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The Physical Geography of Latin America
Chapter 8
Chapter Intro 1
Chapter Objectives
Describe the dominant landforms and natural resources
of Latin America.
Discuss Latin America’s climate and vegetation.
A Geographic View
THE LAND
Section 1
Objectives
Explain how geographers divide the large region known
as Latin America.
Identify the factors that have shaped the formation of
Latin America’s landforms.
Discuss how the Latin American landscape has influenced
patterns of human settlement.
List the natural resources that make Latin America an
economically important region.
Terms to Know
Cordillera
Altiplano
Escarpment
Llano
Pampa
Gaucho
Hydroelectric Power
Estuary
Places to Locate
Amazon River
• Middle America
• Central America
• West Indies
• South America
• Sierra Madre
• Andes
• Mexican Plateau
• Patagonia
• Mato Grosso Plateau
• Rio Grande
• Río de la Plata
A Vast Region
Latin America covers 8 million square miles of land,
from the United States-Mexico border to the southern
tip of Argentina in South America.
The name “Latin America” refers to the languages
(Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin) spoken in
this geographic region.
Geographers divide Latin America into three regions:
Middle America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Mountains and Plateuas
Latin America’s rugged landscape is the result of its
location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where plates of the
earth’s crust have collided for millions of years, causing
earthquakes and creating mountains and volcanoes.
Mountains of Mexico, Central America, and the
Caribbean Mexico’s Sierra Madre and the Central
Highlands in Central America rise above the landscape of
Middle America.
Many Caribbean islands are part of the Central
Highlands mountain range.
Mountains and Plateaus Andes of South America The Andes mountain
ranges run along the western edge of South America and are the world’s longest mountain range (4,500 miles).
Their parallel ranges, called cordilleras, are arranged in deep folds.
In southern Argentina, hills and lower flatlands form a plateau known as Patagonia.
Highlands of Brazil Much of Brazil consists of broad plateaus, such as the Mata Grosso Plateau and the Brazilian Highlands.
Lowlands and Plains
Narrow coastal lowlands hem the Gulf of Mexico, the
Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of
South America.
Lowlands and Plains
Lowlands and Plains
Inland areas of South America hold vast grasslands that
provide wide grazing for beef cattle.
Lowlands and Plains
Water Systems
Rivers of South America Navigable rivers, such as
the Amazon, serve as transportation routes and provide
hydroelectric power.
Lakes Latin America has few large lakes.
Lake Titicaca in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru is the
world’s highest navigable lake.
Natural Resources
Latin America’s significant natural resources include
minerals, forests, farmlands, and water.
Major deposits of oil and natural gas occur along the
Gulf of Mexico and southern Caribbean Sea.
Mexico and Venezuela are leading petroleum producers.
Natural Resources
Venezuela’s Orinoco River area contains 11 percent of
the world’s gold.
Brazil is also rich in gold, and Peru and Mexico are
known for their silver deposits.
Chile is the world’s leading exporter of copper.
Geographic inaccessibility, lack of capital, and social and
political divisions hinder fuller development and
distribution of natural resources in Latin America.
Climate and Vegetation
Section 2
Objectives
List the climate regions that are represented in Latin
America.
Describe how Latin America’s location and landforms
affect climates even within particular regions.
Discuss how the natural vegetation and agriculture of
Latin America are influenced by climatic factors.
Terms to Know
Canopy
Tierra Caliente
Tierra Templada
Tierra Fría
Places to Locate
Amazon Basin
Colombia
Venezuela
Argentina
Uruguay
Atacama Desert
A Geographic View
Climate and Vegetation Regions
Most of Latin America lies between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn; thus, much of its area has a
tropical climate. However, there is a great variety of
climates in the region.
Tropical Regions Mexico, eastern central America,
some Caribbean islands, and such parts of South America
as the Amazon Basin have a tropical rain forest climate
and vegetation, with hot temperatures and abundant
rainfall occurring year-round.
Climate and Vegetation Regions
The Rain Forest The Amazon Basin, with the earth’s
largest rain forest, covers one-third of South America
and has trees that form a dense canopy that soars as high
as 130 feet over the forest floor.
Tropical Savanna In the tropical savanna climate
typical of the coast of southwestern Mexico, most
Caribbean islands, and north-central South America, the
grasslands have hot temperatures, abundant rainfall, and
a dry season lasting several months.
Climate and Vegetation
The Humid Subtropics In the humid subtropical
climate of southeastern South America, the winters are
short and mild, and the summers are long, hot, and
humid.
Climate and Vegetation
Summary - Section 1 Latin America includes Middle America, the Caribbean, and
South America.
Latin America’s physical features include high mountain ranges, less rugged highlands, vast central plains, and volcanic islands.
The water systems of Latin America, especially the mighty rivers of South America, are key to human activity in the region.
Although the region is rich in natural resources, geographic, political, and economic obstacles have kept resources from being developed fully or shared equally.
Summary – Section 2
Much of Latin America lies in the Tropics; however,
landforms and wind patterns give the region great climatic
diversity.
Tropical climates such as tropical forest and tropical savanna
are the most common climates in Latin America.
The natural vegetation of Latin America consists mainly of
rain forests and grasslands.
The tropical highlands in Latin America include three vertical
climate zones that are based on latitude and elevation.