelter to many wildlife species that may not survive if deforestation continues.
Although the rain forest belongs to Brazil, deforestation is a global issue, and other nations have convinced Brazil to protect at least part of the rain forest from economic development.

82. Brazil
Government
Portuguese- First and largest European group to settle Brazil
Democratic federal republic

83. Argentina People second-largest country after Brazil
85% of people are of European ancestry, especially Spanish and Italian
Capital-Buenos Aires
Argentina has experienced harsh military rule but now has a democratic government.
Argentina is South America’s second-largest country after Brazil.
The Andes are in the west. South and east of the Andes is a dry, windswept plateau called Patagonia.
In the center of Argentina are vast treeless plains known as the Pampas.
About 85 percent of Argentina’s people are of European ancestry, especially Spanish and Italian.
More than one-third of the country’s population lives in the capital, Buenos Aires.

84. Gauchos- national symbol
Argentina
Economy
Gauchos- national symbol
Ranches
Beef- chief export
Industrialized
Argentina’s economy depends heavily on farming and ranching.
Huge ranches cover the pampas.
There, gauchos, or cowhands, raise livestock.
Beef and beef products are Argentina’s chief exports.
Argentina is one of the most industrialized countries in South America.
Most factories are in or near Buenos Aires.
They produce food products, cars, chemicals, and textiles.
Zinc, iron ore, and copper are mined in the Andes. Oil fields lie on the Andes and in Patagonia.
Argentina borrowed money from foreign banks during the late 1900s, creating a high national debt, or money owed by the government.
When the country had to default, or miss a debt payment, people in other countries stopped investing in Argentina’s businesses, causing a severe economic slowdown.
Recently the economy has recovered, and part of the debt has been paid off.

85. Argentina Government democratic federal republic
powerful president who is elected every four years
After independence in the early 1800s, Argentina was torn apart by civil war.
By the mid-1850s, a strong national government had emerged, and Argentina prospered.
During the early 1900s, the military took over, and Juan Perón became a dictator in the late 1940s.
Perón tried to improve the economy and to help the workers, but he also restricted freedom of speech and the press.
In 1955 a revolt drove Perón from power and restored democracy.
Military officers again took control of Argentina in the 1970s.
They ruled harshly and secretly seized and killed thousands of people they believed opposed their policies.
Argentina is now a democratic federal republic, consisting of a national government and 28 provincial governments.
The nation has a powerful president who is elected every four years.
Laws are made by a two-house legislature.
A Supreme Court heads a system of judges.

86. Other Countries of South America
Venezuela
Capital- Caracas
President- Hugo Chavez
Venezuela lies along the Caribbean Sea in northern South America.
It is one of the world’s leading producers of oil and natural gas.
Venezuela also benefits from mining bauxite, gold, diamonds, and emeralds.
The country’s factories make steel, chemicals, and food products.
Farmers grow sugarcane and bananas or raise cattle.
In 1998 Venezuelans elected Hugo Chávez as president.
Chávez promised to use oil money to better the lives of Venezuela’s poor.
His strong rule, however, split the country into opposing groups.

87. Other Countries of South America
Columbia
Nearly 80 percent of Colombia’s people live in the valleys and highland plateaus of the Andes
Bogotá is the capital and largest city
Colombia has coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The Andes rise in the west.
Colombia has coal, oil, and copper and is the world’s leading supplier of emeralds.
Coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, and cotton are exports.
Despite these economic strengths, Colombia has much political unrest.
Wealth remains in the hands of a few, and many people are poor.
Since the 1970s, rebel forces have fought the government and now control parts of the country.
Drug dealers are a major problem in Colombia.
They pay farmers to grow coca leaves, which are used to make the illegal drug cocaine.
The United States has lent Colombia support in an effort to break the power of these dealers.

88. Other Countries of South America
Chile
Mining forms the backbone of Chile’s economy
Chile lies along the southern Pacific coast of South America.
It has an unusual ribbonlike shape that is 2,652 miles (4,268 km) long and an average of 110 miles (177 km) wide.
Chile’s landscapes range from extremely dry desert in the north to ice formations in the south.
Chile is a major world producer of copper and also mines and exports gold, silver, iron ore, and sodium nitrate, a mineral used in fertilizer and explosives.
Agriculture is also a major economic activity.
Farmers produce wheat, corn, beans, sugarcane, potatoes, grapes, and apples.
Many people also raise cattle, sheep, and other livestock.
Northern Chile’s fishing industry is the largest in South America.