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Latin America

Latin America. A diverse region-steeped in the heritage of three cultures, one language, and one religion. Environmental Changes: Pollution. Mexico City has severe air pollution. Heavy smog is caused by overpopulation, a history of poor emissions and topography.

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Latin America

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  1. Latin America • A diverse region-steeped in the heritage of three cultures, one language, and one religion.

  2. Environmental Changes: Pollution • Mexico City has severe air pollution. • Heavy smog is caused by overpopulation, a history of poor emissions and topography. • one of the most polluted cities in Latin America as well as the most populous.

  3. Language • Hispanic America speaks Spanish • Brazil speaks Portuguese • Why? • Ans: Treaty of Tordesillas. Pope settled territorial disputes between Portugal and Spain.

  4. Rain Forests: Human-Environment Interaction. • Much of this region is dominated by rain forests. • The world’s rain forests are in serious trouble due to deforestation

  5. Impact of Physical; elements • The Rio Grande is a natural border.

  6. Latin America: A RegionThree Sub-Regions: 1. Central America 2. South America 3. The Caribbean

  7. Central America • Mexico-Belize-Guatemala • El Salvador-Honduras-Nicaragua • Costa Rica-Panama (Isthmus)

  8. South America: largest landmass • Colombia-Venezuela-Guyana • Suriname-French Guiana-Ecuador • Peru-Bolivia-Brazil (largest country) • Paraguay-Argentina • Uruguay-Chile

  9. Caribbean • Cuba • Haiti • Jamaica • Dominican Republic • Puerto Rico (U.S.) • (Part of the Greater Antilles)

  10. Physical Characteristics: South America = largest land area in region.

  11. Major Mountain Ranges • The Andes Mountains run down the west coast of South America and are the longest mountain range in the world.

  12. More Mountain Ranges • In Mexico you have the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, the Sierra Madre Oriental in the east, and the Sierra Madre del Sur in the south.

  13. Rainforests The Amazon The largest rainforest in the world.

  14. The Atacama Desert • The Atacama Desert is a coastal desert that is on the leeward side of the Andes Mountains. • It is the driest place on earth – it hasn’t rained in 400 years!

  15. Reversed seasons south of the equator • They have Summer when we have winter and vice versa.

  16. Amazon River Basin • The Amazon River Basin is one of the largest river systems in the world. During the rainy season the Amazon river gets up to 350,000 sq km (3 times its size during the dry season)

  17. Grasslands - Pampas • In the plains of Argentina and Uruguay there are the grassy, treeless areas known as Pampas. The Pampas have the rainfall and fertile soils needed for producing grain and grazing cattle and sheep.

  18. Grasslands - Llanos • People of Venezuela and Colombia have been raising cattle for hundreds of years on the large, fertile plains areas called llanos (LAHnohz), which run along the Caribbean coast of South America.

  19. Tropical Climates predominate

  20. Volcanoes and earthquakes Location: Ring of Fire

  21. Archipelagoes: • Greater and Lesser Antilles

  22. Vertical Climate Zones • Climate and vegetation vary widely, depending on elevation. The following vertical climate zones exist the region: • Tierra Caliente: 2,500-3,000 feet • Tierra Templada: 6,000-6,500 feet • Tierra Fria: 10,000-12,000 feet • Tierra Helada: above 15,000 feet

  23. Economic Characteristics: • Diverse economies • Primary levels of economics – farming, oil • Some tourism – ecotourism: e.g. rainforests. • Disparity of income distribution • Environmental concerns • NAFTA

  24. Primary Economic Level • Subsistence farmingis farming at a basic level. • Subsistence farming is farming to meet the needs of yourself and your family.

  25. Demographics that are typical of developing countries: 1. Low per capita GDP 2. Low life expectancy 3. High population growth rate 4. High infant mortality 5. Large percentage of the population under the age of 15 6. Low literacy rates

  26. Plantation Agriculture • Commercial farming, which is farming for profit, exists on plantations. • There are various cash crops and food crops but the major crop is COFFEE.

  27. Slash and Burn Farming • Is a form of subsistence farming in which forests are cut and burned to plant crops. • This adds to South America’s deforestation problem.

  28. Haciendas – large Spanish Plantations

  29. Gauchos: Argentine Cowboys They work on ranches in the pampas region.

  30. Deforestation • South America’s rain forests are rapidly being destroyed. • Brazil has some of the worst deforestation in the world.

  31. Oil Resources (nonrenewable) • Venezuela • Ecuador • Mexico

  32. Disparity of Income Distribution • A growing gap between the rich and the poor

  33. NAFTA • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). • USA, Canada and Mexico all signed to open trade and improve the economies of the three nations.

  34. NAFTA is an example of:1. How membership in military and political alliances provide access to markets.

  35. 2. An economic union.

  36. 3. Spatial divisions.

  37. 4. Cooperation

  38. Diverse mineral resources • Copper in Chile • Iron ore in Venezuela • Iron ore in Brazil

  39. Cultural Characteristics • Influence of European colonization, Indian civilizations and African traditions. • Predominance of Roman Catholic religion. • Rigid social structure: Spanish influence • Cultural hearths: Ancient Native Civ.

  40. Indian Civilizations • Maya: in the Yucatan Peninsula • Aztec: near Mexico City • Inca: in the Andean mountains of Peru

  41. African Traditions • Cultural influences came with the slaves that were imported to work on the plantations

  42. European Colonization:1. Spain2. Portugal3. England4. France

  43. Roman Catholic religion • Brought by the Spanish

  44. Mestizos – mixed white (mostly Spanish) and Indian

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