3. Physical Features World’s highest waterfall, S.A. largest lake, & world’s largest rodent Rugged mts., highlands, & plains drained by huge river system Mountains & highlands Andes: 18,000 feet Forms a three-pronged cordillera (mt. system made up of parallel ranges) Active volcanoes & earthquakes Guiana Highlands Eroding for millions of years Steep sided plateaus capped by sandstone (called tepuis)
4. Plains, Rivers, & Wildlife Llanos Region of plains between the highlands & the Andes Mostly grassland w/ few trees Plains flood easily Orinoco River River flows for about 1,600 miles River & tributaries drain the plains & highlands Cauca & Magdalena Rivers drain the Andean region Wildlife Orinoco River Basin Capybara, piranhas, catfish, & crocodiles 100s of bird species, jaguars, ocelots, & monkeys
5. Climate & Vegetation Near equator = mostly warm temps year-round Temps do vary w/ elevation Llanos region has tropical savanna climate Wet & dry seasons Rain forests Humid tropical climate Rain throughout the year
6. Resources Rich agriculture Good soil & moderate climates Crops: rice, coffee, bananas, & sugarcane Valuable Resources Oil, iron ore, coal, & timber Coastal areas Fish & shrimp Rivers in area used to produce hydroelectric power
8. Columbia’s History The Chibcha Well developed civilizations Practiced pottery making, weaving, & metalworking Customs New rulers covered with gold dust & then taken to a lake to wash it off Gold & emerald objects were thrown into the lake when ruler was being washed off These customs inspired the legend of El Dorado
9. Spanish Conquest Spanish Conquest Spanish arrived in the 1500s Expanding the Spanish empire Conquered Chibcha & seized their treasure Founded other colonies along Caribbean coast By the 1600s they had set up large estates in Columbia Powerful landlords forced South American Indians & enslaved Africans to work the land
10. Independence 1700 struggle for independence began Republic of Gran Colombia was created Included Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, & Venezuela 1830 Republic dissolved & New Granada (now Colombia) was created After independence people argued over amount of power central gov’t & Roman Catholic Church should have Rugged geography & little contact between people in Colombia lead to development of separate economies & identities Uniting groups was difficult Outbreaks of violence between the 1800s & 1900s killed thousands
11. Colombia Today Caribbean South America’s most populous country Most live in fertile valleys & basins among mt. ranges Moderate climate good for farming here Rivers help connect settlements between mts. & coast Cattle ranches are common in the Llanos Few people live in the tropical rain forests in the south
12. Cultural Life Geography has isolated regions from one another People know by the area they live African traditions influence songs & dances Soccer is enjoyed by many Colombians Tejo is also played Chibcha sport similar to a ring toss Roman Catholicism is main religion Conflict Big problem today Border conflicts w/ Venezuela has gone on for many years Different groups have waged war with each other & Colombian gov’t Groups control large areas of the country & force farmers off their land, damaging the economy
13. Economy Resources Coffee, bananas, corn, rice, cassava, sugarcane, & flowers Oil is leading export (found in eastern Colombia) Iron Ore, gold, emeralds, coal, & tin Many Colombians have low incomes even with rich resources Urban poverty & rapid population growth are challenges for Colombia
14. Civil War Major problem today Many different groups fighting each other & the gov’t Over past 40 years Guerrillas Militant group that uses irregular military force Have forced farmers off their land & caused thousands to flee the country Groups also grow illegal plants used to make cocaine Civil War have created uncertain future for Colombia New laws have made it harder for guerrillas & other militant groups to operate freely U.S. also provides assistance in the form of foreign aid
16. History & Culture of Venezuela Many small tribes of South American Indians prior to arrival of Spanish Became independent in 1800s, but Spanish rule shaped the history & culture of country Spanish Settlement & Colonial Rule Spanish explorers came looking for gold & pearls Forced South American Indians to dive for pearls & pan for gold Little gold, however Agriculture Indigo was grown; South American Indians forced to work the fields Many died & enslaved Africans were brought in Many escaped to remote areas & began governing themselves
17. Independence & Self-Rule Simon Bolivar Led revolt against Spanish armies throughout the region Struggle for independence ended in 1830 1830s Caudillos (Dictators) & civil wars plagued Venezuela Oil was discovered during this time Money from oil was kept by the dictators or caudillos 1958 last dictator was forced from power
18. People & Culture Descended from native Indians, Europeans & Africans Majority are mixed Indian & European European descent live in large cities African descent live along the coast Most people are Spanish speaking Roman Catholics Indians speak 25 different languages & follow their own religious practices Culture Dancing, rodeo events, baseball, & soccer
19. Venezuela Today Most make a living farming and ranching Most wealthy Venezuelans & the gov’t have made money in oil industry Agriculture & Ranching Northern Venezuela Small family farms & large commercial farms Llaneros: cowboys; herd cattle
20. Economy Based on oil production Most people live in poverty Poor moved to cities to find work Settled in outskirts & lived in shacks w/ no running water, sewers, or electricity Wealth of country has attracted many immigrants Economy & people suffer when oil prices drop (like in the 1980s) Member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Lake Maracaibo in a source of rich oil Are trying to reduce dependence on oil income Guiana Highlands Rich minerals like iron ore & gold Dams on Orinoco River produce hydroelectricity
21. Government 1st president elected in 1959 Economic turmoil & political protests are common 2002 President Hugo Chavez started distributing oil income equally among Venezuelans Millions went on strike to protest actions some for 2 months This strike damaged the economy & oil exports fell dramatically 2004 Venezuelans called for a referendum (recall vote) 58% voted for Chavez Chavez adopted new policies in 2nd term to help end poverty, illiteracy, & hunger
22. The Guianas Guyana, Suriname, & French Guiana Dense tropical rain forests cover much of region
23. Guyana “Land of Waters” Agricultural land located on the flat, fertile plains along the coast Rice & sugar most important crops Population is diverse ½ are descended from those who migrated to Guyana from India Came to work sugar plantations Today Most farm small plots of land or run small businesses 1/3 are descended from former African slaves Operate large businesses & hold most gov’t positions
24. Suriname Resources & economy similar to Guyana Diverse population South Asians, Africans, Chinese, Indonesians, & Creoles (mixed heritage)
25. French Guiana Territory of France Send reps. to gov’t in Paris People live mostly along coastal areas 2/3 of people are of African descent Europeans, Asians, & South American Indians as well Depend on imports for its food & energy
