Agenda 9/25/20121. Warm-up: Week 5, Day 1.

a) Two questions. Two minutes for each question. 2. Intro to South America Power Point3. Map & Notes on South America:

a) Physical Geography• Parts 3 & 4 of the World Map Activity is due

Friday Sept. 28 in class. • Remember this is a test grade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STAAR Test

• Questions are very rarely recall of material from the class.

• Most questions will ask you to use a skill and content knowledge to answer a question. – This is a harder type of question!

General Facts:

• 4th largest continent in land area• In the Western Hemisphere, South of Central

America• Between the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans– 7,000 miles across

Mountains:

• Andes Mountains- the longest and some of the highest in the world– Run 4,500 miles in western South America. – Once part of the Incan Empire

Mountains

andPeaks

Andes Mts.

Sierra Madres Mts.

Guiana Highland

s

Brazilian Highland

s

Patagonian

Plateau

Andes Mountains (Peru)

The Eastern Flank of the Andes

Llamas in the Andes

Guianan Highlands, Venezuela

Brazilian Highlands

Patagonian Region (Chile)

Grasslands/Plains

• Most of South America = mountains and poor soil = unproductive land.

• Pampas in Argentina & Uruguay = fertile soil for growing crops & grazing cattle.

Valleys

Plainsand

Basins Amazo

n Basin

Pam

pas

Mato Gross

oGran Chac

o

Llano

s

Amazon Rain Forest

Mato Grosso

Cattle Ranching on the Pampas

Gauchos of the Pampas, Argentina

Deserts

Atac

ama

Dese

rt

Nazca Desert

Atacama Desert

Nazca Desert

Rainforests

• In northern part = warm, humid climates– Amazon Rainforest- world’s largest – in Brazil.

• Being cut down (deforestation) for ranches & farms.

Amazon Rain Forest

On the Ground Floor of the Rain Forest

Three-Tiered Canopy

Jungle Fauna

Deforestation in the Amazon

Bodies of Water

• Amazon River- 2nd longest in the world, largest in the world = more water.

• Others are Orinoco R. and Rio de la Plata– Most people live along or near rivers.

Bodiesof

Water

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Gulf of Mexico

Caribbean Sea

Amazon R.

Orinoco R.

Uruguay R.

Magdalena R.

Sao Francisco

R.

Lake Titicac

a

Lake Maracai

bo

Rio de La Plata

Parana R.

The Panama Canal

Going Through the Panama Canal

Climate

• Warm because near the equator• Mountains & Ocean winds = comfortable

temperatures• More people at higher elevations where

cooler.

The Tropical Hemisphere

LatinAmerica

nClimaticZones

Elevation

Altitudinal Zonation:Vertical Climate