Transcript Landforms and Resources of Latin America

Ch. 9-1: Physical Geography
of Latin America
Essential Question: What are the important
landforms and resources in Latin America?
Regions of Latin America
Mexico
Central America
Caribbean
South America
Mountains and Highlands
• The Andes Mountains– part of the mountain range that runs through a
portion of North, Central and South America.
• United States- The Rocky Mountains
• Central America- The Sierra Madres
• South America- the Andes
Andes Mountains - Peru
Patagonia – Southern Andes
• Many volcanoes
• The longest mountain range in
the world, nearly 5,000 miles
long.
• Creates a barrier between the
coastal cities on the west coast
and the interior of the continent.
Highlands
• The Guiana Highlands
• The Brazilian Highlands
Guiana
Highlands
The Plains of Latin America
- Well suited for agriculture
Llanos:
Colombia and Venezuela
Pampas:
Argentina and Uruguay
Amazon River Basin:
Brazil
The Pampas: Argentina
The Amazon River and Other Major
River Systems
Amazon River:
Brazil
Orinoco River:
Venezuela and Colombia
Paraná River:
Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
The Mighty Amazon
• Amazon : Flows 4,000 miles from west to
east and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
Source is the Andes Mountains close to
the Pacific Ocean.
The Orinoco River
• Flows mainly through Venezuela and
Colombia. It creates part of the border
between the two countries.
The Paraná River
• begins in the Brazilian
Highlands and flows
southward through Paraguay
and Argentina. It meets with
several other rivers to create
the Rio de la Plata
Islands of the Caribbean
• Three Main Island Groups make up the
West Indies:
The Bahamas
The Greater Antilles
The Lesser Antilles
The Bahamas
• Made up of
hundreds of
islands off of the
southern tip of
Florida.
The Greater Antilles
• Made up of the largest islands in the
Caribbean including Cuba, Jamaica,
Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican
Republic), and Puerto Rico.
The Lesser Antilles
• Includes the smaller
islands in the region
southeast of Puerto
Rico.
5 Minute Writing
• Where in Latin America would you prefer
to live?
• Consider:
– Physical features
– Resources
– Things you like to do that will be impacted by
your physical environment
Ch. 9-2: Climate and Vegetation
• Essential Question: How do the climate
and vegetation patterns impact the daily
life of the people?
Climate and Vegetation
Tropical Wet
Rain forest
(Brazil)
Tropical Wet and Dry
Llanos and Pampas
(Venezuela and Argentina)
Semiarid
Patagonia- Argentina
Desert
Atacama Desert-Chile
Mid-Latitude Climates
Humid Subtropical
Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil,
Bolivia, and Argentina
Mediterranean
West coast of Chile
Marine West Coast
Southern Chile, eastern Argentina
Highlands
Vertical Climate Zones
About 15,000 ft
Tierra Helada (Mountain Tundra)
Tree Line
10,000-12,000 ft
Tierra Fria (Cloud Forest)
6,000 -6,500 ft
Tierra Templada (Wet forest)
2,500- 3,000 ft
Tierra Caliente (Dry Forest and
swamp)
5 Minute Writing
• Look back at what you wrote before.
• Has your answer changed based on the
climate and vegetation? If so, how and
why? If not, what do the climate and
vegetation add to your selected area?
Ch. 9-3: Human-Environment Interaction
• Essential Question: How have agricultural
techniques affected the physical
environment?
Agriculture
Slash-and-burn technique used to clear
the land for farmland in the Amazon River
basin.
Slash and burn- Panama
\
Slash and burn agriculture in Peru
• Terraced Farming is an ancient technique
introduced by the Inca for growing crops
on the side of a mountain. This reduces
soil erosion.
Terraced farming - Peru
Urbanization
• Push and Pull factors:
People are moving from
rural to urban areas in
search of better
opportunities.
Push Factors
• Push factors:
reasons people
move away from
rural areas
• Ex: Poverty, poor
medical care, poor
educational
opportunities, lowpaying jobs
Pull Factors
• Pull factors: reasons people are drawn to
the cities.
• Ex: Possibilities for work, education,
medical care.
Urbanization: The Move to the Cities
From Country to City
• Highly urbanized countries: Argentina, Chile,
Uruguay, Brazil
• Subsistence farming barely supports people
and their families
- they move to cities to improve their lives
Urbanization: The Move to the Cities
Rapidly Growing Cities
• Six of Latin America’s most populous cities
are in South America
- São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
Lima, Peru
- Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bogotá,
Colombia;
Santiago, Chile
• Most populous city in Latin America is
Mexico City
- 18 to 20 million in city, 30 million in region
Urbanization: The Move to the Cities
Rapidly Growing Cities
• Similar problems affect cities throughout
region
- growing slums
- increasing unemployment and crime
- environmental problems include air
pollution,
drinking water shortages
• Governments can’t afford facilities to
support population increases
- failing infrastructure—sewers, transportation,
electricity, housing
Urban Sprawl
•
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•
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Unemployment
Crime
Illegal Drug trafficking
Slums
Pollution
Sanitation
Shortages of clean drinking water and
housing
The Constitution Square, Or Zócalo. With The Palacio Nacional, Mexico City, Located On The East Side.
Photo Taken From The Top Of The Latin American Tower. Looking East. January 18, 2005
Tourism
• Advantages:
• ??
Advantages (Cont.)
• Creates jobs (mainly retail / transportation)
• Allows for some small scale business
• Creates tax revenue, which can be used
for schools, hospitals, ect
• Helps create infrastructure
• Allows outsiders to experience other
cultures first hand
Tourism
• Disadvantages:
??
Disadvantages
– Congestion
– Pollution
– Strain on local resources
– Resentment and hostility
– Large public debt due to building tourist
facilities
– Vice (drugs, prostitution, ect)
More Disadvantages
• Dilutes actual culture of natives /
indigenous peoples
• Seasonal / low paying jobs
• “addiction” to minimum wage
• People turn their back on stability for
modernity
5 Minute Writing
• Humans interact with the environment in
different ways. We depend, modify, and
adapt to our specific environment.
• Identify how Latin Americans have
depended, modified, and adapted to
their physical world.
Resources
Gold
Silver
Oil
Natural gas
Hydroelectric power
Copper
Timber
Agricultural Products
Peru / Mining
Mining Conditions
• Crowded
• Dangerous
• Little reg.
Conditions
Effects
Effects
Hydro Electric Power
-Brazil
Logging / Deforestation
(South America)
Increased 340% Since 2004