A funny sounding lake South American Landforms, Climate, and Vegetation 3
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Essential Question: How have physical features and climate affected the population distribution of Latin America? 5
I. Landforms A. Andes Mountains TQ 1. Created by the Nazca Plate and South American Plate subducting. 2. Form a barrier to movement into the interior of the continent. 3. Home to ancient civilizations like the Inca in Peru. 6
TQ How do people modify their environment? Terraced Farming The ancient Inca dug terraces (steps) into the mountain side to create flat land for farming. 7
B. Llanos 1. Tropical grassland area used for livestock grazing and farming. 2. Found in Colombia and Venezuela. Llanos and pampas are grassland prairies, AKA savannas C. Pampas 1. Area known for cattle and wheat production. 2. Found in Uruguay and northern Argentina. D. South America has wide plains that offer rich soil for growing crops and grasses for grazing livestock. 8
Llanos of Colombia Pampas of Argentina 9
E. Cerrado closed 1. Area between the Brazilian Highlands and Amazon Basin. 2. Savannas with flat terrain and moderate rainfall. 3. Brazil is encouraging land development for farming. 10
G. Tierra del Fuego 11
II. Bodies of Water A. Amazon River 1. Flows 4,000 miles from west to east. 2. Origin in the Andes and flows eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. 3. Fed by over 1,000 tributaries in the Amazon Basin. 12
B. Xingu River 1. A tributary of the Amazon River, 1,230 miles long. 2. Belo Monte Dam- will be the 3 rd largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Will open up Amazon to development. Animal diversity at risk. C. Orinoco River 1. Flows northeast through Venezuela. 2. Home to Native American people like the Yanomamo. 13
D. Lake Titicaca 1. Largest lake in South America. 2. Sits in Andes, on the border of Peru and Bolivia. 3. Name origin unknown but it has been translated to be Rock Puma or Crag of Lead. 14
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TQ E. Panama Canal The U.S. took over the project in 1904, and officially opened the canal in 1914. TQ France began work in 1881, but stopped due to engineering problems and high mortality rates due to disease. Panama City has become a center for urbanization, transportation, and economic activity. 16
IV. Climate and Vegetation A. Climates range from arid to tropical rain forest. B. The variety in climate and vegetation is due to: 1. Latin America covering a great distance on each side of the equator. 2. Changes in elevation due to the Andes Mountains and other highlands. 3. Warm water currents from the Atlantic Ocean and cold water currents from the Pacific Ocean. 18
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C. The ITCZ Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) Occurs between 5 o N and 5 o S. Hot air rises and sinks further away between 20 o -30 o N and S. Hot air rising- convection Produces thunderstorms, hurricanes, tropical wet/dry climate. This area is also called the doldrums b/c wind rarely blows in this area of earth. How would sail boats be affected? 20
D. El Nino Occurs in the South Pacific Ocean, about every 5 years. El Nino is the warming of the Pacific s water temperature, which affects the amount of rainfall to the Americas. Pushes rain into Peru and Ecuador. Pushes rain from the Amazon Basin into Central America, making the Amazon hotter and drier. 21
El Nino 22
TQ E. Highland climate zone An increase in elevation causes a decrease in air pressure and temperature. TQ Andes Mountains Quito, Ecuador 23
F. Arid climate zone Atacama Desert Northern Chile Known for its mineral wealth: Gold, silver, iron, copper, bauxite (aluminum ore) Patagonia Southern Argentina 24
G. Tropical climate zone The Amazon Rainforest Dense rain forest made up of different species of trees. 2,500 varieties of trees The Amazon rain forest forms a unique ecosystem. Covers more than 2 million miles. Almost 1/5 of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared. Deforestation 26
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Wrap Up List three ways that people in South America depend on, adapt to, or modify the environment. One way people in South America modify the environment is by. A second way people depend on adapt to modify the environment is by. A third way depend on adapt to depend on adapt to people modify the environment is by. Use your Notes! 28