Geography Chapter 8

Copper

Chile is the world's leading export of copper.

Size

Latin America covers 8 million square miles of land from the U.S. Mexico border to the southern tip of Argentina in South America.

Lakes

Latin America has few large lakes. Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru is the world's highest navigable lake.

Mountains and Plateaus

Latin Americas rugged landscape is the result of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes and volcanoes are very common

Oil and Gas

Mexico and Venezuela are two of the largest oil producing countries in the world.

Mountains of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean

Mexico's Sierra Madre are the main mountain range in Mexico and Central America. The Caribbean Islands are part of the Central Highlands Mountain range.

Tropical Regions

Mexico, Central America, most Caribbean Islands and the Amazon Basin in South America have a tropical rainforest climate. With hot temperatures and heavy rainfall year round.

The Humid Subtropics

Southeastern South America has a humid subtropical climate with short, mild winters and long hot summers.

The Rain Forest

The Amazon Basin covers 1/3 of South America and contains the world's largest rain forest. Trees as high as 130 feet form a dense canopy over the forest floor.

Gold and Silver

Venezuelans Orinoco contains 11% of the world's gold. Brazil is also rich in gold and Peru and Mexico are known for their silver.

Regions

geographers divide Latin America into 3 regions. Middle America (Central America), Caribbean and South America.

Tropical Savanna

in the tropical savanna climate there are grasslands with hot temperatures and a rainy season and a dry season. Tropical savannas are located in southwestern Mexico, some Caribbean islands and north-central South America.

Tierra Templada

lies between 2,500 feet and 6,500 feet. Main crops include coffee and corn.

Tierra Caliente

lies between sea level and 2,500 feet. Main crops include bananas, sugar and rice.

Tierra Fria

located over 6,500 feet. Major crops include barley and potatoes.

Rivers

major rivers like the Amazon serve as transportation routes and in many areas provide hydro-electro power.

Climate and Vegetation

most of Latin America lies between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. However there are a great variety of climates in the region.

Highlands of Brazil

much of Brazil consists of broad plateaus and a mountain range called the Brazilian Highlands.

Lowlands and Plains

narrow coastal lowlands are found on the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America. Inland areas of South America contain vast grasslands (plains) that provide grazing for livestock.

Desert and Steppe Climates

parts of Northern Mexico and Southwestern South America have desert climates and vegetation The Atacama Desert in Chile is considered to be the driest place in the world. Hot summers, cool winters and very light rainfall.

Andes of South America

the Andes Mountains run along the West Coast of South America and are the world's longest mountain range (over 4,000 miles). The highest point in Latin America is over 22,000 feet.

Elevation and Climate

the climate of Latin America depends more on elevation than on distance from the equator.

Name

the name Latin America comes from the languages that are spoken in this geographic region. Spanish and Portuguese are both languages derived from Latin.