Chapter 9 “Physical Geography of Latin America”
Pd:
Name:
Unit Preview (pages 188-189)
1. What specific issues are facing Latin America today?
Unit Atlas (pages 190-199)
2. How much larger is Latin America than the United States?
3. How does the population of Latin America compare with that of the United States?
4. What is the general pattern of landforms in Central America? (Hint: describe where it is flat/mountainous)
5. What is the general pattern of landforms in South America? (Hint: describe where it is flat/mountainous)
6. What three island groups make up the Caribbean?
7. In 1800, which European country controlled most of Latin America?
8. Which European country controlled Brazil in 1800?
9. What religion is practiced by the majority of people in Latin America? How is this linked to European influence?
10. Why might the climate of the eastern coast of Central America differ from that of the western coast?
11. Why do you think Indo-European languages do not dominate in all parts of Latin America?
12. What six countries have more than 75% of their population living in cities?
13. What are the three largest cities in Latin America?
14. Which two Latin American countries have the highest gross domestic product?
15. Which three countries have the lowest gross domestic product?
Section 1--”Landforms and Resources” (pages 201-205)
16. How have the Andes Mountains affected settlement patterns in South America?
17. Where are the highlands areas of South America located?
18. What economic activities take place in the llanos of Colombia and Venezuela?
19. What policy has the Brazilian government supported concerning the cerrado?
20. What products are associated with the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay?
21. How does Central America differ from South America in terms of river systems?
22. How does the output of water from the Amazon compare to other rivers in the world?
23. The Paranas River feeds into an estuary called _________________________, which is
located _____________________________________________.
Describe the relative location of each of the following island groups of the Caribbean?
24. The Greater Antilles
25. The Lesser Antilles
26. The Bahamas
27. Many of the mineral resources of Latin America are exported to other parts of the world where they are made into valuable goods.
Why might this make it more difficult for economic development to occur in these countries?
28. In which parts of Latin America are petroleum resources located?
Section 2--”Climate and Vegetation” (pages 207-209)
29. Describe the general pattern of rainfall in South America. (See the map on page 206.)
30. What factors affect the climate and vegetation in Latin America?
31. What types of vegetation are found in the tropical climate zones of Latin America?
32. Which parts of Latin America have dry climate zones?
33. How do the vertical climate zones of Latin America affect agriculture?
Section 3--”Human-Environment Interaction” (pages 210-213)
34. What is the effect of slash-and-burn agriculture on the rain forest?
35. Why is terracing an important farming technique?
36. What are the push- and pull-factors that have contributed to urbanization in Latin America?
push-
pull-
37. What problems are faced by rapidly growing cities?
38. What are some of the advantages of tourism?
39. What are some of the disadvantages of tourism?