The Geography of Latin America

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Latin America "In a Nutshell"
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Landforms

• Reaches from the border of the United States down
  to Tierra del Fuego (7,000 miles)
• There are 3 regions w/in Latin America
• Central America
• South America
• Caribbean

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• The Caribbean Islands consist of 3 major groups
• Bahamas
• Great Antilles
• Lesser Antilles
• Bahamas 100s of islands off the southern tip
  of Florida North of Cuba
• Greater Antilles Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti,
  Dominican Rep. Puerto Rico
• Lesser Antilles smaller islands southeast of
  Puerto Rico

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RegionsofLatinAmerica
The Caribbean
Central America
South America
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• Highlands, lowlands, rain forests plains are
  bound by Atlantic Pacific oceans, the Gulf of
  Mexico Caribbean Sea

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• Llanos grassy, treeless plains in Colombia and
  Venezuela
• Pampas grasslands in Argentina Uruguay
• Cerrado expansive plains in Brazil
• The Amazon River flows eastward from the Andes
  Mts. To the Atlantic Ocean (about 4,000 miles
  long)

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Cattle Ranching on the Pampas
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Gauchos of the Pampas, Argentina
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Amazon Rain Forest
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BodiesofWater
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea
Lake Maracaibo
Orinoco R.
Magdalena R.
Amazon R.
Pacific Ocean
Sao Francisco R.
Parana R.
Lake Titicaca
Uruguay R.
Rio de La Plata
Atlantic Ocean
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• Sierra Madres Mountains of Mexico
• Andes Mountains Run along the western edge of
  South America.
• You will also find the Guiana Highlands and the
  Brazilian Highlands in South America.

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MountainsandPeaks
Sierra Madres Mts.
Guiana Highlands
Brazilian Highlands
Andes Mts.
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The Sierra Madres, Mexico
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Andes Mountains (Peru)
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Llamas in the Andes
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Guianan Highlands, Venezuela
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Brazilian Highlands
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Deserts
Atacama Desert
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Atacama Desert
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Others
Panama Canal
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The Panama Canal
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Going Through the Panama Canal
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Resources
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• Mineral Resources gold, silver, iron, copper,
  aluminum, tin, lead, nickel precious gems
• Energy Resources oil, coal, natural gas, uranium
  hydroelectric power

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Oil Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
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Banana Plantation
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Harvesting Sugar Cane
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Growing Coffee
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Climate
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The Tropical Hemisphere
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• Climates range from Tropical Humid Subtropical
  to Marine West Coast Highland climates.
• The variety of climates is caused by the great
  distance from north to south, variations in
  elevation, and ocean currents.

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Very Varied Climate Zones
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Culture

• 525 million people live in 33 countries of Latin
  America
• Population includes Native Americans, Europeans,
  Africans Asians
• People in S.A. generally live along the coasts
• Most people in C.A. live either along the Pacific
  coast or on the inland Mexican Plateau Central
  Highlands

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Native Indians of the Amazon
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Latin Americas Population Distribution
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• Most people live in urban areas (which are
  usually along the coast)
• Major Cities Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Rio de
  Janeiro Buenos Aires
• 82 of the Latin American population is Roman
  Catholic
• Place great emphasis on social status and family
  life
• Speak Spanish, Portuguese and other European
  languages

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Sao Paolo, Brazil
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Living in Latin America

• L.A.s economy is based on the export of
  agricultural products (i.e. bananas, sugarcane,
  and coffee)
• Slash-and-burn to clear fields, native peoples
  cut trees, brush grasses and then burn debris
  to clear the fields
• Terraced farming ancient technique for growing
  crops on hillsides or mountain slopes
• Sustainable development technological
  economic growth that doesnt deplete human
  natural resources of a given area

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Deforestation in the Amazon
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Jungle Fauna
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Original Forest Cover
Current Forest Cover
Future Forest Cover
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• Latin Americas urban environmental problems are
  a result of rapid urbanization

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Overcrowding in Sao Paolo, Brazil
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Squatter Settlementsin Major Latin American
Cities
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Adios!