This is a PowerPoint Presentation about the physical geography of Latin America. It includes information about landforms, waterways, natural resources, and climate and vegetation.

1. Latin America
Mrs. Minks
World Geography & Cultures

2. Why it matters…
Unique blend of world cultures including
Native American
European
African
Diverse cultures have spread
Many Americans are of Latin American descent
U.S. and many countries in Latin America are close trading partners
Share democratic values based on human rights and revolt from European rule

3. Latin America
Spans more than 85 degrees of latitude
Encompasses Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and South America
Region of contrasts –
High mountains
Broad plateaus
Low lying Plains
Rain forests
Expansive river systems

4. Largest in the World
Longest mountain range
Andes Mountains: 4,500 miles
(Rockies are ???? Miles)
Largest river in the world
Amazon River
7,000,000 cubic feet per second

5. Landforms
Latin America (LA) located in Western Hemisphere
16% of Earth’s land surface
Divided into three subregions
Middle America (Mexico to Panama)
The Caribbean
South America

6. Mountains and Plateaus
Mountain Range begins in North America as Rockies and extends to South America’s
southern tip
Mountains change names:
In Mexico they are the Sierra Madre
In Central America they are the Central Highlands
In South America they are the Andes
Rugged Landscape caused by it’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire where plates
in the Earth’s crust have collided for millions of years, forming mountains and
volcanoes and causing earthquakes.

7. Port-au-Prince
Plate movement continues to change the landscape. In 2010, an earthquake struck
Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, causing thousands of buildings to collapse and large
numbers of people to die.

8. Mountains of Middle America &
Caribbean
Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain ranges surround the densely populated Mexican
Plateau.
Central Mexico has mild climate, fertile volcano soil, and adequate rainfall.
The Central Highlands are a chain of volcanic peaks that cross Central America.
Many Caribbean islands are part of the mountain range.
The islands are volcanic peaks, and some are still active, which makes living there
hazardous.

9. Andes of South America
Andes stretch for 4,500 miles along the western edge of South America.
World’s longest mountain chain and one of the highest with peaks up to 20,000 ft.
Andes consist of cordilleras, several ranges that run parallel to one another.
Cordilleras caused settlements to be isolated resulting in some mountain villages with
centuries old social customs.
In Peru and Bolivia, the Andes encircle the altiplano which means “high plain.”

10. Highlands of Brazil
Eastern South America marked with broad plateaus and valleys.
The Malto Grosso Plateau is a sparsely populated plateau of forests and grasslands
that spreads across Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru.
Further east lie the Brazilian Highlands, a vast area spanning several climate and
vegetation zones.
The warm climate and open spaces of the Brazilian Highlands make the Brazilian
Highlands important for raising livestock.
The eastern highlands plunge to the Atlantic Ocean, forming a steep slope called an
escarpment.

11. Lowlands and Plains
Brazil has one of the longest strips of
coastal plain in the region, beginning in
the Northeast and winding southward to
Uruguay.
The escarpment rising from the coast to
the highlands presents obstacles for
inland development. As a result, most of
Brazil’s population lives along the coast.

12. Water Systems
Latin America’s waterways transport people and goods to different parts of the region
and world.
The Amazon River flows about 4,000 miles from the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic
coast of Brazil.
The Amazon is the Western Hemispheres longest river and the world’s second
longest.
South American rivers provide commercial water routes between cities and
hydroelectric power – electricity generated from the energy of moving water.

13. How hydroelectric power works

14. Other Rivers
After coursing through inland areas, the many rivers of South America flow into a
broad estuary called Rio de la Plata or “River of the Silver” and it flows from there to
the Atlantic Ocean.
Middle America’s rivers are generally small, with one important exception. The Rio
Grande is large and forms part of the border between Mexico and the United States.

15. Panama Canal
Panama Canal is another significant
waterway, though it is human-made.
The canal allows ships to travel between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without
having to sail around the southern tip of
South America.

16. How the Canal Works

17. TO DO
Locate the following on the blank outline map of
Latin America: Andes, Mexican Plateau, Mato
Grasso Plateau, Brazilian Highlands, Amazon River,
Rio de la Plata, Rio Grande

18. Natural Resources
Some LA countries among world’s leading producers of energy resources.
Major deposits of oil and gas lie in mountain valleys or in offshore areas along the
Gulf of Mexico and the southern Caribbean Sea.
These resources have especially helped boost the economies of Mexico and
Venezuela.
Oil rigs in Latin America

19. Mineral Resources
In addition to energy resources, Latin America is rich in a number of mineral
resources.
The foothills along Venezuela’s Orinoco River has large amounts of gold
Peru and Mexico are known for silver
Columbian mines produce the world’s finest emeralds
Chile is the largest exporter of copper
Jamaica is the leading producer of bauxite, the main source of aluminum

20. All is not equal…
Because of diverse landforms, the region’s resources are not evenly distributed.
Natural resources in LA are kept from being developed due to
Geographic inaccessibility
Lack of capital (money) for development
Social and political divisions

21. Elevation and Climate
Though located in the
Tropics, some areas of LA
are more affected by
elevation than by distance
from the Equator.
These areas have vertical
climate zones in which soil,
crops, livestock, and climate
change as altitude
increases.

22. Five vertical climate zones
Tierra helada – “frozen land.” Zone of permanent snow and ice on peaks of Andes.
16,000 feet
Puna – “cold zone.” Supports some grasses suitable for grazing sheep, llamas, & alpaca.
12,000 – 16,000 feet
Tierra fria – “cold land.” Winter frosts common, but potatoes & barley grow well. This is
Middle America’s highest climate zone. 6,000 – 12,000 feet
Tierra templada – “temperate land.” Most densely populated of the zones; coffee & corn
are the main crops. 2,500 – 6,000 feet
Tierra caliente – “hot land.” Rain forests abounding with bananas, sugar, rice, and cacao.
Sea level – 2,500 feet

23. Climate and Vegetation Regions
Tropical Wet
Tropical rain forest vegetation dominates much of the region.
World’s largest expanse of tropical rain forest – the Amazon.
Amazon rain forest shelters more species of plants and animals per sq. mile than
anywhere else on Earth.
Amazon Rainforest

24. Climate and Vegetation Regions
Tropical Dry
Typical of the coast of
southwestern Mexico, most
Caribbean islands, and
north-central South America.
High temps and abundant
rainfall but also experience a
long dry season.
Grasslands flourish.
Los Llanos, Columbia

25. Climate and Vegetation Regions
Humid Subtropical
Prevails over much of southeastern South America.
Winters short with cool to mild temps.
Summers are long, hot, and humid.
Short grasses are natural vegetation.
Southern Cone Grasslands, Paraguay

26. Climate and Vegetation Regions
Dry Climates
Parts of Mexico, coastal Peru and Chile, and southeastern coast of Argentina have
desert climates and vegetation.
Cold air and high elevations result in very little precipitation.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is a coastal desert so arid that in some places no
rainfall has ever been recorded.
Areas of vegetation are called
“meadows of the desert.”
Atacama Desert, Chile

27. TO DO
Label all of the countries in Latin America on
your blank outline map.