Chapter 9 Caribbean South America

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Chapter 9 Caribbean South America
Section Notes
Video
Physical Geography Colombia Venezuela and the
Guianas
Impact of the Orinoco River
Maps
Caribbean South America Political Caribbean
South America Physical Venezuelas Major
Resources World Political Caribbean South
America Volcanoes of Colombia
World Almanac
Worlds Top Oil Exporters
Images
Quick Facts
Venezuelas Canaima National Park Focus on
Culture The Feast of Corpus Christi Caracas,
Venezuela Latitude and Longitude
Chapter 9 Visual Summary
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Physical Geography

• The Big Idea
• Caribbean South America is a region with diverse
  physical features, wildlife, climates, and
  resources.
• Main Ideas
• Caribbean South America has a wide variety of
  physical features and wildlife.
• The regions location and elevation both affect
  its climate and vegetation.
• Caribbean South America is rich in resources,
  such as farmland, oil, timber, and rivers for
  hydroelectric power.

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Main Idea 1Caribbean South America has a wide
variety of physical features and wildlife.

• The Andes are the highest point in the region.
• They reach 18,000 feet on Colombias western
  side.
• The Andes form a cordillera, or a mountain system
  made up of roughly parallel ranges.
• Some peaks are active volcanoes.

Mountains

• The Guiana Highlands, the highest point in
  Venezuela, stretch into Guyana and Suriname.
• Sandstone layers resisted erosion to create
  flat-topped formations that rise 3,0006,000 feet
  above the surrounding plains.

Highlands
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Plains, Rivers, and Wildlife

• The plains between the highlands and the Andes
  make up the Llanos.

• At a low elevation the Llanos is mostly grassland
  that floods easily.

• The Orinoco is the longest river, flowing for
  1,600 miles.

• The Cauca and the Magdalena are two other
  important rivers that drain the Andean region.

• Hundreds of birds, crocodiles, and meat-eating
  fish called piranhas live in or around the
  Orinoco River.

• Colombia has one of the highest concentrations of
  plant and animal species in the world.

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Main Idea 2The regions location and elevation
both affect its climate and vegetation.

• Temperature
• Located near the equator, the region is warm
  year-round.
• Temperatures vary with elevation.
• In the Andes, temperatures drop by four degrees
  Fahrenheit every 1000 feet.

• Llanos
• This region has a tropical savanna climate.
• Both wet and dry seasons provide favorable
  conditions for grasslands.

• Rain Forests
• These forests thrive in humid tropical climate of
  southern Colombia.
• They are part of the Amazon Basin.
• Rain falls throughout the year.
• The trees canopies block the sunlight.

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Main Idea 3Caribbean South America is rich in
resources, such as farmland, oil, timber, and
rivers for hydroelectric power.

• Rich soil and moderate climate are good for
  agriculture.
• Crops rice, coffee, bananas, and sugarcane
• Resources oil, iron ore, and coal
• Forests provide timber.
• Seas provide fish and shrimp.
• Rivers are used to generate hydroelectric power.

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Colombia

• The Big Idea
• Spanish conquest, valuable resources, and civil
  war have shaped the history, culture, and economy
  of Colombia.
• Main Ideas
• Native cultures, Spanish conquest, and
  independence shaped Colombias history.
• In Colombia today, the benefits of a rich culture
  and many natural resources contrast with the
  effects of a long period of civil war.

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Main Idea 1Native cultures, Spanish conquest,
and independence shaped Colombias history.

• Giant mounds of earth, mysterious statues, and
  tombs mark the history of the people of Colombia.
• The people who created these lived more than
  1,500 years ago.
• Colombias history includes the story of the
  Chibcha, the Spanish conquest, and independence.

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History

• The legend of El Dorado, the Golden One, was
  inspired by the Chibcha.
• They covered new rulers in gold dust and threw
  gold and emeralds into a lake as the new ruler
  washed.
• They practiced pottery making, weaving, and metal
  working.

The Chibcha

• 1500 Spain conquered the Chibcha and established
  a colony and cities along the Caribbean coast.
• The colonial city Cartagena was a major naval
  base and commercial port in the Spanish empire.
• 1600s Spanish set up large estates and forced
  Indians and enslaved Africans to work the land.

Spanish Conquest
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Independence

• Late 1970s The struggle for independence created
  the republic of Gran Colombia, which included
  Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.

• 1830 The republic dissolved. Colombia and Panama
  established New Grenada.

• One group wanted the Roman Catholic Church to
  participate in government and education. Another
  group did not.

• Conflicts killed thousands of people in the 1800s
  and 1900s.

• Rugged geography also divided the people into two
  different regions with separate economies and
  identities.

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Main Idea 2 In Colombia today, the benefits of
a rich culture and many natural resources
contrast with the effects of a long period of
civil war.

• Colombia is the most populous South American
  country.
• Its capital, Bogotá, is located high in the
  eastern Andes.
• Colombia is rich in culture and resources.
• Forty years of civil war has harmed the economy.

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People and Culture

• Most Colombians farm in fertile valleys and river
  basins.
• Other Colombians ranch cattle in the Llanos.
• Few people live in the rain forests.
• Geography divides the country into separate
  cultural and physical regions.

People

• Traditional African songs and dances on the
  Caribbean coast South American Indian music in
  Andes
• Sports soccer and a Chibcha ring-toss game, tejo
• Mostly Spanish speaking and Roman Catholic
• Ethnic groups 58 percent mestizo also Spanish,
  African, and Indian descent

Culture
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Colombia Today

• Economy
• Colombias economy relies on several valuable
  resources.
• Major farming exports coffee, bananas,
  sugarcane, cotton, and flowers.
• Natural resources oil, iron ore, gold, coal, and
  emeralds

• Civil War
• Many different groups have waged war with each
  other.
• Past 40 years Armed militants have controlled
  large areas of Colombia.
• Guerillas, or members of an irregular military
  force
• Want to overthrow government
• Forced farmers off land
• Grow illegal coca plant to make cocaine
• Government passed new laws and receives U.S. aid
  to combat the guerillas.

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Venezuela and the Guianas

• The Big Idea
• European settlement, immigration, and natural
  resources have greatly influenced the culture and
  economy of Venezuela and the Guianas.
• Main Ideas
• Spanish settlement shaped the history and culture
  of Venezuela.
• Oil production plays a large role in Venezuelas
  economy and government today.
• The Guianas have diverse cultures and plentiful
  resources.

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Main Idea 1Spanish settlement shaped the
history and culture of Venezuela.

• Small South American Indian tribes originally
  lived in Venezuela.
• Spain conquered Venezuela in the early 1500s.
• Venezuela won independence in the early 1800s.
• Three centuries of Spanish rule influenced the
  countrys history and culture.

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History of Venezuela

• Spanish Settlement
• Spain forced native Indians to search for gold
  and pearls, but found little.
• Spain then forced Indians to farm indigo.
• Many Indians died as a result.
• Spain replaced the Indians with enslaved
  Africans.
• Some slaves escaped, settling in remote areas.

• Independence
• Simon Bolívar led revolt against Spain in
  Venezuela and throughout the region.
• 1830 Venezuela became officially independent.
• 1800s Military dictatorships and civil wars
• 1900s Oil was discovered, but the countrys
  leaders kept wealth for themselves.

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People and Culture

• Most people are mestizos.
• European descendents live in large cities.
• African descendents live along the coast.
• Most are Spanish-speaking Roman Catholic.
• Indians make up 2 percent, but speak 25 different
  native languages and follow religious practices
  of their ancestors.

People

• Venezuelas national dance, the joropo, is a
  lively foot-stomping couples dance.
• Rodeos are popular.
• Sports baseball and soccer

Culture
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Main Idea 2Oil production plays a large role in
Venezuelas economy and government today.

• Northern Venezuela has small and large farms.

• Llaneros, or Venezuelan cowboys, herd cattle on
  ranches in the Llanos region.

• 1960s Oil production made a few wealthy the
  majority of the rest lived in poverty in cities
  or shacks on the outskirts.

• Immigrants arrived attracted by oil wealth.

• 1980s The price of oil dropped. People suffered
  economically. The price of oil recovered in 1990s.

• Venezuela joined Organization of Petroleum
  Exporting Countries (OPEC) that tries to keep oil
  prices stable.

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Natural Resources

• The Orinoco River basin and Lake Maracaibo are
  rich in oil.
• Guiana Highlands are rich in iron ore, gold and
  other minerals.
• Dams along the Orinoco River produce
  hydroelectricity.
• Caracas, the capital, is a large city with a
  modern subway system, expressways, and tall
  buildings.
• Caracas is surrounded by slums.

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Venezuelas Government

• 1959 First president elected.

• 2002 President Hugo Chavez started to distribute
  the countrys oil income equally among all
  Venezuelans.

• In protest, millions of people joined a strikea
  group of workers stopping work until their
  demands are met.

• The strike hurt the economy.

• People called for a referendum, or recall vote,
  to decide whether Chavez would remain in office.

• 2004 Chavez won 58 percent of the vote and
  adopted new policies to end poverty, illiteracy,
  and hunger.

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Main Idea 3The Guianas have diverse cultures
and plentiful resources.

• One-third of the people lives in the capital,
  Georgetown.
• Farmers grow rice and sugar on coastal plains.
• Half of the people are descendents of immigrants
  from India.
• One-third of the people are of African descent.

Guyana

• The economy and resources are similar to Guyana.
• The capital, Paramaribo, is home to half the
  population.
• The population includes South Asians, Africans,
  Chinese, Indonesians, and Creoles.

Suriname

• A territory of France with 190,000 people who
  live mainly in coastal areas.
• Two-thirds are of African descent. Others are of
  European, Asian, and South American Indian
  descent.

French Guiana
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