Chapter 8

Section 1

1. Geographers divide the large region of Latin America into three sub regions: Middle America (the areas between Panama and Mexico), South America, and the Caribbean.

2. The natural resources that make Latin America an economically important region are natural gas, oil deposits, mineral deposits such as gold, copper, aluminum, silver, and even emerald gems.

creative writing: The water systems of Latin America are necessary for trade and transportation. As the second longest river in the world, the amazon river winds its way through the rain forests of South America, leading fishermen and traders across the continent. the Paraná, Uruguay, and Paraguay Rivers all flow together and form the second largest river system on the continent. theses rivers also provide transportation and trade routs, and also give a source of hydroelectric power, electricity created by the movement of water through a dam. the Panama Canal, in Middle America, is a man-made canal that allows ships and boats to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without having to go all the way around the southern-most tip of South America.

 

South America's river systems

section 2

1. The climate regions of Latin America are tropical wet and dry, steppe, desert, Mediterranean, humid subtropical, marine west coast, and highland.

2. The highland climates, which are affected by location and altitude, occur mostly in the Andes Mountians in South America. Geographers call the differences in climate and vegitation vertical climate zones, and these zones are classified as tierra helada (above 16,000 ft, snow and ice, less than 20˚F), puna (between 12,000 and 16,000 ft, grass but no trees, 20-55˚F), tierra fría (between 6,000 and 12,000 ft, greatly spaced evergreen trees and shrubs, 55-65˚F), tierra templada (between 2,500 and 6,000 ft, broad leafed and pine trees, 65-75˚F), and tierra caliente (between sea level and 2,500 ft, coastal areas and foothills with a few trees, 75-80˚F).

creative writing: If I were to hike through the tierra fría in South America, this might be similar to a journal entry about what I would see:

    Day 1
   I took a gondola up the side of the mountain this morning. The fog was cold, and I'm glad that I brought a thick jacket. I couldn't see much of the mountian, but when i got off, there were a few trees nearby. There was frost on the ground as I set out across the mountain. I passed some farmers with thier sheep. They were friendly, but I dont think they wanted me near the animals. The fog cleared up around noon and I finally saw the landscape around me. The long green grass was wet with dew, and the few trees that grew here were dark, tiny dots on the mountain sides. It was amazing! I was so buisy looking around that I didn't see the tree in front of me and I ran right into it!

   Day 2
   After setting up camp yesterday, I couldn't sleep, so I watched the sky. There were so many stars, so much unlike in the cities below me, but most were hidden by passing clouds. When I was in my tent, I could hear the sheep bahing from across the mountain. this morning, the ground was covered in frost, and it got my boots wet and cold as I continued to hike. I met more farmers, but they tended crops of potatoes and barley instead of sheep. It was still cold, but i was warm from walking. a small stream was falling down between some rocks on the ground, and I had to walk across it, because it was too wide to jump. I almost slipped on the rocks, and the freezing cold water got in my boots, making my feet even colder than before.

   Day 3
   It was my last day in the tierra fría today. As I made my way back to the gondola station, I crossed the stream again. I was more careful about where I stepped, and I carried my shoes and socks instead of wearing them, so I could dry off my bare feet and put on warm shoes. You could say that I learned my lesson the hard way yesterday. The thick shrubs that clustered in the grass rustled when the wind blew, and some needles fell off the pine trees, too. The frost wasn't as common as yesterday, as the clouds were gone all morning. The bright sun hurt my eyes, which had been adjusted to the overcast sky. When I reached the station, I took a last look around. The view still stunned me, and I remembered the camera in my backpack. I took it out and snapped a quick picture before getting on the gondola.



vegitation in the tierra fría