Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Caribbean South America
Map
Vocabulary
Cordillera, is a mountain system made up of roughly parallel ranges
Tepuis, is an unusual flat-topped formation
Gurrillas, or members of an irregular military force
Llaneros, or Venezuelan cowboys
Strike, a group of workers stopping until their demands are met
Referendum, or recall vote
Section 1
Physical Geography
Further Research
Orinoco River
Flows for 1,700 miles
Flows through Venezuela and between Venezuela and
Colombia
Hydro-electric plants are built on the river
Computers help direct electricity to steel mills and aluminum plants and distinct cities
Home to Indians
Home to the world’s largest rodent
Angel Falls
World’s largest waterfall
Is named after Jimmy
Angel who was a pilot and saw the waterfall for the first time in 1933
Drops more than 3,200 feet
Since the height is so high the water turns into fog before it hits the bottom
Physical Features and Wildlife
Mountains and
Highlands
Highest point in
Colombia
The Andes reach 8,000 ft and form a cordillera
Venezuela’s highest point is the Guiana
Highlands, resists erosion
The tepuis rises about
6,000 ft, about the plains.
Plains, Rivers, and
Wildlife
Llanos, grassland without many trees
Orinoco flows about 1,600 miles
Caucat and Magalena are two other important rivers
Lots of wildlife; 100’s of bird species, piranhas, and crocodiles
One of world’s highest concentrations of plants and animal species
Jagurs, ocelots, and species of monhies
Climate and Vegetation
Most of the region has warm temperatures year-round because it’s near the equator
Temperature varies with elevation
The Llanos region has a tropical savanna climate.
Rainforests thrive in southern Colombia
Southern Colombia is part of the Amazon
Basin. Here rain falls throughout the year.
Resources
Caribbean South America is a rich agricultural region because of its soil and moderate climates.
Major crops- rice, coffee, bananas, and sugarcane.
Resources- oil, iron ore, and coal.
Forests throughout the region provide timber.
The seas provide fish and shrimp.
The region’s major rivers are used to generate hydroelectric power.
Venezuela’s Canaima National Park covers about 3 million acres of eastern Venezuela.
One of the world’s largest national parks.
Angel falls is the world’s highest waterfalls (drops 3,200ft.).
Assessment Questions
1a) Where are the
Andes located?
The Andes are located on the west side of
Colombia.
1b) How are the rock formations called tepuis unusual?
The tepuis are unusual because they are sandstone layers that have resisted erosion; thus making the landscape unusual and different.
1c) Why do the Llanos in Columbia and Venezuela flood easily?
The Llanos in
Colombia and
Venezuela flood easily because they are mostly grassland and have a low elevation.
2a) In the Andes, how does the temperature change with elevation?
The temperature in the Andes changes with elevation. The higher you go the colder it gets. The snow-capped peaks are also active volcanos.
2b) How does the region’s location near the equator affect it’s climate?
Being closer to the equator would make the temperature warm all year long and not really have seasons.
3a) What is the major resource in both Venezuela and Columbia?
Venezuela and
Colombia both have large oil-rich areas.
3b) Which resource provides hydroelectric power?
The areas major rivers provide them with hydroelectric power.
Section 2
Colombia
Further Research
Giants mounds of Earth, mysterious statues, and tombs are the marks of ancient people
Important cities are
Cali
Bogota
Medellin
Barranquilla
Graphic Organizer
Government
Having trouble with guerilla rebels
Enforcing laws against them
Holidays
New Years
Epiphani
St. Josephs Day
Easter
Labor Day
Ascension of Jesus
Corpus Christ
Declaration of
Independence
Current Events
14 rebels killed in military raid
Colombia president deploys
50,000 troops after protest
9 die in bomb blast
Sports
Main sport is soccer
Tejo, a Colombian original sport
Resources
Gold
Coffee
Bananas
Cotton
Sugarcane
Colombia’s History
The Chibcha
The Chibcha were metal workers,
potters, and weavers.
Chibcha made the legend of El Dorado
The Chibcha made the drug called
Cocaine
Spanish Conquest
In the 1500s the Spanish arrived in South America
The Spanish conquered the
Chibcha and found treasure
Spain founded colonies in the
Caribbean Coast
Carta Gena was a major naval base and commercial port
Spanish set up large estates in
Colombia
South Americans and Africans worked there
Independence
In the 1700s people began struggling for independence
After they claimed independence, they formed the Gran Columbia
The Republic of Gran
Colombia included
Colombia, Panama,
Ecuador, and Venezuela.
In 1830 the republic dissolved
After the republic resolved,
New Granada formed
They debated if the Roman
Catholic Church should participate in government and education
Outbreaks of violence occurred throughout the
1800s and 1900s killed thousands
Colombia Today
Colombia Today
Bogota is
Colombia’s capitol
More than 40 years of civil war have been destructive to it’s economy
People and Culture
Most Colombians live in fertile valleys and river basins among the mountain ranges
The geography of
Colombia isolates people
Economy
Major exports include
bananas, sugarcane, and cotton
Many farms produce flour
Columbia’s major export is oil
More exports are iron ore,
gold, and coal
Most emeralds come from
Columbia
Civil War
Guerrillas forced farmers off their land
Thousands flee the country because of the war
Guerrillas use the coca plant to make cocaine
The United States provides assistance to Columbia
Columbia is the recipients of US aid
The fighting has lasted 40 years
Columbia is the number one country in the world to produce and traffic cocaine
Assessment Questions
1a) Who were the
Chibcha?
The Chibcha were a Native American tribe before the
Spanish killed them.
1b) Why did Spain want land in Colombia?
The Spanish wanted land in
Colombia because they wanted to expand their new empire.
2a) What factors make Colombia ideal for growing coffee?
Factors that make
Colombia good for growing coffee are it’s rich soils, steep slopes, and tall shade trees.
2b) In what part of the country do most Colombians live?
Most Colombians live in the fertile valleys and river basins at the ridges of mountains. The climate is moderate which is good for farming.
2c) How might Colombia solve the problem of guerrillas trying to control the country?
They could continue to make more laws against them, or start arresting them. The
U.S. could help out some more.
Section 3
Venezuela and the Guianas
Further Research
Fiesta De Las Cruces – Honors the Holy Cross of May in the states of Mirands and Aragua as it’s patriots
Federation Day – Marks the start of the 4 year long federal war
Current president: Nicolas Maduro
Federal Republic
Presidential system
Federation and socialist state
Exports are:
Petroleum
Steel
Agricultural products
Sports are soccer and baseball
Venezuela won 7 th Miss Universe contest
New national holiday celebrating Hugo Chaves
Caracas is the capitol
Maracaibo is the largest populated city
Other key cities are
Valencia
Barquisimeto
Venezuela
Spanish Settlement and Colonial Rules
Conquered by
Spanish in early
1500’s
Forced Indians to work hard; many died
Spanish brought
Africans to the
Indians places
People and Culture
Venezuela people descended from
Native Indians,
Europeans, and
Africans
Indians make up 2% of population
Most people are
Spanish speaking
Roman Catholics
Independence and
Self Rule
Bolivar helped win
Venezuela’s independence from
Spain in 1821
Through 1800’s
Venezuela suffered from dictatorship and civil wars
Leaders kept the county’s oil money for themselves
Economy and
Natural Resources
1960 Venezuela began earing huge sums of money from oil production
Big population still lives in poverty
Economy is based on oil production
Government
Suffered years of dictatorship; finally got president in 1959
Since then, government has dealt with economic turmoil and political protests
People wanted president to resign, he returned
Guianas
The countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French
Guiana are together known as the Guianas.
Tropical rain forests cover much of this region.
Guyana comes from a South American Indian word that means “land of waters.”
About one-third of the country’s population lives in
Georgetown.
Guyana’s lands are flat, fertile plains along the coast.
Immigrants came to work on the sugar plantations.
Today, they have small plots of land for small businesses.
About 1/3 of the population are decedents from former African slaves.
Suriname has similar resources and economy of
Guyana.
They have a diverse population.
Population is made up of South Asians, Africans,
Chinese, Indonesians, and Creoles.
Capitol is Paramaribo, it is half the population.
French Guiana is a French territory.
It’s population is about 200,000 people.
Two-thirds of the population is African.
Other types of people are Europeans, Asians, and
South American Indians.
They depend heavily on imports.
Assessment Questions
1a) What did Spanish settlers hope to find in Venezuela?
Spanish came hoping to find gold and pearls.
1b) Who led Venezuela’s revolt against Spain?
Simon Bolivar led
Venezuela’s revolt against Spain.
2a) What does the landscape of Caracas include?
Caracas consists of modern subway systems, busy expressways, and tall office buildings.
2b) How is oil important to
Venezuela’s economy?
They earn huge sums of money through oil production.
2c) Why did some
Venezuelans go on strike?
They went on strike because they wanted the president to resign.
3a) What are Guyana’s agricultural lands and products like?
They are located on flat, fertile plains.
3b) How is population of the
Guianas different from that of
Columbia and Venezuela?
Guiana’s population is diverse and
Columbia and
Venezuela are not diverse
