2. LATIN AMERICA Introduction SOL WG.4

3. Where is Latin America? Find Mexico on a World Map... …and move southward

4. Latin America

5. WHY is it called Latin America? Latin is a language The two widely spoken languages are Latin-based Portuguese is spoken in Brazil And Spanish just about everywhere else!!! www.skokienet.org/ festival/cultures.html

6. What physical characteristics do we need to know? In Central America and northern South America, it is TROPICAL In northern Mexico and southern South America, it is TEMPERATE CLIMATE

7. Along with climate, In the Southern Hemisphere: REVERSED:desreverRemember that SEASONS are REVERSED:desrever

8. When it is winter in the USA... …it is summer in South America (and southern Africa & Australia & Antarctica)

9. Physical Features Mountains in Latin America: Sierra Madres split along Mexico’s coasts Andes along west coast of South America Just like the west coast of the USA, the Andes mountains are VOLCANIC

10. Sierra Madres ANDES MOUNTAINS: The longest chain and 2 nd highest mountains in the world!! Mountains in Latin America can be split into agricultural “zones” as you move higher up the mountain. This is called “vertical zonation” Tierra Caliente crops that like hot temperatures Tierra Templada crops that like temperate land Tierra Fria no crops, just grazing Snow caps

11. Another look at Vertical Zonation in the Andes Mts.

12. EARTHQUAKESAlong with volcanoes, western South America and parts of Central America experience EARTHQUAKES due to the constant motion of the Earth’s tectonic plates- Just like in California!! But California can handle the earthquakes MUCH better because of building codes and earthquake-proof structures that are built in the states. Unfortunately, Chile, Peru, and other countries in Latin America don’t follow any type of building codes and whole villages can be wiped out in an earthquake!!!

13. More Physical Features: There are MANY islands in Latin America The Caribbean Islands are called the “West Indies” or the “Greater and Lesser Antilles” The Caribbean Islands are well known for their agriculture and tourism Greater (Bigger) Antilles Lesser (Smaller) Antilles

14. The Galapagos Islands (off the west coast of Ecuador) are known for their Tortoises and other scientific studies of plants and animals. Ga-LAP-ah-goes Islands

15. The Falkland Islands are controlled by the United Kingdom The British defeated the Argentines in the Falkland Island War of 1982 These islands have a HUGE military advantage because of the location to the Strait of Magellan......esp. if the Panama Canal is blocked during wartime “Falkland Islands (Isla Malvinas) Administered by the UK (claimed by Argentina)”

16. Other Physical Chars. Grasslands: huge, flat plains in Latin America- known for agriculture The Llanos are in Venezuela; the Gran Chaco are in Paraguay;and the most famous are the Pampas in Argentina

17. Latin American Cowboys are called Gauchos We’re usually found in grassland ranches…like the Llanos in Venezuela Or the Pampas of Argentina…. where the best beef cattle in the world is raised!! Llanos Pampas

18. http://www.ran.org/info_center/about_rainforests.html Rainforests: Costa Rica and Brazil~ Amazonia (in Brazil) is the largest in the world! “Amazonia” Unfortunately, we’re being cut down and set aflame to make room for interior farmland and construction!!!! OUCH!!! This is called “Slash and Burn” Agriculture

19. Rainforests Rainforests cover much of Latin America. Rain forests are near the equator. Amazon rainforest covers almost 2 million acres.

20. Water fall in the forest

21. Coastal Deserts: West Coast of South America ATACAMA DESERT in Chile One of the hottest and driest places on Earth. 1/16”/yr www.uni-magdeburg.de/ abp/picturegallery.htm This clip art is actually “wrong” to use for the Atacama…there are cacti shown!! THIS is more like it!!! But why can places be so dry??? The “rain shadow” effect is part of the reason

22. RAIN SHADOW EFFECT The Andes Mountains create rain shadows on leeward slopes and cause moisture to be blocked. That’s how we see such dry areas in Latin America. The Andes are so high that they block moisture from the ocean and create grasslands and deserts on the other side of the mountains. http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/simblob/rain-shadow.png Pacific Ocean ANDESANDES Windward side of the mountains Leeward Side or “protected” side of the mountains

23. Rio Grande Rivers in Latin America The AMAZON!! The largest river in the world!! Parana River Orinoco River I'm the Rio de la Plata. I’m actually not a river, but an estuary… the large water feature where fresh water from a river meets the salt water of the sea.

24. IMPACTS of Physical Features?: Location of urbanization? People settle along coasts High population growth rate? YES! Arable land means more food Large cities are called: MEGACITIES Sao Paulo Rio Mexico City

25. And the MOST important factor from Latin America??? Of course!!!! Didn’t YOU think coffee too?

26. Economic Characteristics diverse economies subsistence farming plantation agriculture slash and burn agriculture cash crops and food crops haciendas cattle ranches and gauchos

27. deforestation destruction of the rainforests oil resources--Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico Heavy smog and pollution-- Mexico City

28. disparity of income distribution NAFTA member diverse mineral resources –copper in Chile –iron ore in Venezuela and Brazil

29. Cultural Characteristics Indian civilizations--Aztec, Inca African traditions--slaves influences of European colonization--Spanish predominance of the Roman Catholic religion rigid social structure—no movement

30. Mestizos-European and Native location of settlements--coastal in South America Megacities with large squatter settlements rapid population growth out-migration

31. Cultural heritage music--African influences, steel drum bands, reggae traditional dances Spanish and Portuguese languages

32. Cultural landscape pyramids and cathedrals haciendas and ejidos (communal land) ruins at Machu Picchu ruins at Tikal

33. Latin America in Pictures

36. Squatter City in Brazil

37. Native American heritage

38. Mayan

41. Inca

42. Inca Chieftain

44. Steel Drums

45. Steel Drum Band

46. Cathedral in Mexico

48. Macchu Picchu in Peru

49. Macchu Picchu is an ancient city that the Inca claimed was the center of the earth.

50. Tikal in Guatemala

51. ancient Mayan city ceremonial and civic center Tikal is the "New York City" of the Maya, its skyscraper-like pyramids soaring up out of the jungle canopy.

52. Gauchos in Argentina

55. ANDES

56. Peaks in the ANDES

57. Looking up

58. Inca city of Machu Pichu

59. Sierra Madres

60. Amazon flowing through the rainforest.

61. Cattle on the Pampas

62. Shade trees on the llanos

63. A small pond on the llanos

64. Atacama

65. Bahamas

66. Bahamas from space

67. The Beach

68. Warm Blue Water