Chapter 9 – Atlantic South America

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Chapter 9 Atlantic South America
Section Notes
Video
Impact of Deforestation in the Amazon Basin
Physical Geography Brazil Argentina, Uruguay, and
Paraguay
Maps
Atlantic South America Political Atlantic South
America Physical Argentina Population Paraguay
and Uruguay Atlantic South America
Close-up
The Amazon Rain Forest
World Almanac
Images
Argentinas Largest Cities
Geography Focus on Culture Soccer in
Brazil Buenos Aires Brazils Urban and Rural
Population
Quick Facts
Chapter 9 Visual Summary
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Physical Geography

• The Big Idea
• The physical geography of Atlantic South America
  includes large river systems, plains and
  plateaus, and the Amazon rain forest.
• Main Ideas
• Physical features of Atlantic South America
  include large rivers, plateaus, and plains.
• Climate and vegetation in the region ranges from
  cool, dry plains to warm, humid forests.
• The rain forest is a major source of natural
  resources.

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Main Idea 1Physical features of Atlantic South
America include large rivers, plateaus, and
plains.

• Atlantic South America includes Brazil,
  Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
• This region covers two-thirds of South America.
• Brazil occupies almost half of the continent.

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Major River Systems

• Amazon River
• Worlds largest river system
• Flows eastward across northern Brazil through
  Peru to Atlantic Ocean
• 4,000 miles long
• Carries more water than any other river 20
  percent of Earths surface water
• Lowers the salt level of the Atlantic Ocean for
  more than 100 miles

• Río de la Plata
• Paraná River flows into Río de la Plata and the
  Atlantic Ocean.
• Paraná River drains central part of South
  America.
• Río de la Plata is an estuary, or a partially
  enclosed body of water where freshwater mixes
  with salty sea water.

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Plains and Plateaus

• The land of South America is mostly plains and
  plateaus.

• The Amazon Basin in northern Brazil is a giant
  floodplain.

• The Brazilian Highlands are rugged, old, eroded
  mountains and a high plain area called the Mato
  Grosso Plateau.

• Farther south are the low plains known as Gran
  Chaco.

• Argentina is home to the wide, grassy plains of
  the Pampas and the dry plains and plateaus of
  Patagonia.

• All these plains rise in the west to form the
  high Andes Mountains.

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Main Idea 2Climate and vegetation in the region
ranges from cool, dry plains to warm, humid
forests.

• Cool climates in southern and highland areas
• Tropical climates in the northern and coastal
  areas

General Climate

• Patagonia has a cool, desert climate.
• Rich soils in humid subtropical Pampas are good
  for farming.
• In Gran Chaco, summer rains can turn these humid,
  tropical plains into marshlands.

Argentina

• Central region is tropical savanna climate with
  grasslands.
• Amazon Basins tropical climate in northern
  Brazil supports the worlds largest rain forest.

Brazil
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Main Idea 3The rain forest is a major source of
natural resources.

• Amazon rain forest provides food, wood, rubber,
  plants for medicines, and other products.
• Deforestation, or the clearing of trees, has
  become a problem.
• Near coastal areas, the land supports commercial
  farming.
• Planting the same crop every year has caused soil
  exhaustion, which means the soil is infertile
  because it has lost nutrients needed by plants.
• Other resources gold, silver, copper, iron, and
  oil
• Dams provide hydroelectric power.

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Brazil

• The Big Idea
• The influence of Brazils history can be seen all
  over the country in its people and culture.
• Main Ideas
• Brazils history has been affected by Brazilian
  Indians, Portuguese settlers, and enslaved
  Africans.
• Brazils society reflects a mix of people and
  cultures.
• Brazil today is experiencing population growth in
  its cities and new development in rain forest
  areas.

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Main Idea 1Brazils history has been affected
by Brazilian Indians, Portuguese settlers, and
enslaved Africans.

• Colonial Brazil
• First people American Indians arrived many
  thousands of years ago and hunted, fished, and
  farmed.
• 1500 Portuguese explorers arrived.
• Colonists brought in Africans to work as slaves
  on sugar plantations.
• Colonists established cattle ranches inland.
• In late 1600s and early 1700s People discovered
  gold and gems.
• Late 1800s Brazil began producing coffee.

• Since Independence
• 1822 Brazil won independence from Portugal
  without war.
• Economy did not change and slavery continued.
• Brazil has been ruled by dictators and elected
  officials.
• Today, Brazil has an elected president and
  legislature.
• Brazil is the largest country in South America.
• It has 186 million peoplemore than all the other
  countries combined.

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Main Idea 2 Brazils society reflects a mix of
people and cultures.

• More than half of people are descended from
  Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, or Poland.
• Nearly 40 percent are of mixed African and
  European descent.
• Brazil has the largest Japanese population
  outside Japan.
• Official language Portuguese.
• Others speak Spanish, English, French, Japanese,
  or native languages.

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Brazil

• About 70 percent are Roman Catholic.
• Protestantism is growing in popularity among
  urban poor.
• Some practice macumba, a religion that combines
  African, Brazilian, Indian, and Christian beliefs
  and practices.

Religion

• Brazilians celebrate Carnival before Lent.
• Carnival mixes African, native, and European
  traditions.
• E.g., the samba adapted from Africa
• Cultural mix can be found in foods vatapá, an
  African seafood dish, and feijoada, a black bean
  and meat stew.

Festivals and Food
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Main Idea 3Brazil today is experiencing
population growth in its cities and new
development in rain forest areas.

• The Southeast
• Most people live in the southeast.
• São Paulo,
• Largest urban center in South America 5th
  largest in the world
• A megacity, a giant urban area that includes
  surrounding cities and suburbs
• Rio de Janeiro
• Second largest city in Brazil
• Capital from 1822-1960
• Richest region industries and good farmland
• Poor people come to the cities for work.
• They live in huge slums called favelas.

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The Northeast

• Brazils poorest region
• Illiteracy and health care are a problem.
• Droughts make farming and raising livestock
  difficult.
• Regions beautiful beaches attract tourists.
• Old colonial cities also attract tourists.
• These were built during the days of the sugar
  industry.
• They feature brightly painted buildings,
  cobblestone streets, and churches.

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The Interior and the Amazon

• The Interior
• The interior is a frontier.
• Mild climate and land may make it good for
  farming in the future.
• Brasilia, Brazils capital
• More than 2 million people
• Built to help develop interior
• Modern buildings and busy highways

• The Amazon
• Manaus
• Major port and industrial city
• More than 1 million people
• Indian villages are scattered throughout the rain
  forest.
• Indians had little contact with outsiders until
  recently.
• Logging, mining, and new roads are bringing more
  people.
• This development brings income, but destroys the
  rain forest.

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Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay

• The Big Idea
• Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay have been
  influenced by European immigration, a tradition
  of ranching, and large urban populations.
• Main Ideas
• European immigrants have dominated the history
  and culture of Argentina.
• Argentinas capital, Buenos Aires, plays a large
  role in the countrys government and economy
  today.
• Uruguay has been influenced by its neighbors.
• Paraguay is the most rural country in the region.

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Main Idea 1European immigrants have dominated
the history and culture of Argentina.

• Indians hunted in the Pampas and further north
  built irrigation systems for farming.

• Few native people remain.

• 1500s Spanish came to Argentina to find silver
  and gold.

• Spanish monarch granted land to colonists, who
  forced Indians to work in their settlements.

• Gauchos, Argentine cowboys, herded cattle and
  horses on the open grasslands of the Pampas.

• 1800s Argentina gained independence, but
  violence and instability killed or drove away the
  Indians.

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Modern Argentina

• New immigrants arrived from Italy, Germany, and
  Spain.

• British helped build railroads that made it
  easier to transport agricultural products such as
  beef for export.

• 1900s Argentina was rich, but struggled under
  dictators and military governments.

• Leaders like Eva Perón were popular, but many
  abused human rights.

• 1970s During the Dirty War, the government
  tortured and killed people believed to disagree
  with the government.

• 1980s Argentinas last military government

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People and Culture

• Most of Argentinas 39 million people are
  descended from European settlers.
• Argentine Indians and mestizos make up 3 percent
  of the population.
• Most people are Roman Catholic.
• Beef, a major agricultural export, is also part
  of the culture.

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Main Idea 2Argentinas capital, Buenos Aires,
plays a large role in the countrys government
and economy today.

• Buenos Aires
• Capital
• Second largest urban area in South America
• Home to most of Argentinas industry
• Its location near coast and Pampas has
  contributed to its economic development.

• Pampas
• Most developed agricultural region
• About 11 percent of labor force works in
  agriculture.
• Exports beef, wheat, and corn

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Economy and Government Policies

• 1990s Government made reforms to help businesses
  grow.
• Argentina joined Mercosur, an organization that
  promotes trade and economic cooperation among the
  southern and eastern countries of South America.
• Late 1900s/early 2000s Heavy debt and government
  spending brought on economic crisis.
• 2001 Political crisis results. Government
  changed hands four times.
• 2003 Economy stabilized, but professionals had
  lost jobs and joined the informal economy, a part
  of the economy based on odd jobs that people
  perform without government regulation through
  taxes.

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Main Idea 3Uruguay has been influenced by its
neighbors.

• History
• Its capital, Montevideo, close to Buenos Aires
• Portugal conquered Uruguay, but Spain took over
  in 1770s.
• Few Uruguayan Indians remained.
• 1825 Independence
• Military governments have ruled off and on.
• Today it is a democracy.

• People
• Most are descended from Europeans.
• About 12 percent mestizo, Indians, or African
• Mostly Roman-Catholic, Spanish- speaking
• More than 90 percent live in urban areas.
• High literacy rate and many good jobs

• Economy
• More than half of Uruguays trade is with Brazil
  and Argentina.
• Exports beef grown on inland plains
• Some limited industry
• Few mineral resources
• Hydroelectric power is a main source of energy.

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Main Idea 4Paraguay is the most rural country
in the region.

• History
• Paraguay is landlocked, or surrounded by land
  with no direct access to the ocean.
• Paraguay River divides country into eastern
  farmland and western ranches.
• Mid-1530s Spanish claimed country.
• 1811 Independence
• Today it is a democracy.

• People
• About 95 percent are mestizos.
• Rest are Indians or people of European descent.
• Two official languages Spanish and Guarani, an
  Indian language
• Most people are Roman Catholic.
• Asunción is capital and largest city.

• Economy
• Wealth and government controlled by a few rich
  families.
• Nearly half of the countrys workers are farmers.
• Many farmers grow just enough to feed themselves.
• Small businesses, but not much industry
• Promising resources like hydroelectricity

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