andes mtns 4500 miles long, world’s longest cordilleras- several ranges running parallel
DESCRIPTION
Andes Mtns 4500 miles long, world’s longest Cordilleras- several ranges running parallel Encircle high plains ( altiplano ) in Peru & Bolivia. Agua. MA’s rivers are small, but SA’s are HUUUUGE Rio Grande ( Rio Bravo del Norte ) is major one, though, outside SA - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
• Andes Mtns
–4500 miles long, world’s longest
–Cordilleras- several ranges running parallel
–Encircle high plains (altiplano) in Peru & Bolivia
Agua• MA’s rivers are small, but SA’s are HUUUUGE
–Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) is major one, though, outside SA
• Amazon- 4000 miles (NYC to Rome, Italy)–20% of Earth’s freshwater, 10X the volume
of the Mississippi–Hundreds of sm. rivers join it Amazon
Basin (creates a valuable functional region)–Only navigable for 2300 miles from Atlantic
Resources
• Oil: Gulf of MX and southern Caribbean MX and Venezuela are leaders in world (OPEC)
• Leaders in gold, silver, emeralds, copper (ancient civs. prospered with them)
• Problems: geography, lack of $, social/political unrest prevent development of resources