Spanish Speaking Countries
Venezuela
1499 Spanish explorers gave the country its name b/c, people lived on the water & commerce/ travel were by canoe. Reminded them of Venice, Italy. Angel Falls- world's highest waterfall Caracas- Cosmopolitan City located in 9mi valley of the High Mountain
Ecuador
400 miles north to south run snowcapped volcanoes Named from equator b/c, the equator runs thru country 3 geographical areas 1. Andean sierra in center 2. tropical coastal plain to west 3. Amazon Basin Jungle to east
Perú
9 months of the year Lima is enshrouded with a fog called la garúa Incan Heritage: Machu Picchu, Famous Incan Ruin 1/2 of the pop. lives in the Andean Highlands 3 geographical areas 1. narrow coastal strip of desert along the Pacific 2. The Andean Highlands 3. The Amazon jungle in the east
Honduras
An agricultural country(1/3 is rich farmlands) pre-Columbian civilization ruins (Copán) Major Cities: Tegucigalpa & San Pedro Sula
Paraguay
Asunción
Columbia
Bogotá
Argentina
Buenos Aires
Venezuela
Caracas
Argentina
Famous for its grass-fed beef Geography: Grassy Pampas; lake area on Chilean border, South - rocky countryside in Patagonia
Guatemala
La Ciudad de Guatemala
Panamá
La Ciudad de Panamá
Bolivia
La Paz
Bolivia
La Paz is the highest city in the world It's landlocked in S. Amer. (no coastline) Lake Titicaca - world's highest navigable lake Aymara Indian Villages Mountainous Terrains
Paraguay
Landlocked country (one of 2 in S. Amer.) 1/5 of total pop. is in Asunción, the capital 2 rivers- Chaco & Rio Paraguay
Guatemala
Large indigenous population- descendants of the Mayans Many jungle overgrown cities over 2,000 years old Geography: Volcanoes, Mountains & Jungles Important cities/villages: Antigua, Panajachel, y Chichicastenango
Panamá
Largest Latin America financial center Country of Variety: Races, Customs, Natural Wonders, Attractions Geography: Tropical Forests, Mountains, Beaches, Lakes, Rivers, Oceans
Perú
Lima
Nicaragua
Managua
Uruguay
Montevideo
Costa Rica
No army & more teachers than police officers Geography: Beaches, Jungles, Cosmopolitan Cities, & High Mountains Residents called Ticos Tourist country w/ very friendly & polite residents many ex-patriots live there
Chile
Only 111 miles wide at biggest part Isolated from neighbors, Bolivia & Argentina, by the Andes Mountains 1/3 of pop. lives in Santiago, the capital Geography-North-Atacama desert South-Glaciers & fjords of Patagonia
Nicaragua
Over 40 volcanoes many still presently erupting Lake Managua- only island lake inhabited by sharks Major City- León has universities, colonial churches, & 18th century Cathedral
Ecuador
Quito
Costa Rica
San José
El Salvador
San Salvador
Chile
Santiago
El Salvador
Smallest & most densely populated Central American Country Only C. Amer. Country w/o Atlantic Coastline Geography: 2 mountain ranges going across the country w/ many volcanoes
Uruguay
Smallest S. Amer. country Geography: grazing/ grassy land & beaches on Atlantic Coast
Honduras
Tegucigalpa
Columbia
over 440,000mi2 of the tropical & mountainous terrain Bogotá is in the center of the country in an Indian Valley The Geography: The Carribean Coast is in the north with Beaches, in the south is the Jungle & Leticia which is a port on Amazon River
