Latin American

Physiographic Features

Rio Grande River

• Mexicans call it Rio Grande del Norte

• 1,885 miles long

• Flows through southwestern United States and Mexico

• Separates Texas and Mexico

• Empties into Gulf of Mexico at Matamoras, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas

• Provides water for irrigation and drinking

Andes Mountains

• Stretches along the western edge of the entire continent of South America

• Forms the world’s longest contiguous mountain range

• Peruvian Andes hosts Machu Picchu, the ruins of a sacred Inca site

Sierra Madre Occidental

• Western Part of the main mountain range of Mexico

• Also includes the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre del Sur

• Extends south from Arizona and paralles the Pacific Coast for about 1,000 miles

• Iron ore, lead, silver, and gold can be found in the mountains

Plateau of Mexico

• Is 700 miles long and 4,000 – 8,000 feet high

• Is enclosed by the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental

• Contains several drainage basins that support some of Mexico’s major cities

• Northern section of the plateau is high and arid and is used for raising livestock

• Deserts of the south yield to the broad, shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico

• Teotihuacan and Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico.

Guiana Highlands

• Located near the northern coast of South America

• Guiana Highlands are bounded by the Orinoco and Amazon river basins

• Many rivers and heavy rainfall create deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls

• Rainforest is located on the Guiana Highlands

Lake Maracaibo

• Largest lake in South America

• Located in northwest Venezuela and serves as a major transportation route for goods

• Located in the lowlands of the Maracaibo basin

• Main industry in this area is the production of petroleum

Orinoco River

• 1,500 to 1,700 miles through rainforests and savannas

• The Ature and Maipures Cataracts (waterfalls) divide the upper and lower parts of the river

• Most of the river is navigable and is used for shipping and transport vessel

Yucatan Peninsula

• Separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea

• Located in southeastern Mexico

• Tropical Climate with hardwood forests and tropical wildlife

• Main industry is henequen, a hard fiber, to make mats and ropes

Amazon River

• Second longest river after the Nile

• Carries more water than any other

• Passes through the largest rainforests in the world, which covers 35% of South America

Sierra Madrid Oriental

• Eastern part of the main mountain range in Mexico

• Begins south of the Rio Grande near the US border and runs 700 miles parallel to the Gulf of Mexico

• The Sierra Madrid Oriental and the Sierra Madrid Occidental enclose the Plateau of Mexico, meeting in the southeast of the plateau

Lake Titicaca

• Located in the Andes on the Peru-Bolivia border

• One of the highest large lakes in the world…12,500 feet above sea level

• Third largest lake in Latin America

• Constant temperature of (51F/11C) enables local people to grow maize and wheat

Gran Chaco

• Is a lowland plains in central America

• Extends 250,000 miles

• Divided between Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina

• Is dry but becomes swampy during he rainy season

• Sparsely populated

• Oil is exploited from this area

Patagonia

• 300,000 mile region in Southern Argentina• Made up of semiarid plateau ending at the

Atlantic Ocean• Industries consist of sheep and oil

Pampas

• Wide grassy plains that extend into Paraguay

• Has been used for cattle grazing since the 1550’s

• The late nineteenth century the land was used for farming

• Famous for wheat, corn, flax, and oats

Atacama Desert

• Located in Northern Chili

• 600 mile long stretch with no vegetation and very little rainfall

• Has been mined for nitrates and copper

• Agriculture is restricted to narrow strips of arable land

Death valley Atacama Desert, Chile

Amazon Basin

• It’s huge…. 35% of South America

• Covers most of northern Brazil and parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela

• The rain forest is rich in plant and animal life

• Supplies half of the world’s supply of oxygen

Lake Nicaragua

• Located in Nicaragua and is the largest lake in Central America

• San Juan River drains the lake’s water into the Caribbean Sea

• Was once part of the Caribbean Sea

• Has several small islands and volcanoes in the lake

• Salt Water fish can be found in the lake

Ometepe Lake Nicaragua volcano island

Rio de la Plata

• Estuary formed by the Parana and Uruguay Rivers

• Located between Argentina and Uruguay

• 170 Miles long

• Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay is located on the Rio de la Plata

Tierra del Fuego

• An archipelago at the southern tip of South America

• Treacherous to navigate

• Is used mainly for sheep farming and oil drilling

• Divided between Chile and Argentina

Isthmus of Panama

• Narrow strip of land that makes us Panama and connects Central and South America

• Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean

• Rugged mountains to the west and lower mountains to the east

• Tropical Climate with abundant rainfall