Cultural Geography of Latin America 9 th Grade World Geography.
Unit 3 Latin America. Section 1: The Physical Geography of Latin America.
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Transcript of Unit 3 Latin America. Section 1: The Physical Geography of Latin America.
Unit 3 Latin America
Section 1:The Physical Geography
of Latin America
Mexico
• Mountains dominate Mexico– Sierra Madre Occidental– Sierra Madre Oriental– Sierra Madre del Sur
• Central Plateau: makes up more than half of the country’s area– Most of Mexico’s people
live in the plateau region
Central America• Central America is an
isthmus– Isthmus: a narrow strip of
land that has water on both sides and joins two larger bodies of land.
• Narrow plains run along the coasts
• Between the plains are mountains– More then a dozen (12) of
these mountains are active volcanoes
The Panama Canal
• Human made waterway• Stretches across the Isthmus of Panama• Purpose is to shorten travel time between the Atlantic
and Pacific Ocean
The Caribbean
• The Caribbean is made up of two types of islands– Smaller islands are made up of coral (tiny sea animals that over
hundreds of years meld together to create a rocklike substance)– Larger islands are the tops of huge underwater mountains
The Caribbean Breakdown
• The Greater Antilles:– Larger islands (Cuba
Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica)
• The Lesser Antilles:– An archipelago: a group of
islands– From the Virgin Islands
down to Trinidad
• The Bahamas– Another archipelago
South America
• Andes Mountains run along the western coast.– 2nd highest mountain
range in the world– World’s longest mountain
system
South America
• Highlands are located in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana
• The Brazilian Highlands end in an escarpment– Steep cliff at the edge of
a plateau with a lowland area below
South America
• The Amazon River Basin contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world– This rainforest covers more
than 1/3 of South America
South America
• Pampas are flat grassland regions that are very similar to the Great Plains of the U.S.– Located in Argentina
and Uruguay
South America
• Patagonia
• Located in the southernmost part of Argentina and Chile
• Made up of the Andes Mountains, plains, plateaus, and glaciers
South America from Space
Rivers and Lakes
• Amazon River– second longest river in the
world– Flows 4,000 miles from Peru
across Brazil– Contains about 20% of all
the fresh water on Earth– Collects more than 1,000
tributaries• Tributaries: the rivers and
streams that flow into a larger river.
Rivers and Lakes
• The Rio de la Plata is made up of the Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers.– Form the 2nd largest river
system in Latin America
• The 3 rivers flow into an estuary– An area where river
currents and ocean tides meet
Rivers and Lakes
• Venezuela has the Orinoco River and Lake Maracaibo
• Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes mountains– Highest lake in the
world
Section 2: Latin America Climate and
Natural Vegetation
A Varied Climate and Vegetation
• Latin America’s broad range of climate, vegetation due to 3 factors:
• it spans great distances on either side of the equator
• it has big changes in elevation due to the mountains
• its climate’s affected by both warm Atlantic, cold Pacific currents
Tropical Climate Zones
Tropical Wet • Rain forests—dense forests with different species of trees• hot and rainy all year • unique ecosystem—community of plants, animals living in balance • Largest is Brazil’s Amazon rain forest with 2 million square miles• 2,500 types of Amazon trees
– animals include anaconda, jaguar, piranha Tropical Wet and Dry • hot with seasonal rain
– Savannas found in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina
Dry Climate Zones
Semiarid • Dry climate with some rain• home to vast, grass-covered plains or desert shrubs
– found in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
Desert • Found in north Mexico, coast of Peru, north Chile’s
Atacama Desert• parts of Argentina’s southern Patagonia are desert • Vegetation is mostly shrubs growing in gravel or sand
Mid-Latitude Climate Zones
Humid Subtropical • Rainy winters and hot, humid summers;
varied vegetation– parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, south Brazil and
Bolivia, north Argentina Mediterranean • Hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters• vegetation is chaparral (drought-resistant
trees) • this is the climate of part of Chile along the
west coast– climate similar to that of California
Mid-Latitude Climate Zones
Marine West Coast • Cool, rainy winters and mild, rainy
summers; forest vegetation• occurs in southern Chile and Argentina
– similar to the climate of Oregon or Washington
Highlands • Varies from moderate to cold due to
elevation, wind, sun, landscape– found in mountains of Mexico and South
America
“A Blending of Cultures”
Human Geography of Latin America
Mexico Political
Mexico Physical
Central america Political
Central america physical
Caribbean Islands political
Caribbean islands physical
South America political
South america physical
Section 3: Mexico
Places & Terms Spanish Conquest: The conquering of the Native
Americans by the Spanish. Tenochtitlan: Ancient Aztec capital Mestizo: People of mixed Spanish & Native American
heritage Maquiladoras: Factories in Mexico that turn imported
materials into finished products for export. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement
Section 3: Mexico• Native Americans & the Spanish Conquest
– The rich fabric of native life in Mexico was torn apart by the Spanish conquest. In 1519 Hernando Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico & marched until he reached the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan (present day Mexico City). By 1521 he & his soldiers had conquered the Aztecs.
– Until 1821 Mexico remained apart of the Spanish Empire.– Spanish influence still remains in Mexico with it’s
language & Catholic religion.– Mexico has large mestizo population – people of mixed
Spanish & Native American heritage.
Cortes’ route to conquering the aztecs
Section 3: Mexico• Economics: Cities & Factories
– Mexico continues to struggle with two main economic challenges.• 1. Attempting to close a long-standing gap between
the rich & the poor. (Haves & Have Nots)• 2. Attempting to develop a modern industrial economy.
– Many people are moving to the cities seeking jobs, largely abandoning their farming roots.
– Most factories or Maquiladoras’ are located along the border of the US. (Why? Think NAFTA)
Section 3: Central America & The Caribbean
• Places & Terms– Cultural hearth: Heartland or place of origin of a major
culture.– Panama Canal: Ship canal cut through Panama
connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.– Reggae: Music developed in Jamaica in the 1960’s.
Blends African, Caribbean, & American music often dealing with social and religious problems.
Section 3: Central America & The Caribbean
• Central America is know as a cultural hearth as well as a crossroads.
• The Mayan Indians built a great civilization that spread throughout the region. What exactly happened to the Mayan people still remains very much a mystery.
Section 3: Central America & The caribbean• Although Central America was ruled by Spain, the
Caribbean was settled & claimed by many European powers.– In addition, with disease brought over by the Europeans that
killed many of the native peoples, Africans were brought over to work as slaves further blending the cultural exchange.
– Sugar remains an important crop in the Caribbean to this day as well as citrus fruits.
– The Panama Canal connects the two great oceans making Panama a crossroads of world trade.
Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south America
• Places & Terms– Inca: People of South America who built a
civilization in the Andes Mountains. (conquered by Francisco Pizarro in 1533)
– Quechua: Language of the Inca Empire. Now spoken in the Andes highlands.
– Mercosur: Economic common market that began operating in the southern cone of South America in 1995. (think NAFTA for South America)
Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south America
• One of the greatest civilizations of the Americas arose in the rugged Andes Mountains of Peru. They were later conquered by Francisco Pizarro in 1533.
http://www.history.com/shows/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas#
Section 4: Spanish-Speaking south america
• The Mercosur Trade Group– Economic common market that began in
South America in 1995.– Goals include:
• Make member economies more stable• Increase trade within the region• Channel some profits to groups who need it most
Section 4 South America
• Population density and distribution• Most of the population lives on the countries
coast lines
Sao Paulo, Rio de Janerio, and Bueno Aires ranked in the top 15 largest cities in the world
Section 4: Brazil
• Places & Terms– Treaty of Tordesillas: Treaty between Spain &
Portugal in 1494 that gave Portugal control over the land that is present day Brazil.
– Carnival: The most colorful feast day in Brazil.(think Mardi Gras)
– Samba: Brazilian dance with African Influences.
Section 4: Brazil
• The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) gave Portugal control over much of the land that became present-day Brazil. South America became a continent divided into the Spanish speaking west & the Portuguese-speaking east.
Section 4: Brazil
• Brazilian Life Today– The most colorful feast day in Brazil is
Carnival. Floats and parade through the streets of Rio de Janeiro and people dance to the music of the samba.
– There is a widening gap between the rich & the poor much like other Latin American countries resulting in crime waves and drug abuse.