By: Mr. ManeyBy: Mr. Maney

Latin America Overview

Essential Questions/Main Objectives:1) Why study Latin America?2) What are the main geographic features of

Latin America and how do they affect people’s lives?

3) Who are the peoples of Latin America both past and present?

Regionsof

LatinAmerica

Regionsof

LatinAmerica

Central AmericaCentral America

The CaribbeanThe Caribbean

South AmericaSouth

America

Main objective: Explain the main geographic features of Latin America and how do they affect people lives.

Mexico Physical Geography

Statistics:- Land Size: 742, 490 sq. miles- Water: 19, 116 sq. miles- Total Land Area: 761, 606 sq. miles- Mexico is divided into 31 states and 1

federal district.- Capital: Mexico City

The Tropical Hemisphere

Physical Map of Mexico

Mountains

Sierra Madre – “mother range”- Occidental: runs north to south in western

Mexico

- Oriental: runs north to south in eastern Mexico

- Del Sur: mountain range in southern Mexico

- Trans-Mexican Volcano Belt – pine forests, volcanic activity. Volcanoes are found throughout the country but concentrated in the southern portion of the country.

Active Volcanoes

World’s Tectonic Plates

Coastal Plains

Gulf Coast Plains lies to the east (along the Gulf of Mexico)

Coastal Plain (western Mexico)

Plateaus

Central Mexico Plateau- Northern & central Mexico- Covered mostly by deserts & very dry

shrublands

Mexico Climate

Tropical & subtropical Dry central areas between the mountains Wet and forested in the higher altitudes Wet and dry seasons

Volcanoes

A long line of volcanoes (many still active) extends from Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico

Peninsulas

Baja Peninsula extends about 750 miles south from U.S. border.

Yucatan Peninsula seperates Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico.

- Tree covered, thick tropical jungles along borders with Central America

Major Water Forms

Rio Grande River – Rio Bravo in Mexico; creates border between U.S. & Mexico

Pacific Ocean – borders Mexico to the west

Gulf of Mexico – borders Mexico to the east

Caribbean Sea – east of Mexico