Latin America’s major Latin America’s major physical featuresphysical features

StandardsStandards

• SS6G1 The student will locate selected features of Latin America and the Caribbean.

• a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Amazon River, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Andes Mountains, Sierra Madre Mountains, and Atacama Desert.

• b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.

Physical Feature of LA ListPhysical Feature of LA List• Amazon River• Caribbean Sea• Gulf of Mexico• Pacific Ocean• Panama Canal• Andes Mountains• Sierra Madre Mountains• Atacama Desert.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is the typography of Latin America?

Pacific OceanPacific Ocean• The largest and

deepest ocean. • It is larger than the

total land area of the world.

• allows for ease of trade with western US and Canada as well as Asia and Australia

Atlantic Atlantic OceanOcean

allows for ease of trade with eastern US and Canada as well as Europe and Africa

CARIBBEAN SEA• An arm of the Atlantic ocean between Cuba and South America.

• Islands of the Caribbean are popular tourist destinations because of their beautiful tropical climate.

GULF OF MEXICO• another arm of the Atlantic ocean cradled by

Mexico and the southern US coastline from Texas to Florida.

• The Mississippi River and the Rio Grande are two major rivers that empty into the Gulf of Mexico

Amazon RiverAmazon River• The second

longest river in the world. It carries the greatest volume of water than any other river in the world.

• contains 20% of all fresh water in the world

• rivers serve as natural highways where it’s hard to build roads

• provide food• hydroelectric power

Amazon Amazon River—River—

view view from from

spacespace

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/561B4DB3-58A2-457A-9FDA-D676D753EC4E

AmazonAmazon

• Amazon River Basin —contains the largest tropical rain forest in the world -Amazon Rain Forest

• It covers 1/3 of the continent

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/931A2303-7C18-465F-8F54-86D253E35921

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre MountainsMountains

• The main mountain range in Mexico.

• It has three major chains including– SEIRRA MADRE

Occidental in the west

– SEIRRA MADRE Oriental in the east

– SEIRRA MADRE del Sur along the southern coast.

The Sierra MadresThe Sierra Madres • contains some of the highest mountains and volcanoes in Mexico.

Atacama DesertAtacama Desert• The driest place on

Earth! • Located at a high

elevation along the coast of Chile, the average temperature in this desert is actually pretty chilly!

• Parts of the desert have never had rain – as long as man has been keeping records.

Atacama DesertAtacama Desert

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/58DF6611-4F51-4E32-ABDF-01CB76278212

Andes MountainsAndes MountainsA chain of mountains that runs along the western edge of South America. It is the longest continuous mountain range in the world!

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/D2813CC3-79E2-4777-92EA-2C899103C4FD

Panama CanalPanama Canal• A canal built

through the Isthmus of Panama to allow ships to travel easily between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

handles a large volume of world shipping and enables vessels to avoid traveling around South America, reducing their voyages by thousands of miles and many days.

Post-TestPost-Test

• 1. What is the largest river in the world?• a. Amazon b. Rio Grande• • 2. What desert is the driest in the world?• a. Atacama b. Sahara

• 3. The Andes Mountain Range is the longest mountain range in the world. (true or false)

Post TestPost Test

• 1.What is the largest river in the world and how much of the world’s fresh water does it carry?

• 2. What is the world’s largest mountain range and where is it located? Who was it home to?

• 3. Where is the Atacama Desert located?

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Panama Canal

Andes Mountains

Amazon River

Sierra Madre Mountains

Gulf of Mexico

Caribbean Sea

Atacama Dessert

4

LA Physical GeographyLA Physical Geography• Read in World Cultures and Geography

pages 153-159.• Write Summary sentences for each

paragraph– Defining Latin America -1– Mexico – 5– Central America and the Caribbean – 5– South America – 7– Climate - 5

The physical features in this region are so unique they

appear in many movies…..