LATIN AMERICA
RESOURCES, CLIMATE, HEI
Ch. 9.1-9.3
Latin
America is home to many natural
resources.
 Mineral
 Energy
resources (gold, silver)
resources (oil, natural gas)
The
region is also rich in agricultural and
forest resources
RESOURCES
Mineral
Resources
 Mining
provides Latin America with many resources including tin,
lead, titanium, copper, and nickel
Energy
 Major
Resources
oil reserves can be found in Mexico and Venezuela
 Hydroelectric
River
 Trinidad
power is rich in Brazil because of the Amazon
is a major exporter of natural gas
RESOURCES
Latin
America has a varied climate for
many reasons
 Latin
America spans a great distance on each side
of the equator
 There
are big changes in elevation throughout
Latin America
 Ocean
currents from both the Atlantic and Pacific
affect the climate
CLIMATE
Rain
Forests and grasslands are
abundant throughout Latin America
 Tropical
wet: Rain forests (like the Amazon)
 Tropical
wet and dry: savannas and grasslands with
seasonal rain are found in Brazil, Columbia, and
Argentina
TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES
TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES
 Dry
climate zones are mainly found in Mexico and
various countries in South America
 There
are not any dry climate zones in Central America
nor in the Caribbean

Semiarid: found in Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina

Desert: Parts of northern Mexico and Peru

The Atacama Desert is in northern Chile


The Atacama is the driest desert in the world
Patagonia in Argentina also contains a desert
DRY CLIMATE ZONES
DRY CLIMATE ZONES

Most moderate climate zones in Latin America are located south of the
equator


Humid Subtropical: varied vegetation, rainy winters and hot, humid summer

Southern Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Northern Argentina
Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and moist winters

Chile

Chaparral vegetation: plant life unique to the Mediterranean climate
MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES
 Marine

West Coast
Southwestern South America
 Highlands

Found in the mountains of Mexico and South America
MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES

Native people were the first in the Western Hemisphere to change
the environment to grow food. A few tactics were used:

Slash-and-Burn: The slash-and-burn technique was used to clear fields

Farmers cut trees and brush, then burn debris and use the
ashes for soil

Sometimes this process can be destructive to surrounding
nature

After a few years and slashing, burning, and repeating, the
soil is exhausted and the farmers move on to a new location.

This is one reason for the steadily shrinking rain forests
HEI: AGRICULTURE
 Terraced
Farming: an ancient technique for growing
crops on hillsides and slopes

Farmers cut step-like fields into hillsides

Allows steep land to be cultivated

This technique reduces soil erosion because it makes it harder
for the soil to be transported along the slopes (steps instead of
smooth)

The Inca and the Aztecs used terrace farming
HEI: AGRICULTURE

People are moving from rural areas to the city throughout Latin
America

Today Latin America is as urban as Europe and North America

The most urbanized countries in South America include:
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil

Most people move to cities in search of better lives
URBANIZATION

There are multiple push/pull factors at work regarding
urbanization


The “push” factors that push people away from the farm/rural areas
include

Poor medical care

Poor education

Low-paying jobs
The “pull” factors that bring people into the city include

Higher-paying jobs

Better schools

Better medical care
URBANIZATION
 Some
 Rio
large cities in Latin America include
de Janeiro
 Sao
Paulo
 Buenos
 The
Aires
largest city in Central America is Mexico City
URBANIZATION
 Some
of the problems growing cities face include

Unemployment

Crime

Environmental problems
 Local
governments cannot afford to handle the population
growth in many of these cities

This problem strains the infrastructure including sewers, electricity,
transportation, and housing
URBANIZATION