1 / 19

Geography of Latin America

Geography of Latin America. Latin America. Vast Region Straddles the equator Influence-Spanish & Portuguese settlers LANDFORMS Mnts . & highlands Prone to earthquakes & volcanoes Lowlands Amazon Basin-40% of S. America (in Brazil) rainforests

habib
Download Presentation

Geography of Latin America

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Geography of Latin America

  2. Latin America • Vast Region • Straddles the equator • Influence-Spanish & Portuguese settlers • LANDFORMS • Mnts. & highlands • Prone to earthquakes & volcanoes • Lowlands • Amazon Basin-40% of S. America (in Brazil) • rainforests • Pampas – subject to overgrazing – one of the most endangered habitats (Argentina & Uruguay)

  3. Andes& Sierra Madres

  4. Arenal Volcano

  5. Amazon Basin

  6. Rivers • Amazon flows across continent, @ some pts. is 60 miles wide • The Rio Grande separates Mexico and the US • Lake Titicaca – world’s highest lake, (12,500 ft. above sea level and is 1,214 ft. deep)

  7. Pampas • Extremely fertile plains located around Buenos Ares, Argentina • The Llanos is a large plain in Venezuela that is excellent for grazing for cattle

  8. Yucatan Peninsula • A large coastal plain in Mexico • Where many descendants of the Maya live

  9. Islands Underwater mnts. – Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Caribbean islands

  10. Many L.A. and African nations lag behind in economic development What aspects of geography have contributed to this?(What are their barriers to development?)

  11. Home to great civilizations • Latin America: • Maya – civilization in Guatemala and Mexico • City-states often at war • Military and priestly nobility – sacrificial captives • Writing system on stela, 365 day yearly calendar

  12. Aztec • Central Mexico, capital city @ Tenochtitlan in 1325 • Militaristic, king was a soldier-priest – believed in human sacrifice to Quetzalcoatl • Govt. controlled farming and food supply

  13. Inca • Andes mnts. From Columbia to Chile • Capital city at Cuzco is the oldest continuously lived-in city on the continent • Leader was seen as a god – had roads built to connect empire • Last ruler, Atahualpa was murdered by the Spanish in 1532

  14. Colonized by Spain & Portugal in the 16th century. • After Columbus landed in the Caribbean, Spain sent many expeditions • Conquered Natives on the island nations by 1509 • “Gold, Glory and God” drove private individuals to the mainland • Hernan Cortes conquered Aztecs in Mexico • Perfect timing – they thought he was Quetzalcoatl • Had help from surrounding tribes • Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru

  15. Effects of European colonization: • 100,000s died fighting conquerors • Smallpox and measles wiped out several million • Under encomienda system1000s more die from forced labor in mines and on haciendas • New class hierarchy develops

  16. Mercantilism • Mercantilism – colonies exist to enrich the “mother” country • Colonies can’t sell or manufacture goods, must buy from colonial power

  17. Independence movements in the late 18th and early 19th c. • Discontent of Creoles • 1804 Haiti has the first successful revolution (took 10 years) • Toussaint L’Ouverture • Mainland lead by Simon Bolivar and Jose San Martin • U.S. help--- • Inspired by American Revolution – spread ideas of social contract • Monroe Doctrine – “The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects to future colonization by any European power.”

  18. Exploitation of the West • Many Latin American and African nations have struggled to maintain stable governments and lag behind in economic development • What aspects of colonialism have contributed to this?

  19. Lets See How Far We’ve Come • As you listen and watch, write down the images you see and recognize that can be applied to what we have learned this year. • Barriers to Development Presentation

More Related