Intro to Geography: South america

South America

Physiographic Boundaries

• North-Caribbean Sea • East- Atlantic Ocean• West- Pacific Ocean• South- Southern (Antarctic) Ocean

Climate

• Longest span from N to S• Wide range of climates– Tropical to tundra

• Altiplanos- high altitude valleys of the Andes Mts.

Southern Oscillation

• Reversing air pressure between the eastern and western tropical Pacific

• Normal conditions• Ocean temps impact

weather patterns

ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)

• El Niño – Warming of ocean

waters in the east Pacific

– Nutrient rich waters are deeper, impacts on fishing industry

– Dry to the east (Indonesia) and rainy to the west (S. America)

ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)

• La Niña – Cooling of ocean waters

in the east Pacific

– Upwelling of nutrient rich cold waters

– More rain than usual to the west (Indonesia) and drier than usual to the east (S. America)

Physiographic Features

• Amazon River Basin– Greatest discharge

volume of any river in the world!

– Basin covers 40% of the continent

– Over 1100 tributaries


• Amazon River– ~2000 miles long

• 2nd longest river

– During flood season can have a width of 30 miles or more


• Amazon Rainforest (Amazonia)– Largest rainforest in the world!– Thousands of endemic plant and animal species,

and millions of insects– “lungs” of the world

Environmental Issues

• Deforestation– Rainforest of northern

Brazil– Slash and Burn– Area the size of Ohio lost

annually since the 1980’s

Physiographic Features• Angel Falls (Salto Angel)– Tallest waterfall in the world

(3200 ft.)– Venezuela

Physiographic Features• Atacama Desert– Driest place in the world (non-polar)– Avg. rainfall ~0.5 inches per year– Ideal for stargazing!


• Atacama Desert


• Patagonia– Cool and dry desert and steppe– Rain shadow

Tectonic Setting

Tectonic Setting

• Largest recorded earthquake• Chile, 1960• Magnitude 9.5• Killed 1,655• Resulting tsunami killed people across the Pacific

Tectonic Setting

• Andes Mountains– Longest mountain chain on Earth (5000 miles!)– Highest in the Americas– Active volcanoes

Geologic Resources

• Precious metals in the Andes– Copper in the Atacama Desert

• Oil off the coast of Brazil and in Venezuela

Human Geography

Indigenous Peoples

• Inca Empire (1200-1535)

• Based in Peru• Expert builders– Machu Picchu

Colonialism

• Iberian Invasion– Spain to the west and

Portugal to the East

• Pizarro, of Spain, defeated the Inca– High volume of silver

and gold

Colonialism

• Why was European colonialism/conquest so successful?– Guns, Germs, and Steel• Jared Diamond

– Based on geography!

Colonialism

• Devastation of Amerindian and Amazonian peoples

• Plantation agriculture brought slaves from Africa– Mostly to Brazil

• After emancipation, arrival of immigrant workers from Asia

Cultural Regions

• Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, and Asians

• Mosaic- clusters of culture without mixing

Independence

• Wars with Iberian countries (1808-1838)– Spanish American Wars

• Monroe Doctrine (1823)• Simon Bolivar

Population

• Almost half of the population is located in Brazil

• Most population is concentrated around the periphery

• Remnants of the Inca

Agriculture

• Mix of;

– Commercial agricultural legacy from the Europeans

– Subsistence agriculture for household use

Drug Trade

• All cocaine in the U.S. comes from this region

• Industry employs thousands and brings in billions of $U.S.

• Distribution through Mexico (NAFTA)

Economic Growth

• Brazil (one of the BRIC’s) is one of the worlds emerging markets

• S. American growth is hindered by an early lack of integration– Populations were isolated along the coastline– Progress is being made

Free Trade

• Multiple proposed/developed trade alliances throughout the continent

• UNASUR (Union of S. American Nations)- similar to EU– Coordinated defense– Single passport– cooperation

Urbanization

• Rural to Urban migration in search of;– Better economic opportunity– Education– Health care

– Barrios/ Favelas- Slums/shantytowns are the initial destination for most

– Multiple megacities (population > 10 million)

Regions of South America

Caribbean North

• Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana

• Mostly north of the equator

• Oil and gas reserves

Colombia

• History of conflict– Insurgent states

• Population is clustered and isolated

• Drug economy– Weakened legitimate

economy

Venezuela

• Oil based economy

• Recent expansion of cocaine distribution

• Hugo Chávez– Government reform– “Social equality”

Colombia and Venezuela

The Guianas

• British, Dutch, and French control

• French Guiana still a colony

• Coastal, plantation agriculture

Andean West

• Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay

• Strong indigenous heritage– 45% in Peru– 55% in Bolivia

Andean West

• Poorest region

• Still ruled by European descendants, Mestizo– Social stratification– Evo Morales, first indigenous president in Bolivia

• Drug economy• New oil discoveries

Peru and Bolivia

A Week of Groceries- Ecuador

$ 31.55

Southern Cone

• Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay

• South of Tropic of Capricorn

Southern Cone

• Dominated by European ethnic groups

• Commercial Region– Most developed and globalized countries

– Mercosur- 2nd largest trading block behind NAFTA

Argentina

• Population concentrated in the Pampa region

• 91% population in urban areas

• History of affluence

Cities• Buenos Aires• Population > 14 million• 1/3 of countries

population• European style

architecture

Argentina

Brazil

• Half of territory and population

• Economic leader of region– BRIC country

• Portuguese, Africa, and indigenous ethnicities

Brazil

• Renewable Energy – Hydroelectricity– Gasohol- Ethanol

(sugarcane) mixed with petroleum

• Non-renewable energy– Large gas deposits

discovered

Brazil

Cities • São Paulo• Population > 26 million– Largest city in the

Americas

Cities

• Rio de Janeiro• Population > 12 million• Social disparity• Tourist destination– World Cup and Olympics

Intro to Geography: South america

Education

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