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Latin America

Latin America. Chapters 9-11. Landforms. The Andes Mountains Part of a chain of mountain ranges that include the Rocky and Sierra Madre mountains of US and Mexico. Many active volcanoes in region Creates a barrier for travel inland Highlands

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Latin America

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  1. Latin America Chapters 9-11

  2. Landforms • The Andes Mountains • Part of a chain of mountain ranges that include the Rocky and Sierra Madre mountains of US and Mexico. • Many active volcanoes in region • Creates a barrier for travel inland • Highlands • Area in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil

  3. Plains • Contains rich soil for farming and grass for grazing livestock • Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela • Grassy, treeless areas used for livestock • Similar to the great plains of the US • Amazon River basin • Found in Brazil • Known as the Cerrado savannas • Flat with moderate rainfall • Still underdeveloped • Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay • Great area for maintaining cattle and wheat.

  4. Rivers • Latin America does not have an extensive network of rivers • Most areas border water however • The Orinoco River • Found mostly in Venezuela • Amazon River • Flows about 4,000 miles • Carries the most water to the ocean than any other river in the world. • Parana River • Origins in the Brazilian highlands

  5. Islands • The Caribbean Islands consist of three major groups: • The Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles • The Bahamas • Hundreds of islands spanning from Florida to Cuba. • Christopher Columbus landed here in search of new lands • The Greater Antilles- bigger islands • Include Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico • The Lesser Antilles- smaller islands • Divided into Windward and Leeward islands • Windward islands face winds • Leeward islands have a more sheltered position

  6. Resources • Minerals- abundant supply of gold, silver, iron, copper, tin, lead, and bauxite (aluminum ore) • Mined in South America and shipped throughout the world • Example: Jamaica used to be plantation economy, selling bananas and sugar until they mined bauxite and has raised their GDP. • Energy Resources • Plentiful oil, coal, natural gas, and uranium • Trinidad and Tobago has vast reserves of natural gas • Progressing the nation rapidly

  7. Climate • Climate Zones- • Tropical Wet • Rainforests that contain over 2,500 types of trees and the world’s largest snakes, jaguars, and piranhas • Tropical Wet and Dry • Support savanna- large grasslands dotted with trees • Hot climates with seasonal rains • Semiarid • Dry with some rain • Deserts • Northern Mexico and much of the Peru coast • The Atacama desert is located in Chile

  8. Agriculture • Native peoples burned large quantities of forest for planting and diverted streams to irrigate these areas. • The process is called Slash-and-Burn • Method is still used today and is one reason the rainforests are shrinking rapidly. • Terraced Farming • Growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes • Cut steps into the hills • Reduces soil erosion

  9. Urbanization • People are moving from rural to urban areas throughout Latin America. • In Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, 90% of the population live in cities. • Why do people move to cities? • Better lives- more jobs, better pay • More food and clothing available • Push and Pull factors • Push factors= why people leave the rural areas • Poor medical care, poor education, low-paying jobs • Pull factors= why people move to the city

  10. Tourism • Growing industry in Latin America • Tourism Advantages: • Tourists spend money, bring job to area • Reveal the culture in a positive light • Tourism Disadvantages: • Resorts take up vital lands • Great strain on small communities • Tourist spots cost lots of money to the local government

  11. Mexico • Native groups, Aztecs and the Mayans lived there until Spanish Conquest, 1519, colonized the area. • Aztecs and Mayans were very advanced cultures before Spanish conquest. • Mixed population of Native and Spanish blood is called mestizo.

  12. Mexican Economy • Two main struggles in economy: • The gap between the rich and poor is very large • Mexico is attempting to modernize industry • Mexicans are moving to cities for better economic opportunities • Oil and Manufacturing • Mexico has a large oil reserve industry • Have helped to finance development • Maquiladoras are factories that assemble imported materials into finished products • NAFTA • North American Free Trade Agreement • Allows trade between Canada, US, and Mexico

  13. Mexican Challenges • Safety • Illegal drug cartels compete for control of the billion dollar industry • Drug cartels has hurt tourism and driven away foreign investment • Emigration • Mexicans leave their country in search of work • Money made in US is sent back to Mexico and helps stimulate local economies • Work and School • Mexico has high unemployment due to poor education and training for jobs

  14. Central America and the Caribbean • Central America is an Isthmus, a land bridge between North and South America. • Area is known as a crossroads of ideas, cultures, and old world civilizations (Mayans, Aztecs, etc) • The Mayans built many temples and cities in each Central American countries. • Each state was ruled by a god-king

  15. Central America and the Caribbean • Spain may have ruled Central America but the land was claimed by many European powers • After Columbus settled the region, European slave traders brought African slaves to work on plantations • European countries wanted the profits from the sugar trade • Each island had to fight for their independence • Most came by slave revolt

  16. Central America and the Caribbean • Culture: • Central America: mainly Catholic due to European settlers’ influence • Speak Spanish • Spanish altered way of life from bringing new crops to cutting down trees for animals to graze • The Caribbean: very mixed ancestry • Includes European and African ancestry • Catholic and Protestants • Santeria: African practices with Catholic elements • Voodoo and Rastafari also practiced

  17. Central America and the Caribbean • Economy • Most people are poor • Still due to colonialism (sugar plantations) • Farming sugar, bananas, citrus fruit is main exports • Most make their living from farming these • Panama Canal allows trade from either hemisphere pass to the other fairly quickly • Education and jobs for the population are concern

  18. South America • Divided into two main regions: Spanish-Speaking and Portuguese-Speaking South America. • French Guiana part of France • Suriname speaks Dutch • The Inca People • May have crossed from Siberia, to Alaska, and into South America. • Built very sophisticated society. • By the time the Spanish arrive, the Incan empire extended 2,500 miles • The Spanish came and brought new diseases and weapons

  19. South America Spanish Side • Like the American and French revolutions, South American countries sought freedom from Spain in the 1800s. • Two leaders for independence were Simon Bolivar (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia) and Jose de San Martin (Argentina, Chile, and Peru) • Two characteristics of these governments: • Oligarchy- ruled by a few people • Military rule

  20. South America Spanish Side • Economy • Most countries economy based upon agriculture and mining oil and minerals. • The gap between the rich and the poor reflects poverty and the failures to develop the lives of the majority of the population. • Economic Advantages: wide variety of products • Due to unique combo of landforms, resources, climate, and vegetation

  21. Brazil • Spain and Portugal reached an agreement about South American lands in the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas • Before Portuguese settle Brazil, area was home to 100s of tribes and groups estimated to be over 1 million • Portuguese tried to find silver and gold • Settled for clearing out forests and raising sugar plantations • Popular settlement due to sugar boom

  22. Brazil • Settlements and cities are found mainly on the coast and away from the interior rainforests • Slaves were brought over to work on large plantations • As a result many Brazilians are a mix of European, African, and native ancestry • Culture • Becoming a hot-bed for European immigrants • Speak Portuguese and are mainly practicing Catholics • Celebrate Carnival, which is a colorful festival to the music of Samba • Slums are called favelas- which are violent drug-ridden areas

  23. Brazil • Economy • Natural resources have helped make Brazil an industrial power • Power plants along Amazon and other rivers help power the country • Still a wide gap in between rich and poor • People are moving to cities but urbanization has been slow • People are also moving inland and away from the cities of the coast

  24. Latin America Issues • Rainforests • Important for cleansing the earth’s atmosphere, regulate climate, and provide shelter to thousands of animals • Poor farmers need the land for growing crops • Deforestation- cutting down and clearing out trees • The world needs the timber for population growth • Countries need the money • How do you advance society, but keep the earth healthy?

  25. Latin America Issues • Democratic Governments • Oligarchy is not democracy, ruled by a few • Junta- Military control of the government • Caudillos- Military dictators or political bosses • Can be elected by the people (wealthy elite) • Governments are reforming to make a constitutional governments • Also trying to increase women’s roles in politics

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