Physical Geography of

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Physical Geography of Latin America
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• -covers about 8 million sq mi nearly 16 of
  Earths land
• -stretches more than 85 lat.
• -divided into 3 general areas
• 1. Middle America
• 2. Caribbean
• 3. South America

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I. MIDDLE AMERICA
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A. Mexico

• mostly surrounded by mountains and beautiful
  beaches with a high plateau in the middle

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• Sierra Madre
• -3 mountain ranges
• a. Sierra Madre Occidental (western)
• b. Sierra Madre Oriental (eastern)
• c. meet together near Mexico City to form the
  Sierra Madre del Sur (of the south) ranges

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Sierra Madre Occidental
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Sierra Madre Oriental
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• Mexican Plateau
• -in central Mexico
• -surrounded by Sierra Madre
• -mild climate, fertile volcanic soil, and
  adequate rainfall
• -What economic
• activities do these
• conditions support?

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• Beaches
• -E coast Yucatan Peninsula Cozumel, Cancun,
  Merida
• -W coast Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco
• -What economic activity do these areas support?

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Cancun
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Cozumel
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Puerto Vallarta
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Acapulco
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B. Central America

• narrow isthmus connecting N. Am. To S. Am.
• mts. through the center w/thick forests
  beautiful beaches

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• Central Highlands
• -chain of volcanic mountains formed by plate
  tectonic activity (L Am along the Ring of Fire)
• -stretch from Central America into the
  Caribbean
• -some volcanoes still active hazardous
  living conditions

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Beach in Panama
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Panama Jungle
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Costa Rica
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II. THE CARIBBEAN
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• further divided into the Bahamas, Greater
  Antilles, and Lesser Antilles
• sm. Islands formed by volcanic activity, so many
  have fertile soil

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St. Barts- Caribbean
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Puerto Rico
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III. SOUTH AMERICA
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A. Highlands

• mts plateaus in this region formed by the
  collision of the Pacific Nazca plates

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1. The Andes

• -cordilleras (parallel mt. ranges) stretch about
  5,000 mi. (worlds longest range)
• -some peaks gt 20,000 ft. majority still
  volcanic

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Andes
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Andes Mountains
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Andes view from Chile
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2. The Altiplano

• -area of Peru Bolivia surrounded by the Andes
  mountains (dry barren)
• -means high plain
• -home to unique animals

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3. Patagonia

• -broad plateau which forms S end of highlands
  region
• -rough, rugged landscape w/ unique animal plant
  life
• -archaeologists
• have found many
• prehistoric
• bones here

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• -Andes
• -Altiplano
• -Patagonia

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• 4. Mato Grosso Plateau
• -mature deeply weathered plateau of forests
  grasslands (in Brazil)

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• 5. Brazilian Highlands
• -very lg. plateau - spans several climate and
  vegetation zones
• -on E. edge, drops steeply, forming an
  escarpment (steep cliff or slope)
• -good for hydroelectric
• capabilities

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Brazilian Highlands
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B. Lowlands Plains

• Brazils Coastal Plain
• -lies along Brazils Atlantic coast (about 40
  mi. wide)
• -major area of settlement and eco. activity
  (lgst. cities here)

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• Llanos
• -vast grassland one of least developed regions
  in LA (used for grazing cattle)
• -llaneros (Venezuelan cowhands)

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• 3. Pampas
• -vast grassland (about size of TX) w/ volcanic
  soil deposits (blow from Andes Mts.)
• -one of most prosperous productive
  agricultural regions of L.A.
• -gauchos (Argentine cowhands) have rich culture
  here

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C. Water Systems

• Middle America the Caribbean have few distinct
  water features, whereas S. Am. is rich w/ lakes
  rivers

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• 1. Amazon River
• -western hemispheres longest
• -worlds highest capacity river (carries 10 x
  the volume of Mississippi)
• Amazon River over 1,000 major tributaries
  Amazon Basin (about 2.7 mil. sq. mi.)

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Amazon River
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• 2. Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers
• -together, form the 2nd largest river system in
  L.A.
• -provide inland water routes hydroelectric
  power
• -all flow into broad estuary (an area where the
  tide meets a river), the Rio de la Plata, into
  the Atlantic

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The Estuary
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• Lake Titicaca
• -worlds highest navigable lake
• -about 12,500 feet above sea level

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• -Uro (pre-Incan) people still live on man-made
  islets (little islands) on around the lake

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• Lake Maracaibo
• -So. Ams largest lake (really an inlet of the
  Caribbean Sea)
• -areas surrounding lake contain most important
  oil fields in Venezuela

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V. NATURAL RESOURCES
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• -major deposits of oil and natural gas lie in
  rock beds of mountain valleys offshore areas
• -gold (primarily in Venezuela and Brazil) and
  silver (primarily in Peru Mexico)
• -emeralds, copper, bauxite