LATIN AMERICAPHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
*PANAMA CANAL
• CONNECTS ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS• 48 MILES LONG• STARTED 1881, COMPLETED 1914• FRENCH FAILED• U.S. SUCCEEDED• 1999 GIVEN BY TREATY TO PANAMA
*LOCK = WATER STAIRS
*AMAZON RIVER• LARGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD
• 2ND LONGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD• NAVIGABLE 1,000 MILES INLAND
AMAZON RAINFOREST
AMAZON DRAINAGE BASINAMAZON RIVER BASIN
*DRAINAGE BASIN AREA DRAINED BY A RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES
*ANDES MOUNTAINS
YOUNG, TALL, AND SHARP LIKE THE AMERICAN ROCKIES
*EARTHQUAKEWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA = SUBDUCTION ZONE(PACIFIC RING OF FIRE)
ATACAMA DESERT
*EL NINOSOUTHEAST PACIFIC WARMER THAN USUAL
*LA NINAEASTERN PACIFIC
COOLER THAN USUAL
*SHIFTING CULTIVATION• LAND CLEARED• CROPS GROWN• SOIL DEPLETED• MOVE• LAND CLEARED• CROPS GROWN• SOIL DEPLETED• MOVE
SLASH AND BURN
*DEFORESTATION• DESTRUCTION OF FOREST
*TERRACE FARMING• FLAT, STAIR-STEP FIELDS ON A SLOPE• PREVENTS EROSION
*PAMPAS• WIDE FERTILE GRASSLANDS IN
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
