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.