Latin america: Physical Features Chapt 9, Sect 1

1. 
   What are some major landforms and regions in Latin America?
   

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  Mexico: mountains (Sierra Madres), Central Plateau, deserts, coastal plains
  
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  Central America: isthmus, coastal plains
  
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  Caribbean Islands: coral islands, tops of underwater mountains
  
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  South America: Andes Mountains, Amazon River Basin, Pampas (large, grassy, plains)
  

2. 
   What are some major rivers in Latin America, and how do they affect the lives of the people living in the region?
   

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  Major Rivers: Amazon River; the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers form the Rio de la Plata (separates Uruguay from Argentina)
  
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  Uses/effects of rivers: transportation, food (fish), hydroelectricity, personal use
  

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  Latin America is located in the Western Hemisphere and includes all of the land south of the U.S.
  
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  Four Regions within Latin America: Mexico; Central America; Caribbean Islands; and South America.
  
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  About 500 years ago Europeans sailed to the “New World” to claim lands for their kings. British and French sailors went north, while Spanish and Portuguese sailors went south.
  
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  Since Spanish and Portuguese are both Latin-based languages, the area is known as Latin America. (Other Latin-based languages include English, French, German, Dutch, and Italian.)
  
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  Mexico and Central America stretch 2500 miles, from border of U.S. to South America.
  
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  Mountains dominate Mexico and Central America; part of a huge mountain system that extends from Canada through the tip of South America.
  
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  Between the mountains of Mexico is the Central Plateau, where the majority of the Mexican population lives.
  
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  Andes Mountains run 4500 miles along western side of South America.
  
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  Pampas are a large plains area that stretches through Argentina; moderate climate, flat grasslands.
  
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  Amazon River Basin contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world, covering more than 1/3 of the continent.
  
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  Latin America’s rivers are some of the longest in the world.
  
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  Uses of rivers: fish (food), power (hydroelectricity), transportation, personal use.
  
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  Amazon is second longest river in the world, but carries more water than any river in the world.
  
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  The Amazon River flows more than 4000 miles, from Peru, through Brazil, to Atlantic Ocean.
  
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  There are more than 1,000 tributaries to the Amazon River.
  
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  Other major rivers include the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers; all three form the Rid de la Plata system, which separates Argentina from Uruguay.
  
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  Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world with ship travel. It is also the only lake in the world that has naval ships, since the border of Peru and Bolivia goes through the middle of the lake. (Even the Great Lakes between the U.S. and Canada do not have naval ships.)
  

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