Transcript Chapter 9 Regional Atlas of Latin America

Chapter 9
Regional Atlas of Latin America
Section1: Landforms and Resources
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Latin: because the major Languages of the region,
Spanish & Portuguese, are derived from the Latin
language.
I. Mountains & Highland: Latin America part of North
America, all of Central and South America, and the
Caribbean Islands.
A. Mexico is often called a country of Mountains.
Two major mts. Ranges that shapes Northern Mexico.
1. Sierra Madre Oriental on the east.
2. Sierra Madre Occidental: west
3. Sierra Madre del Sur: both mts. Connect in the
south.
4. The Andes Mts. Of the South America
B. Other ranges in Latin America include the Guiana
Highlands. Highlands are make up of the mountainous or
hilly sections of a country. The include parts of Venezuela,
Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.
II. Plains for Grain and Livestock: South
America has wide plains that offer rich soil for
growing crops and grasses fro grazing Livestock.
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A. Colombia and Venezuela contain vast plains
called llanos, which are grassy, treeless areas used
for livestock grazing and farming.
B. Brazil also contains expansive plains in the
interior of the country. These are the cerrado,
savannas with flat terrain and moderate rainfall that
make them suitable for farming.
C. In parts of South America, the plains are
known as pampas, area of grasslands and rich soil.
Pampas are found in northern Argentina and
Uruguay. The main products are cattle and wheat
grain.
III. The countries of Central America & the Caribbean do
not have the extensive river systems the are found in South
America. South America has three major river systems.
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A. The Orinoco River winds though the northern
part of the continent, mainly in Venezuela. It
flows more than 1,500 miles, partly along the
Colombia-Venezuela border, to the Atlantic.
B. Farther south, the Amazon River flows about
4,000 miles from west to east, emptying into
the Atlantic Ocean.
C. The Parana River has its origins in the
highlands of southern Brazil. It travels about
3,000 miles south and west through Paraguay and
Argentina, where it is fed by several rivers, and then
turns eastward.
IV. The Caribbean Island consist of three
major groups: the Bahamas, the Greater
Antilles, & the Lesser Antilles. Together they
sometimes called the West Indies.
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A. The Greater Antilles are made up of the
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B. The Lesser Antilles are the smaller islands in
larger islands in the Caribbean. Theses include
Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, & Puerto Rico.
the region southeast of Puerto Rico. The are
divide into the Windward islands and the Leeward
islands. Located between the Gulf Mexico & the
Atlantic Ocean which were created by volcanic
activity or rocklike skeletons of tiny sea animals.
V. Latin America is a treasure house of natural
resources. They include gold, silver, oil, natural
gas, agricultural & forest resources.
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A. Gold, silver, iron, copper, bauxite
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B. Oil, coal, natural gas , uranium, and
(aluminum), tin, lead, and nickel—all these
minerals are abundant in Latin America. Many
of these minerals are mined and then exported to
other parts of the world, where they are made into
valuable goods.
hydroelectric power are all plentiful in Latin
America. Mexico and Venezuela have major oil
reserves. Brazil is rich in hydroelectric. Trinidad has
discovered vast reserves of natural gas.
1. How have the Andes Mountains affected the
settlement of South America?
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The Andes are a barrier to
movement between the Pacific
coast in the interior of the
continent. Countries on the eastern
and northern coasts are easier to reach
and to travel in. These countries are
more heavily settled.
Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
I. A Varied Climate and
Vegetation
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The Climate of Latin America ranges
from the hot and humid Amazon River
basin to the dry and desert-like
conditions of northern Mexico and
southern Chile. Rain Forest, desert, and
savanna are all found in the region.
Linking Climate to Elevation
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The foot of a mountain is hot &
rainless.
1000 ft. high, it may rain.
2000 ft. higher gets cold, desert-like
conditions may develop
Arid & Semi-arid climate because of the
rain-blocking fortress of the Sierras on
both coasts.
Linking Climate to Vegetation
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Northern Mexico: most desert scrub
regions.
Hills sides of sierras: coniferous forest &
mixed forest.
Southern Border to South America:
broadleaf & tropical climates.
Yucutan Peninsula & Caribbean Island:
tropical climates & natural vegetation.
Tropics of Middle America
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Pacific side of Middle America is wet & dry climate. It
has a rainy & dry season.
Caribbean coast is a tropical wet climate all year.
Hurricanes occur in this area. Start as Tropical storm
below 74 miles to hurricanes of 75 to 150 miles per
hour.
This tropical storm start as tropical depression with
winds of at least 39 miles per hour.
Average of six tropical storm become hurricanes per
year.
Region of Mexico
East Coast:Coastal
Plain east of Sierra
Madre Oriental, much
rainfall near mts., in
S.E., Occasional
Hurricanes, oil & gas
Fields in Gulf
of Mexico
Central Mexico: Mexican
Plateau, valley of
Mexico, tectonic
Activity, dry rain
Shadow; cool high land
climates
West Coast: Coastal Plain
West of sierra madre
Occidental, arid,& semiarid
Climates, desert &
Scrub
vegetation
Southern Mexico: small mts.,
Ranges, narrow valley,
Volcanoes pleasant
Subtropical
Climates in coastal
valley
Chapter 9: Human-Environment
interaction
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Slash-and-Burn: Method of clearing a field
by cutting & burning trees, grasses, & brush.
Effects: creates fertile soil it will exhausted,
and farmers have to move on.
Terraced Farming: The cutting of step-like
horizontal fields into hillsides.
Effects: great for farming in hills & reduces
soil erosion.
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. Push Factors: Factors that push people to
leave rural areas.( poor medical care, poor
education, low-paying jobs, no ownership of
land.
Effects: That cities are growing rapidly
causing pollution, overcrowding, etc.
Pull Factors: factors that pull people toward
cities.
Effects: reasons are higher-paying jobs,
better schools, & better medical care
Rapidly Growing Cities:
Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Rio
De Janeiro, Buenos Aires,
Lima, Bogota, Santiago.
Effects: Slums, unemployment,
crime, high levels of air pollution.
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Advantages of tourism: Creates
businesses and jobs; brings money into the
economy; can help reduce income gap
Disadvantages of tourism: cars congestion
& pollution; resentment among locals; local
govt. get into debt because of infrastructure,
& profits will sometimes not stay in the
country.
Questions
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1. How might landforms affect the way people in Latin America
live?
They protect & isolated communities
2. Where are the Sierra Madre & Andes mountains locates?
Mexico & South America
3. What are llanos & where are they located?
Grassy & treeless plains & are located in Colombia &
Venezuela
4. Name the two other plains of South America?
Cerrado & Pampas
5. What are the three major river system in South America?
Orinoco, Amazon, & Parana
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6. What are the three major island groups in the
Caribbean Island?
The Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, & the Lesser
Antilles
7.What country generates the most hydroelectric
power & why?
Brazil, because of its many rivers
8. To grow food in the mountains, what technique is
used?
Terraced farming
9. Where is the slash-and-burn technique of farming
used today?
Amazon River Basin
10. Name 3 of most urbanized countries in Latin
America?
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bogata, Mexico city, Lima
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11. Why do people move to cities?
Better jobs, schools, medical care
12. What are two advantages of tourism?
Increased in employment & more
money to local economy
13. Why is there resentment between the
local population and tourists?
The gap between rich tourists & less
well-off residents causes resentment.