South America Follow along and add new information as we go. Comencemos ! Where Is Latin America? The region corresponds roughly to all nations south of the Rio Grande, consisting of Mexico and Central America (in North America), South America, and the countries of the Caribbean. 9% of the worlds population lives in Latin America. Latin America MEXICO CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN SOUTH AMERICA Organize the large units of study Divide the world into smaller chunks to study To group similar physical or cultural geographic features Landforms The Andes extend along the Pacific coast of South America. They were formed by tectonic activity. Other types of landforms include: Altiplano: high plateau Tepus: result in Angel Falls Grasslands: Llanos and Pampas Tepus Tepuis is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls Three large river systems drain the eastern part of the continent: Amazon Orinoco Paran Lakes: Titicaca Maracaibo Poop Waterfalls Angel Falls, worlds tallest waterfall, located in Venezuela. Lake Titicaca Angel Falls A river basin is the land area drained by a river and its tributaries. Hydroelectricity uses water power to turn the turbines that generate electricity. An advantage to non-navigable rivers is that they are fast- flowing and turn the turbines. Ecosystems South America has the largest tropical rain forest in the world. Highland climates of the Andes vary with elevation Atacama Desert located along the west coast of South America from Chile to Peru, it is considered the driest place on earth. Natural Resources Rich mineral deposits : Gold Silver Copper Iron Bauxite emeralds Fertile soils Rivers for hydroelectricity Rain forests These incredible places cover only 6 % of the Earth's surface, yet they contain more than 50% of the world's plant and animal species ! Some of the common products we use including chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, and rubber. Trees produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. Ecotourism supports local economies. Medicines and potential medications come from the rain forest. The Inca were South Americas greatest early civilization. They controlled a large territory connected by roads and bridges. They built beautiful stone buildings. They were excellent farmers and ranchers. (terracing) Quipus Knots Quipus were recording devices used by inca civilisation. the cords contained numeric and other values encoded by knots in a base ten positional system. quipus might have just a few or up to 2,000 cords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F7G0VeqAeY The Spanish and Portuguese agreed to split the continent. They used the indigenous people as labor. They introduced new plants and animals to South America, and took native plants back to Europe. Also brought disease to South America. This diffusion is called the Columbian Exchange. Spanish and Portuguese colonies gained their independence between 1810 and However, many of these countries have struggled with setting up stable democracies. Political power was often linked to wealth or military power. There are a large variety of ethnic groups in South America- Indians, Europeans, mestizos, even Asian immigrants! Languages and religion reflect the colonial history of each country, but are often modified by indigenous traditions or by new immigrants. Large cities are usually along coasts or seaports. Large areas in the rain forest and the Andes are thinly populated. All South American countries are developing. There is both commercial and subsistence farming. 40% of the worlds coffee comes from South America. World Coffee Production The countries of South America are becoming increasingly urban. People are influenced by push-pull factors when they migrate. City life is often a difficult adjustment for people who are used to living in rural areas. Each city has large slum areas. Development of stable democracies Raising the standard of living Environmental protections Reduce terrorism (often linked to drug cartels) Border disputes between neighboring countries. The End