2. The Land
Latin America covers 8 mil sq.
miles
Covers 16% of the Earth’s
surface
It extends from the US-Mexico
border to the southern tip of
Argentina.
3. Why is it called Latin America?
The name “Latin America”
refers to the languages
spoken in this region.
(Spanish and Portuguese
are derived from Latin)
4. How is it divided?
Latin America is broken up
into 3 different regions:
1. Middle America (Mexico and
Central America)
2. The Caribbean
3. South America
5. Landscape of Latin America
LA’s rugged landscape is a
result of its location on the
Pacific Ring of Fire.
The plates have collided for
millions of years, causing
earthquakes and creating
mountains and volcanoes.
6. Middle America Mountain Ranges
All of LA’s mountains are an
extension of the Rockies.
They are…..
- The Sierra Madre in Mexico
- Central Highland in Central
America
- Andes in South America
7. Sierra Madre
Consist of 2 mountain
ranges…..
- Sierra Madre Oriental
(Eastern)
- Sierra Madre Occidental
(Western)
They meet near Mexico City
to form the Sierra Madre del
Sur (of the South)
8. Central Highlands
Central Highlands are the
mountains in Central America.
Many Caribbean islands are
also a apart of this mountain
range.
The islands are volcanic peaks
and many of them are active!
9. The Andes
The Andes mountain range
run along the western edge
of South America.
It is the world’s longest
mountain range stretching
4,500 miles.
It is also the highest
mountain range rising more
than 20,000 feet.
10. Rivers of Latin America
Rio Grande river forms the
border between the United
States and Mexico.
The Amazon River is the
longest and most important on
Latin America.
Parana River is the 2nd largest
in South America
11. The Amazon River
Second longest river in the
world!
The Amazon River extends
about 4,200 miles across South
America.
Starts in the Andes and extends
to the Atlantic Ocean.
It carries 10 time the water
value of the Mississippi River.
12. The Amazon River Basin
Several counties and other
rivers drain into the Amazon
River.
This is known as the Amazon
River Basin.
It drains Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador,
Columbia, Venezuela and
Brazil.
13. Lakes in Latin America
LA has few large lakes
Lake Titicaca in the Andes of
Bolivia and Peru is the world’s
highest navigable lake (12,500 ft
above sea level)
Lake Maracaibo is South
America’s largest lake but
connects to the Caribbean
Lake Nicaragua is the largest in
Central America
14. Natural Resources
LA’s most significant resources
are……
- Minerals
- Forests
- Farmlands
- Water
15. Resources Continued
Venezuela and Mexico are rich in
oil
Brazil is rich in gold
Peru and Mexico have silver
deposits.
Chile is the world’s leading
exporter of copper.
16. Resources Continued:
- Geographic inaccessibility
- Lack of capital
- Social and political
divisions
Hinder fuller development
and distribution of
resources in Latin America.
