Latin America

1. Latin America • Lesson Objectives: • Identify Latin America’s main geographic regions • Describe how physicalfeatures of Latin America affect people’s lives

2. Land and Waterpage 9 • Key terms: • Plateau Isthmus Coral • Pampas Tributary • Key Places: • Mexico - USA’s southern neighbor • Central America – several countries • South America – Continent

3. Latin AmericaThree Regions • Mexico and Central America • Caribbean • South America

4. Latin America • Physical Featuresof Latin America • Section 1 – Land and Water • Section 2 - Climate and Vegetation • Section 3 - Natural Resources

5. Land of Latin America Mexico & Central America p.4 2,500 miles long Mountains in most of the region Narrow coastal areas (or plains along the ocean) More than 12 active Volcanoes Central America– Isthmus Body of land surrounded by water on two sidesand Joins two larger bodies of land – may be large or small See Nova Scotia from earlier study

6. Land of South America • Andes Mountains • 4,500 miles long • 20,000feet in height Many but not all) • East of the Andes = Rolling highlands • Southern area = Pampas– like Great Plains of USA

7. Rivers of Latin America • The Amazon River • “Ocean River” • 4,000 miles (6,437 km) • 450 miles into Atlantic Ocean = fresh water • 1,000 tributaries • Drain 2 million square miles of area

8. Rivers of Latin America • Rio de la Plata river system: • Parana`ParaguayUruguay • Separate Argentina and Uruguay • Venezuela = Orinoco River & Lake Maracaibo • Peru = Lake Titicaca – highest navigable lake in world

9. Land and WaterofLatin America • Homework: • 1. Write Definitions (p.13) • 2. Ignore • 3. Describe the major landforms of Latin America • 4. How do physical features of Latin America affect the people who live there? – Give one example