Latin America

Ten Geographic Qualities

Regions & States Physical

Geography Cultural

Geography

Ten Geographic Qualities

1. Fragmented Realm

2. Archipelago of Carribean

– intercontinental land bridge

Ten Geographic Qualities 3.Tropical

Location of Middle America

4. Crucial barrier between Atlantic & Pacific waters

5. Dominance of the Latin Culture

Ten Geographic Qualities 6. Emigration of

Population for economic & political reasons

7. Mestizo mixed Indian, Spanish & Black populations

8. Coastal Development of the majority of the region

Ten Geographic Qualities 9. Overall political

instability of the region 10. Environmental

degradation & the loss of thousands of species of animals due to population pressures

Relative Location

Relative Location of Europe

Latin America

Ten Geographic Qualities

Regions & States Physical

Geography Cultural

Geography

Regions Of Latin America Middle

America Central

America Caribbean South

America

Middle America

Caribbean

1/25/2000

SOUTH AMERICAThe continent has a relatively smallpopulation of only 319 million. Thepopulation of Brazil almost equals thatof all the other South Americancountries combined. Industry accountsfor one-third of the continent'seconomic activity.

Latin America

Ten Geographic Qualities

Regions & States Physical

Geography Cultural

Geography

Physical Geography of Latin America

Plate Tectonics Plateaus Deserts Mountains Rivers Lakes Climates

Physical Geography of Latin America

Rivers – Amazon– Orinoco– Parana– Rio de Plata– Uraguay

Physical Geography of Latin America

Lakes– Lake Titicaca

– Lake Maracaibo

Bodies of Water– Panama Canal

– Gulf of Mexico

– Caribbean Sea

– Gulf of California

Physical Geography of Latin America

Landforms– Altiplano– Amazon Basin– Patagonia– Tierra del Fuego

Physical Geography of Latin America

Mountain Ranges– Andes – Brazilian Highlands– Guinea Highlands– Sierra Madre Occidental– Sierra Madre del Sur– Sierra Madre Oriental

Physical Geography of Latin America

Climates– Tropical Climates of the Carribean,

Central America & Northern South America

– Desert Climates of Mexico and the leeward coastal side of the Andes

– Steppe climates of Patagonia – Snow & Ice Climates of the mountain

regions & higher latitudes of Chile

Latin America

Ten Geographic Qualities

Regions & States Physical

Geography Cultural

Geography

Cultural Geography of Latin America

– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics– Historical

Geography

Population per square kilometer

Cartogram of World Population

Dot Density Map Showing World Population

World Population Growth By Countryshown as a percent

Life Expectancy

Latin America Population Characteristics

– Birth rates 25/1000– Death rates 7/1000– Natural Increase 1.8%– Infant Mortality 36/1000– Doubling Time 38 yrs– Pop <15 34%– Pop > 65 5 %

Cultural Geography of Latin America Population

– concentrations on coasts. – Spanish and Indian

populations dominate– Indian Populations of remote

regions– Black Populations of the

Carribean– Mixed Black & Spanish

populations of South America

Dominantly Black

Population

Cultural Geography of Latin America

– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics– Historical

Geography

Cultural Geography of Latin America Languages

– Indo European dominates the region

Cultural Geography of Latin America Religion

– Catholic Christianity Dominates the region

Cultural Geography of Latin America

– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics– Historical

Geography

Cultural Geography of Latin America

Agriculture– Commercial

Ranching – Subsistence

Farming– Slash & Burn

Agriculture

Economy– Manufacturing– Tourism– Agriculture– Trade

Cultural Geography of Latin America

Cultural Geography of Latin America

Cities are centers for manufacturing (secondary), services (tertiary)

Most are coastal in location

Water Orientation influences the economy

Historical Geography

Native American Past Columbian Exchange Colonization by the Spanish & Portuguese Independence in 1820’s Economies economically linked with the United

States– resources & inexpensive labor– maciadorallas– NAFTA

Latin America

Ten Geographic Qualities

Regions & States Physical

Geography Cultural

Geography

C.J. CoxInstructor