World Geography
Latin America
Physical Geography
Ch. 9.1
Latin America
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Latin America includes all of the following
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_________________
Central America
South _________________
The _______________________ Islands
Mountains
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The _____________ Mountains can be found in South America
This mountain range is a continuation of:
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The _______________ (USA)
The Sierra Madre (Mexico)
There are many active _________________ throughout the region
These mountain ranges were home to important civilizations
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__________
Mayans
Other mountain ranges in Latin America include
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The Guiana ___________________ (northeast South America)
The __________________ Highlands (east coast of Brazil)
Sierra Madre (________________)
Remember “highlands” are an area made up of ________________ or
hilly sections of a country.
World Geography
Latin America
Physical Geography
Ch. 9.1
The Plains
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South America has wide plains that offer _________ ______ for growing
crops and grasses for grazing livestock.
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_____________
• Found in Columbia and ____________
• Vast plains that are grassy and treeless
• Similar to the _________ _________ in the USA
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• Plains of the Amazon River Basin
• _________________ with flat terrain and moderate rainfall
World Geography
Latin America
Physical Geography
Ch. 9.1
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Suitable for ______________
Mostly undeveloped, but Brazilian government is
encouraging movement here
Pampas
• Found in Argentina and Uruguay
• Plains with areas of rich soil
• Main products are _______________ and wheat grain
• The ___________ culture has grown up in this region
• The “gaucho” is similar to the American ____________
Rivers in Central America and Mexico
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The Rio Grande
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Forms the border between the United States and _____________
This is the largest river in Mexico and all of Central America
• Central America is less dependent on river systems than
North America because of their proximity to the
____________.
Rivers in South America
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_____________ River
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Northern part of South America, mainly in Venezuela
1500 miles long
Drains the interior lands of Venezuela and ___________
____________ River
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4000 miles from west to east
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1000 ______________ (small river or stream) feed into the
Amazon
Flows from the Andes eastward across the central lowlands to the
Atlantic
World Geography
Latin America
Physical Geography
Ch. 9.1
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The Amazon carries more water into the __________ than any
other river in the world
Paraná River
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Originates in the highlands of ________________
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This ________________ is called the Rio del la Plata
3000 miles south and west through Paraguay and Argentina
Turns into an estuary (large body of water open to _______)
between Argentina and Uruguay
World Geography
Latin America
Physical Geography
Ch. 9.1
Major Islands of the Caribbean
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The Caribbean Islands consist of three major groups
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The _____________
The Greater Antilles
The ___________ Antilles
All together these islands are sometimes called the __________ Indies
These islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in ________
Major Islands of the Caribbean
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The Bahamas
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The Bahamas are made up of __________ of islands of the
southern tip of Florida and north __________
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____________ is the capital and largest city in the Bahamas
______________ Antilles
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Made up of the _________ islands in the Caribbean
Includes Cuba, _______________, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola
The Island of Hispaniola is divided into the Dominican Republic
and ____________
Lesser Antilles
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Small islands southwest of ___________ _____
Divided into the Windward and Leeward islands
Wind blows toward the ____________ and away from Leeward