Latin America and the Caribbean Countries of Mexico
Latin America and the Caribbean
Countries of Mexico and Central America § Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
Countries of South America § Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay
Countries of the Caribbean § Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico (US)
Physical Features § Major Mountain ranges § Andes Mountains § Sierra Madre Mountains-Oriental and Occidental § Rainforests § Coastal Desert--Atacama Desert § Amazon River Basin
§ Tropical Grasslands--Pampas, Llanos § Archipelagoes groups of related islands § Reversed seasons south of the Equator § Volcanoes and Earthquakes
§ Vertical Zonation of Climates in Mexico § Tierra Templada-temperate § Tierra Fria-cold § Tierra Caliente-hot
Economic Characteristics § diverse economies § subsistence farming § plantation agriculture § slash and burn agriculture § cash crops and food crops § haciendas § cattle ranches and gauchos
§ deforestation § destruction of the rainforests § oil resources--Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico § Heavy smog and pollution-Mexico City
§ disparity of income distribution § NAFTA member § diverse mineral resources §copper in Chile §iron ore in Venezuela and Brazil
Cultural Characteristics § Indian civilizations--Aztec, Inca § African traditions--slaves § influences of European colonization--Spanish § predominance of the Roman Catholic religion § rigid social structure—no movement
§ Mestizos-European and Native § location of settlements--coastal in South America § Megacities with large squatter settlements § rapid population growth § out-migration
Cultural heritage § music--African influences, calypso, steel drum bands, reggae § traditional dances § Spanish and Portuguese languages
Cultural landscape § pyramids and cathedrals § haciendas and ejidos (communal land) § ruins at Machu Picchu § ruins at Tikal
Latin America From Mexico to Chile and Argentina
Mountain Ranges § Sierra Madres § Andes § In Mexico § 2 nd highest § 3 different range in the areas world. § ORIENTAL § Run from Chile § OCCIDENTAL to Panama § DEL SUR
Latin America in Pictures
Squatter City in Brazil
Native American heritage
Mayan
Inca
Inca Chieftain
Steel Drums
Steel Drum Band
Cathedral in Mexico
Cathedral in Mexico
Macchu Picchu in Peru
Macchu Picchu is an ancient city that the Inca claimed was the center of the earth.
Tikal in Guatemala
§ ancient Mayan city § ceremonial and civic center § Tikal is the "New York City" of the Maya, its skyscraper-like pyramids soaring up out of the jungle canopy.
Gauchos in Argentina
ANDES
Peaks in the ANDES
Looking up
Inca city of Machu Pichu
Sierra Madres
Sierra rocky cliffs
Green slopes
Looking across the range
Amazon River Basin § Over 1000 tributaries feed the Amazon River. § Drains an area almost the size of the USA. nd § Amazon 2 largest river in the world. § Drains 60 times more water then the Nile.
Amazon River Basin (dark green)
Amazon flowing through the rainforest.
Grasslands § Pampas § In Argentina § Used for grazing and farming § Llanos § In Venezuela § Used for grazing and farming
Cattle on the Pampas
Shade trees on the llanos
A small pond on the llanos
Rainforests § Rainforests cover much of Latin America. § Rain forests are near the equator. § Amazon rainforest covers almost 2 million acres.
Water fall in the forest
Deserts § Atacama Desert §Driest desert in the World. §Sheltered from the rainforest by the Andes
Atacama
Archipelagoes (groups of islands) § Bahamas § Hundreds of islands off the tip of Florida and to the North of Cuba § Greater Antilles § Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola
§ Lesser Antilles § Smaller islands to the South of Puerto Rico
Bahamas
Bahamas from space
The Beach
Warm Blue Water
FIN
Latin America--Test Review § What is the main language of Latin America? § Spanish § What is the main religion of Latin America? § Roman Catholic
§ Name the major mountain ranges of Mexico? § Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental § What is the most important and populous region of Mexico? § Central Plateau
§ What do Tierra Fria, Tierra Templada, and Tierra Caliente have in common? § All are climate zones from the Latin American mountain regions § Ancient Mayan ruins can be found in which region of Mexico? § Yucatan Peninsula
§ Which native civilization was conquered by Cortez and the Spanish in Mexico? § the Aztecs § What three cultures make-up Mexico? § Ancient Indian, colonial Spanish and modern Mexican
§ What is an EJIDOS? § Farmland owned collectively by members of a rural community § What is a HACIENDA? § Large Spanish-owned estates of land, usually run as a farm or cattle ranch
§ Who provided the labor on the Haciendas? § Indians § What is a mestizo? § Person of mixed Spanish and native Indian ancestory § What economic alliance is Mexico a member of? § NAFTA
§ What is an isthmus? § A narrow strip of land with water on both sides § What is the main economic activity of Central America? § Agricultural
§ What does an unequal distribution of wealth mean? § Most money/resources controlled by a few
§ What do Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) make up? § Greater Antilles § What group was originally brought to the Caribbean to work on the sugar plantations? § Africans
§ What is an archipelago? § Island group or island chain § What is subsistence farming? § Growing only enough for your use § What are the tropical grasslands of South America called? § Llanos and pampas
§ What is the predominant climate in Latin America? § Tropical climates § Does Latin America have volcanoes and earthquakes? § YES § What do Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico have in common? § oil
§ What is the main problem in Mexico City? § Smog and pollution § What mineral resources does Chile have? § Copper
§ What was the ancient South American native culture conquered by Spain? § Incas
§ Describe Latin America’s social structure. § Rigid § What 3 things do most Latin American cities have in common? § Coastal, megacities, squatter settlements
§ What is Macchu Picchu? § Ancient Incan ruins § What is the name of the ancient Mayan ruins in Guatemala? § Tikal
§ Name the major mountain range of South America? § Andes § When it is summer in the US, what season is it in Argentina? § winter
§ What is the largest economic activity in Argentina’s patagonia region? § Cattle ranching § What are Argentina’s cattle ranchers called? § gauchos
- Slides: 82