1. Latin America
Geography

2. Latin America
The name describes the lands in the Western Hemisphere south of the United States
Stretches over 7,000 miles
Covers a large area between the Atlantic and Pacific

3. Regions Mexico Central America West Indies (Caribbean) South America
Country just south of the United States
Central America
Countries that lie between Mexico and Colombia
West Indies (Caribbean)
The islands located in the Caribbean Sea
Called Indies by early European explorers because they thought the islands were part of India
South America
Continent south of Central America
Made up of many nations

4. Mountains
Andes Mountains stretch over 4,500 miles in the western part of South America
Separate people in different parts of South America from each other
Has resulted in many different cultures

5. Grassland Plains (Pampas)
Mountains and poor soil make Latin America’s land unproductive
Pampas are an exception to this
Argentina and Uruguay
Llanos of Venezuela
Provide much of the fertile soil in Latin America
The rest of the land cannot produce enough to feed the people of the region
Most people, however, work in Agriculture

6. Rain Forests
Located on the east coast of Central America and the northern part of South America
Warm, humid climates
Receive a great deal of rainfall
Have made transportation and communication difficult among the people of Latin America

7. Rivers The Amazon river Orinoco River Rio de la Plata River
2,300 miles long
2nd longest river in the world
Orinoco River
Rio de la Plata River
A large percentage of Latin America’s population lives near these river systems
They provide a link in the area’s transportation system

8. Climate Majority is warmer because it lies near the equator
Mountains + winds from the oceans = moderate climate
Result: population density is greatest in the higher elevations where temps are comfortably cool
Areas of dense population-Food shortages occur and there is inadequate housing, health, and educational services

9. Resources Mexico and Venezuela have large amounts of oil
Most nations lack oil and other resources
This hurts their industrial development
Major crops grown in Latin America
Coffee, bananas, sugar, and cocoa
Most nations rely on single cash crops (crops raised for a profit), making them dependent on changes in world prices