Latin
America’s
Geography
Latin
America starts
with Mexico and runs
all the way south. It
includes 2 continents –
part of North America
and all of South
America
The
part in North
America is known as
Central America or
Middle America which
goes from the Rio
Grande to the Isthmus
of Panama
Rio Grande
Isthmus of Panama
Highlands
La Cordillera start in the
Rocky Mountains of the
US, continue through the
Sierra Madre of Mexico
and extend through the
Andes of South America
Tierra Fria
Literally meaning, “cold
land,” this climate zone
includes the areas that sit
at least 6,000 ft. above
sea level.
http://faculty.evansville.edu/rl29/art105/sp04/art105-17.html
http://www.uiowa.edu/~uiabroad/programs/Venezuela_summer/andes_photo.h
Lowlands
These are areas that are
at or near sea level; they
are usually near the coast
and in some inland areas
of South America
Tierra Caliente
Literally meaning, “Hot
land,” this climate zone is
found in places such as the
Yucatan Peninsula and the
Amazon River Basin
http://www.theblisspages.com/travel/mexico.php
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/earth/amazon_deforestation.html
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/icesat_light.html
Pampas
The Pampas are also
lowlands. They are
grasslands that are
located in Uruguay and
Argentina
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt080
6_pto.html
http://au.encarta.msn.com/media_121642070_761574914_1_1/Pampas_Argentina.html
http://www.condorjourneys-adventures.com/argentina_estancia.asp
Tierra Templada
These are areas that lie
between 3,000 and 6,000
feet. This climate is in
the valleys of the Andes
and on the Central
Plateau
http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/southamerica/puentedelinca1.shtm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes.htm
The Amazon
River
 The
Amazon River starts
in the Andes Mountains
and flows east across all
of Brazil. It is the
widest river in the
world.
http://www.votawphotography.com/photo/LatinAmerica/LatinAmerica3.htm
http://www.defdesigns.com/Amazon.htm
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMDHU2VQUD_planet_1.html
Around
the river is the
Amazon Rainforest, the
largest in the world
The Orinoco
River
The Orinoco River flows
north through
Venezuela and into the
Caribbean Sea
http://www.travellerspoint.com/photos/stream/photoID/195/users/cabezas/
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/venezeula.htm
The Rio de la
Plata
Located on the border
between Uruguay and
Argentina, the Rio de la Plata
is used as a major shipping
route;
“Plata” means “silver.”
http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/Argentina/Argentina.htm
http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/scifocus/oceanColor/black_water.shtml