Geography Of Latin America
Will Standish
Landforms
1. The Amazon rain forest covers most of Brazil.
2. The Andes Mountains span most of South America's west coast.
3. The Brazilian Highlands are in Eastern Brazil.
Bodies of Water
1. The Atlantic Ocean is on the Eastern side of Latin America.
2. The Pacific Ocean is on the Western side.
3. The Amazon River flows through Brazil and surrounding it are the Amazon river basin and Amazon rain forest.
Climates
Arid climates are found in the Brazilian Highlands, and the Orinoco River basin. These areas are used for growing cotton and rice in the desert oases.
Temperate and tropical climates are found in Brazil, mostly in the Amazon and on the coast. Tropical climates can have guavas, papayas, cacao, and pineapple, while people in temperate climate grow corn and soybeans, and raise cattle.
Physical features influencing population
In South America, a lot more people live on the Atlantic and Caribbean coast than any other place. For example, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has a population of over 6,000,000 people! It is on the East coast of Brazil, and is a popular tourist destination. However, cities that are further inland, like La Paz, Bolivia, have a lower population. La Paz has a population of only 700,000 people. More people live on the coast because of the beautiful beaches found in South America.
Physical features and Economics
Not all activities can happen everywhere. For example, activities like drilling and mining can only happen in areas where there is a lot of oil and minerals. In Venezuela, there are a lot of oil deposits, so naturally, people want to drill there and sell the oil. Also, Certain crops can only be grown in certain areas, such as cacao. Cacao is found in tropical climates, like the Amazon Basin, so it is only grown there.
Deforestation
One way that people interact with the environment in Latin America, unfortunately, is deforestation. Deforestation can be anything from logging operations to wildfires. The big problem in this case, is land clearing for farming and logging operations. If people cut down too many trees, we will eventually run out of clean air. The countries of South America have made efforts to protect the forest, but people continue to cut it down.