Latin America
Unit 4
Your trip now takes you south of the United States to the countries that make up Latin America. In this unit, you will learn about the geography of Latin America. You will also read about the early peoples who built great cities in Latin America. As your knowlege about Latin America grows, think about how the history of Latin America is similar to, and different from, the history of Canada.
Landforms
The Andes Mountains are the longest mountain chain in the world. There are other mountainous areas in Latin America besides the Andes. People who live in these areas have adapted to be able to live in higher places. Their hearts beat slower and are actually bigger! If you are not used to the higher elevation, it is hard to breath.
The mountains also make it hard for transportation. Why do you think that is? A mountain range is like a huge wall that separates the people on each side. Transportation is extremely difficult because of this.
Plains and Plateaus
Not all of Latin America is mountainous. There are plains in Latin America and they are called Pampas. The Pampas are good for farming and raising cattle because of the rich soil.
Great Rivers
In Latin America, there is the second-longest river in the world. It isn't the biggest but it carries more water than any other river in the world. It is called the Amazon River.
There are two other great rivers in South America. The Orinoco River and the Rio de la Plata. The Rio de la Plata is used as an important transportation system. People travel by boat to get where they need to go. The Rio de la Plata is the only navigable river in Middle America and there are only a few others in all of Latin America.
Climate
Many parts of Latin America have a warm, wet tropical climate. Not all areas have the same type of climate. Elevation also affects climate. Because of elevation, there are some cooler climates than others. The higher the elevation, the cooler the climate. That is why some mountain ranges have snow on them all year around...because of their elevation.
Resources
There are many natural resources in Latin America, but they are not distributed the same. Central America has few minerals but Brazil has a lot of iron, gold, and diamonds. In South America, only a very small amount of the land can be farmed. But in the Caribbean and in Central America the soil is perfect for farming.
A lot of the natural resources are hard to reach...like on the top of the Andes Mountains! There are mines with large amounts of tin and zinc, but they are 16,000 feet above sea level. This makes it difficult to mine and transport these materials.
Tropical Rain Forests
Latin America has many topical rain forests, including the largest one in the world. Many hardwood trees grow in the rain forest. There are also valuable products such as nuts, fibers, and rubber.
During the past 15 years, large areas of the Amazon rain forest have been destroyed. Thousands of trees have been cut down by loggers. Thousands of acres of the forest have been burned to clear land for farming. Large numbers of plants and animals already have died because of the shrinking rain forest.
Why are people all over the world so concerned? The Amazon rain forest is sometimes called the "lungs of the world." Scientists estimate that one fifth of the world's oxygen is given off by the tress in this forest. Destruction of the rain forest will decrease the amount of oxygen in the air throughout the world. People throughout the world are looking for ways to save the rain forest.