Subregions of Latin America & Central America Description
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Define Subregions.
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the smaller area the are from the result of dividing up a region. Ex: Geographers divide the region of Latin America into 3 subregions.
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What are the 3 subregions of Latin America?
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Middle America, the Carribean, and South America
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Middle America is made up of?
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Mexico and Central America
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Describe Central America.
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It''s an isthmus between North America and South America Located where 4 tectonic plates meet It has active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes The soil is fertail because of the deposits of ash and lava.
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Define Isthmus
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a narrow piece of land that links two larger areas of land.
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Describe Mexico.
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Has mountain ranges along its eastern and western coasts with a high plateau between. Farther south, mountains rise like a backbone thru Central America. Lowlands along the coasts are often narrow. Thick forests, rugged mountains, and coastal marshes make it difficult to transport goods in Central America.
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Besides the Andes Mountain Ranges, what is South America's other major landforms?
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Amazon Basin
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The islands of the Caribbean Sea is also know as
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West Indies
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The Caribbean (West Indies) is divided into 3 groups. Name the groups
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The Greater Antilles, The Lesser Antilles, and The Bahamas
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What is an Archipelago?
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group of islands. The Lesser Antilles and Bahamas are examples.
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The Greater Antilles include the largest islands. What are the names of all 5?
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Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica
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Describe The Caribbean.
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Also know as West Indies Divided into 3 groups Most of the Caribbean islands are small except Greater Antilles Some islands are low lying Others, are formed by volcanoes having rugged mountains Still have some active volcanoes Farmers use the fertile volcanic soil to grow crops like sugar cane and tobacco.
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What is a Cordillera?
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group of mountain ranges that run side by side. The Andes are an example. They stretch along the Pacific Coast of South America for about 5,500 miles.
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Where areas do people live in South America?
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In the plateaus and valleys located between the chain of mountains. The land here can be farmed.
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Describe the Amazon Basin.
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low area that contains the Amazon River. Highlands are to the north and south border of the basin. Some so vast they cross several climate zones. Tropical grasslands also stretch throughout
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Describe Escarpment.
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a series of steep cliffs that drop down to the Atlantic coastal plain. The Brazilian Highlands end in one.
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Describe Llanos
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Tropical grasslands that stretch through eastern Colombia and Venezuela.
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Describe Pampas
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a plain that covers much of Argentina and Uruguay. The Pampas areas are used for cattle herding and grain farming.
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Herding cattle is a major economic activity on the Pampas of Argentina and uruguay. True or False
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True
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Latin America's waterways provide important transportation routes. True or False
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True
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Latin America's longest river is what?
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The Amazon, which starts in the Andes and flows east about 4,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean. People rely on the river for it's fish.
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Define Tributary
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a small river that flows into a larger river.
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Where is the water coming from to keep the Amazon River flowing so long?
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Heavy rains and Tributaries
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What 3 rivers form Latin Americas 2nd largest river?
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Parana Uruguay Paraguay
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Define Estuary
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an area where river currents and ocean tides meet. Example: Rio de la Plata or "River of Silver" meets the Atlantic Ocean.
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Why is the Orinoco river so important to northern South America?
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It carries fertile soil into the Llanos region of Venezuela
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What is Latin America's largest lake?
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Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela
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Describe Lake Maracaibo
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it has many oil fields, which causes a growing pollution problem Sits 12,500 feet above sea level. World's highest lake that can be used by large ships
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Why is Lake Maracaibo important to Venezuela?
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It allow for large ships to come through to bring goods back and forth to the area.
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What Latin American country has the greatest resources?
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Brazil, the largest country in Latin America.
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What natural resources are in Brazil and what are they used for?
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Rain Forest: timber, rubber, palm oil, and Brazilian nuts Minerals: bauxite, gold, and tin. Iron Ore and Manganese help support one of the world's largest iron and steel industries
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What natural resource does Brazil not have enough of?
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Oil and natural gas reserves are limited. They provide only some of the energy this huge country needs.
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What did Brazil do to reduce its dependence on oil imports to provide energy for the country?
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They use alcohol produced from sugarcane and gasoline to produce a fuel for cars called GASOHOL.
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Who has the regions largest oil and natural gas reserves?
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Venezuela and Mexico. They both use the supplies for their own energy needs as well as for exports
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What is the Panama Canal?
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a human-made waterway, crosses the narrow isthmus of Panama that allow ships to come through to shorten the travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
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Why has Bolivia been as successful benefiting from exports of energy resources?
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foreign companies have attempted to control the country's energy resources. Bolivia's government has struggled to prevent this. As a result, production has slowed down, and Bolivia has not been able to fully benefit from exports.
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Why are some Latin American countries unable to make full use of their natural resources?
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production slowed down too much because the governement was working to much to make sure foreign companies wouldnt take control. political conflicts and transportation difficulties made mining of rich gold deposit in Nicaragua and Guatemala difficult.
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What made it difficult to tgransport goods in Central America?
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Which natural resource has caused a pollution problem in Venezuela?
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Which two countries have the largest amount of oil and natural gas deposits in the region?
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Some Latin American countries have grown rich from natural resources. Why have other countries with similar resources remained poor?
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Most of the Caribbean islands have fewer mineral resources than do Middle and South America. Which of the following does Cuba mine?
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