Geographic Understanding – Latin
America Study Guide
SS6G1
Locate on a world map: Amazon River, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific
Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal, Andes Mountains, Sierra
Madre Mountains, and the Atacama Desert.
Locate on a world map the countries of: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti,
Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.
SS6G2
Explain the major environmental concerns of Latin America regarding the issue
of air pollution in Mexico City, the destruction of the rain forest in Brazil,
and oil related pollution in Venezuela.
SS6G3
Compare how location, climate, and natural resources of Mexico and
Venezuela affect where people live and how they trade.
Compare how the location, climate, and natural resources of Brazil and Cuba
affect where people live and how they trade.
Identify three
regions that make
up Latin America.
Mexico and Central
America
South America
The Caribbean
What are the two
prominent
languages spoken
in Latin America?
Name four
countries in Central
America.
Spanish and
Portuguese
Mexico, Belize,
Panama, Costa
Rico, El Salvador,
Guatemala,
Honduras, and
Nicaragua
Name four
countries in South
America.
Brazil, Venezuela,
Bolivia, Columbia,
Chili, Ecuador,
Peru, Argentina,
Paraguay,
Uruguay, Guyana,
Suriname, and
French Guiana
Name four
countries in the
Caribbean.
What bodies of
water border Latin
America?
Haiti, Cuba,
Jamaica,
Dominican
Republic,
Bahamas, etc.
Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic ocean, Gulf
of Mexico and the
Caribbean Sea
Name four physical
features of landforms
in Central America.
Name four physical
features or landforms
in South America.
Yucatan Peninsula,
Sierra Madre
Mountains, Isthmus of
Panama and Lake
Nicaragua
Pampas, Patagonia,
Amazon River,
Amazon Rain Forest,
Andes Mountains,
Atacama Desert,
Brazilian Highlands
How does
geography play a
role in Mexico’s
City’s air pollution?
Mexico is located
in a bowl shaped
valley that traps air
pollutants.
What are the main
sources of air
pollution in Mexico
City?
Cars and factories
cause most of the
pollution.
How is the Mexican
government trying to
solve this problem?
Drivers have to leave
cars home one day a
week.
Citizens are
encouraged to ride
buses and trains or
carpool.
Cars are inspected
often.
Bad exhaust systems
must be repaired.
Factories are asked to
close on high pollution
days.
Why is
deforestation of the
Amazon Rain
Forest a major
concern? List
several reasons.
20% if world’s
oxygen comes
from the rain forest.
Plants to heal
come form here.
20% of the world’s
fresh water comes
from here
Explain why
deforestation
increases when the
value of crops and
cattle go up.
The farmers think
they can make
more profit selling
cattle and crops.
What is the main
crop in areas of
deforestation?
Soybeans would
be the main crop
grown.
Explain why oil
production in
Venezuela is a
problem.
What is the
Venezuelan
government doing to
help solve this
problem?
There are problems
with polluted streams,
there are breathing
problems for the
young and the elderly.
The government is
building a dike to keep
water in the lake from
flooding the nearby
homes and towns.
Which metal is
mined more in
Mexico than
anywhere else?
Silver is the metal
mined more in
Mexico than
anywhere else.
Which country has
about three-fourths
of the trade with
Mexico?
The United States
is a major trade
partner with
Mexico.
Where do most
people in Mexico
live and why? Why
are farmers having
a hard time?
Most people in
Mexico live in
urban areas in the
Central Plateau.
The people in in
the urban areas
because this is
where the factories
are located.
How has
Venezuela’s
location helped its
trade with other
countries?
Why are so few
Venezuelans
becoming farmers?
Venezuela is
located near the
panama Canal and
is bordered by the
Caribbean Sea and
the Atlantic ocean.
The land along the
coast is very dry
and that is why few
people want to
become farmers.
What are the negative
effects of Venezuela’s
oil industry?
Where do most
Venezuelans live and
why?
The oil industry is
polluting the
Caribbean Sea, also
when the price of oil
goes down the
government has a
hard time paying their
bills.
Most people in
Venezuela live in cities
located along the
northern coast. Most
of the jobs are located
in the cities.
Where do most
Brazilians live and
why?
What are the major
crops grown in Brazil?
What are the major
natural resources
found in Brazil?
Most people in Brazil
live in cities located
along the eastern
coast. This is where
the jobs are located.
The major crops
grown in Brazil is
coffee Other natural
resources in brazil are
oranges, papayas,
soybeans and sugar
cane
Why is tourism a
major industry in
Brazil?
How has Brazil’s
location helped its
trade with other
countries?
Tourism is
important because
you can see things
in Brazil that you
can’t see anywhere
else.
Brazil is located on
the Atlantic Ocean
and is close to the
Panama Canal.
How has Cuba’s
location helped the
country?
Cuba is an island
on the ocean trade
route.
What is a major
export for Cuba?
Sugar cane and
cigars are major
exports from Cuba.
What product does
Venezuela provide to
Cuba?
Describe Cuba’s
government. Why
does the Soviet Union
no longer support
Cuba?
Venezuela sells oil to
Cuba at an reduced
rate.
Cuba is a communist
government which
means the
government owns or
controls most farms
and businesses. The
Soviet Union no longer
supports Cuba
because the Soviet
union no longer exists.