拉丁美洲自然地理.pptVIP

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Vertical Zonation Vertical zonation is the idea that different types of plants grow at different elevations because the temperature becomes colder as you gain elevation. Natural Disasters Latin America has many earthquakes and volcanoes because part of it is located on the Ring of Fire. In general, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and the west coast of Mexico have many active volcanoes. The Caribbean Sea also has many volcanoes. El Nino El Nino is a variation in the ocean and atmospheric temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. When the ocean temperature increases it causes ocean currents to reverse direction and can impact the weather in Latin America in many different ways. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Latin America Physical Geography Regions Latin America can be divided into separate regions based on physical geography or cultural geography. Regions If we look at physical geography Latin America has four distinct regions: Mexico Central America The Caribbean South America The Caribbean Islands The Caribbean Islands are archipelagoes or groups of islands. The major archipelagoes are: The Greater Antilles - Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Composed of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico The Lesser Antilles Think of some other archipelagoes around the world! Regions If we look at language Latin America can be roughly divided into: Spanish speaking countries Portuguese speaking countries Other European languages such as English, French, and Dutch Mountains Latin America has several large mountain ranges such as: The Andes The Sierra Madre Occidental and Orientals The Andes The Andes Mountains extend from Columbia to the southern tip of Chile and they are over 4,000 miles long. At some points the Andes are over 300 miles wide and large portions of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia have very high elevations. Altiplano Where the Andes are widest there are high flat plains called altiplanos. People live and farm in these