Transcript Caribbean South America

Caribbean South
America
Geography
October 22 and 23, 2015
Caribbean South America
 Objective:
– Students will briefly examine the Caribbean South America
 Essential
Question:
– How are landforms created?
– How does culture effect a population?
– How can conflicts arise because of the diffusion of culture in an area?
– Why do cultures sometimes conflict with one another?
Notebooks
WARM-UP:
CNN STUDENT
NEWS
 Write a ONE SENTENCE summary on
TWO news stories from CNN Student
News.
 After the video you will have 5 minutes
to write your 2 summaries.
 Summary: “A brief statement or account
of the main points of something.
 Discussion to follow: What do you
think?
Caribbean South American Countries
Caribbean South America makes up of the
northern region of the South American Continent.
There are 5 countries in this region:
1. Columbia
2. Venezuela
3. Guyana
4. Suriname
5. French Guiana
Physical Features
 Rugged landscape & dense forests
have separated peoples and cultures
in this regon.

Andes Mountains in the west.

Forms a cordillera – mountain
system of parallel ranges.

Many active volcanoes &
earthquakes shake these mountains.
Physical Features
 Guiana Highlands in the east.

Tepuis – Steep-sided plateaus
capped by sandstone layers;
resisted erosion.

Longest river is the Orinoco River
basin. 1,281 miles.

Animals: Piranhas, catfish, and
crocodiles.
Climate & Vegetation
 Climate divided into 5 zones:

1. Tierra Caliente – “hot country”; hot and humid lower
elevations.

2. Tierra Templada – “temperate country”; Cooler air and
mountain forests.

3. Tierra Fria – “cold country”; Forests and grasslands.
4. Paramo – Grasslands & hardy shrubs.
 5. Tierra Helada – “Frozen Country”; zone of highest elevation.

Resources:
 Good soil & moderate climates = rich
agriculture.
 Oil, iron, bauxite.
 Lowland
forests provide timber.
 Coastal areas yield fish and shrimp.
 Rivers
used to produce hydroelectric power
(dams).
Assessment & Reflection
Imagine that it is the early 1500’s and that you are a Spanish Explorer.
You are journeying through Caribbean South America for the first
time.
Write one to two (1-2) journal entries that describe the Landforms,
Rivers, Climate, Vegetation, and Natural Resources of the region.
Journals should be descriptive
Feel free to “Invent Vocabulary” to name what you encounter.
Example: If you saw a tank, but you didn’t know that it was a tank, what
would you call it?
Colombia
 History:
– Chibcha – Indian Developed civilization.
– El Dorado – Mythological Golden city of
riches.
– Conquered by Spain in 1500.
– Late 1700’s struggling for independence.
Originally a huge nation called Gran Columbia,
dissolved into Central America.
 Today:
– Caribbean South America’s most populous
country.
– Few people live in the rain forest regions in
south.
– Most live in valleys and basins.
Colombia  Economy:
soil  coffee.
Continued –– Rich
Bananas. Corn. Rice. Sugarcane. Emeralds.
– Cassava – A tropical plant with starchy roots.
Important food crop.
 Culture:
– Isolated region.
– African traditions influenced songs and
dances.
– Chibcha – Ring toss.
– Roman Catholicism.
– Border conflicts with Venezuela.
– Many civil wars.

History:
– Columbus landed here in 1498. Spanish
colonized in 1500’s. Forced natives to work for
indigo, gold, and pearls.
– When many natives died, plantations brought in
Africans to take their place.
– Gained independence in 1830. Suffered from
civil wars.

Today:
– Most live along Caribbean Coast / valleys.
– 85% of pop. In cities & towns.
– Capital: Caracas.
– Poverty in rural areas is huge.
Venezuela

Economy:
– Oil production.
– Iron ore  steel.
– Dams along the Orinoco River produce
hydroelectricity.
– Small family farms & large commercial farms.
– Llaneros – Cowboys.
– Slash-and-burn agriculture.

Culture:
– Pardos – 2/3 Mixture of African, European,
and South American Indian ancestry.
– Spanish = Official Language.
– Baseball & Soccer are very popular.
Venezuela
Continued
The Guianas
 History:
– Spain is first to claim Guianas.
– Eventually lost region to Britain, France, and the
Netherlands.
– Established coffee, tobacco, & cotton plantations.
– Slavery illegal in 1800’s. Brought in indentured
servants (Asia) – people who pay for passage
to work for a number of years.
 Today:

3 countries: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana.
 Guyana – British.
 Suriname – Netherlands / Dutch.
 French Guiana – France.
The Guianas
 Economy:
–Aluminum. Forestry. Shrimp.
 Culture:
–Pidgin Languages – Simple
languages that people who speak
different languages can understand
each other.
–Asian Workers prominent.
–Guyana: 1/3 pop. Descended from
African slaves.
Activity: