The Land of Latin America 8.1
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CHAPTER 8 SECTION 1 The Land of Latin America
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Transcript of The Land of Latin America 8.1
CHAPTER 8 SECTION 1
The Land of Latin America
The Land
Latin America covers 8 mil sq. miles
Covers 16% of the Earth’s surface
It extends from the US-Mexico border to the southern tip of Argentina.
Why is it called Latin America?
The name “Latin America” refers to the languages spoken in this region. (Spanish and Portuguese are derived from Latin)
How is it divided?
Latin America is broken up into 3 different regions:
1. Middle America (Mexico and Central America)
2. The Caribbean
3. South America
Landscape of Latin America
LA’s rugged landscape is a result of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The plates have collided for millions of years, causing earthquakes and creating mountains and volcanoes.
Middle America Mountain Ranges
All of LA’s mountains are an extension of the Rockies. They are…..
- The Sierra Madre in Mexico
- Central Highland in Central America
- Andes in South America
Sierra MadreConsist of 2 mountain
ranges…..- Sierra Madre Oriental
(Eastern)- Sierra Madre Occidental
(Western)
They meet near Mexico City to form the Sierra Madre del Sur (of the South)
Central Highlands
Central Highlands are the mountains in Central America.
Many Caribbean islands are also a apart of this mountain range.
The islands are volcanic peaks and many of them are active!
The Andes
The Andes mountain range run along the western edge of South America.
It is the world’s longest mountain range stretching 4,500 miles.
It is also the highest mountain range rising more than 20,000 feet.
Rivers of Latin America
Rio Grande river forms the border between the United States and Mexico.
The Amazon River is the longest and most important on Latin America.
Parana River is the 2nd largest in South America
The Amazon River
Second longest river in the world!
The Amazon River extends about 4,200 miles across South America.
Starts in the Andes and extends to the Atlantic Ocean.
It carries 10 time the water value of the Mississippi River.
The Amazon River Basin
Several counties and other rivers drain into the Amazon River.
This is known as the Amazon River Basin.
It drains Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and Brazil.
Lakes in Latin America
LA has few large lakes
Lake Titicaca in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru is the world’s highest navigable lake (12,500 ft above sea level)
Lake Maracaibo is South America’s largest lake but connects to the Caribbean
Lake Nicaragua is the largest in Central America
Natural Resources
LA’s most significant resources are……
- Minerals- Forests- Farmlands- Water
Resources Continued
Venezuela and Mexico are rich in oil
Brazil is rich in gold
Peru and Mexico have silver deposits.
Chile is the world’s leading exporter of copper.
Resources Continued:
- Geographic inaccessibility- Lack of capital- Social and political
divisions
Hinder fuller development and distribution of resources in Latin America.
