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LATIN AMERICA

LATIN AMERICA. Introduction SOL WG.4 RHS-Geography Anderson. Where is Latin America?. Find Mexico on a World Map. …and move southward. Latin America. WHY is it called Latin America?. And Spanish just about everywhere else!!!. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil. Latin is a language

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LATIN AMERICA

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  1. LATIN AMERICA Introduction SOL WG.4 RHS-Geography Anderson

  2. Where is Latin America? • Find Mexico on a World Map... …and move southward

  3. Latin America

  4. WHY is it called Latin America? And Spanish just about everywhere else!!! Portuguese is spoken in Brazil • Latin is a language • The two widely spoken languages are Latin-based www.skokienet.org/ festival/cultures.html

  5. What physical characteristics do we need to know? CLIMATE • In Central America and northern South America, it is TROPICAL In northern Mexico and southern South America, it is TEMPERATE

  6. Along with climate, • In the Southern Hemisphere: • Remember that SEASONS are REVERSED:desrever

  7. When it is winter in the USA... …it is summer in South America (and southern Africa & Australia & Antarctica)

  8. Physical Features • Mountains in Latin America: • Sierra Madres split along Mexico’s coasts • Andes along west coast of South America • Just like the west coast of the USA, the Andes mountains are VOLCANIC

  9. Mountains in Latin America can be split into agricultural “zones” as you move higher up the mountain. This is called “vertical zonation” Snow caps Sierra Madres Tierra Friano crops, just grazing Tierra Templadacrops that like temperate land ANDES MOUNTAINS: The longest chain and 2nd highest mountains in the world!! Tierra Calientecrops that like hot temperatures

  10. Another look at Vertical Zonation in the Andes Mts.

  11. But California can handle the earthquakes MUCH better because of building codes and earthquake-proof structures that are built in the states. Unfortunately, Chile, Peru, and other countries in Latin America don’t follow any type of building codes and whole villages can be wiped out in an earthquake!!! • Along with volcanoes, western South America and parts of Central America experience EARTHQUAKES due to the constant motion of the Earth’s tectonic plates- Just like in California!!

  12. Greater (Bigger) Antilles More Physical Features: • There are MANY islands in Latin America • The Caribbean Islands are called the “West Indies” or the “Greater and Lesser Antilles” • The Caribbean Islands are well known for their agriculture and tourism Lesser (Smaller) Antilles

  13. The Galapagos Islands (off the west coast of Ecuador) are known for their Tortoises and other scientific studies of plants and animals. Ga-LAP-ah-goes Islands Does Charles Darwin ring a bell?

  14. “Falkland Islands (Isla Malvinas) Administered by the UK (claimed by Argentina)” • The Falkland Islands are controlled by the United Kingdom • The British defeated the Argentines in the Falkland Island War of 1982 • These islands have a HUGE military advantage because of the location to the Strait of Magellan... • ...esp. if the Panama Canal is blocked during wartime

  15. Other Physical Chars. Grasslands: huge, flat plains in Latin America- known for agriculture • The Llanos are in Venezuela; the Gran Chaco are in Paraguay;and the most famous are the Pampas in Argentina

  16. We’re usually found in grassland ranches…like the Llanos in Venezuela Or the Pampas of Argentina…. where the best beef cattle in the world is raised!! Llanos Latin American Cowboys are called Gauchos Pampas

  17. Unfortunately, we’re being cut down and set aflame to make room for interior farmland and construction!!!! OUCH!!! This is called “Slash and Burn” Agriculture Rainforests: Costa Rica and Brazil~ Amazonia (in Brazil) is the largest in the world! “Amazonia” http://www.ran.org/info_center/about_rainforests.html

  18. Coastal Deserts: West Coast of South America ATACAMA DESERT in Chile This clip art is actually “wrong” to use for the Atacama…there are cacti shown!! One of the hottest and driest places on Earth. 1/16”/yr THIS is more like it!!! But why can places be so dry??? The “rain shadow” effect is part of the reason www.uni-magdeburg.de/ abp/picturegallery.htm

  19. RAIN SHADOW EFFECT Windward side of the mountains Leeward Side or “protected” side of the mountains ANDES Pacific Ocean http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/simblob/rain-shadow.png The Andes Mountains create rain shadows on leeward slopes and cause moisture to be blocked. That’s how we see such dry areas in Latin America. The Andes are so high that they block moisture from the ocean and create grasslands and deserts on the other side of the mountains.

  20. Orinoco River I'm the Rio de la Plata. I’m actually not a river, but an estuary… the large water feature where fresh water from a river meets the salt water of the sea. Rio Grande The AMAZON!! The largest river in the world!! Parana River Rivers in Latin America

  21. IMPACTS of Physical Features?: • Location of urbanization? • People settle along coasts • High population growth rate? • YES! Arable land means more food • Large cities are called: MEGACITIES • Sao Paulo Rio Mexico City

  22. And the MOST important factor from Latin America??? Of course!!!! Didn’t YOU think coffee too?

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