Chapter 9: South America

ore, tin, natural gas, & petroleum

VI. Managing Resources

A. Issues in SA- deforestation, soil erosion,

desertification, & pollution

B. movement of livestock also destroys plant roots

that bind the soil

VII. Human Impact

A. large-scale economic production, urban growth, &

illegal mining have created environmental problems

B. urban sprawl causes cities to have to find ways to

deal with human waste and sewage

C. price of gold has doubled; leading to illegal mining &

mercury contamination of waters

D. Argentina's population is 97% European

E. most are Roman Catholics

F. numerous languages- Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,

French, English, & local languages are all spoken

G. other religions- syncretism, Protestant Christianity,

Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Islam, Judaism, &

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

H. public education supported through high school in

most countries

I. university education at little to no cost

J. many students drop out to help support their families

K. urban upper class- nuclear families(father, mother,

dependent children)

L. more women entering the workforce, compensation for

pregnant women

M. Brazilian Samba, Chilean cumbia, & Argentine tango

complement the Cuban salsa, & Dominican merengue

J. llanos- fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Colombia and

Venezuela

K. pampas- grassy, treeless plains of southern South America

L. llanos & pampas are good for cattle grazing

V. Economic Activities

II. Water Systems

A. waterways provide a method to transport goods & people

B. Amazon River is the world's second longest river (4,000 miles)

C. Parana, Paraguay, & Uruguay form the second largest river

system in LA (Latin America)

D. These rivers flow through Pantanal (one of the world's largest

tropical wetlands)

E. Lake Maracaibo & Lake Titicaca (world's largest) are SA largest

lakes

A. Argentina- rich in natural resources, highly literate

population, & diversified economic base have all

helped Argentina become an economic power

B. Brazil has been undergoing continuous growth &

development since 1970

C. Chile has established free trade agreements w/ US,

Turkey, Australia, & other countries to enhance its

economic activities

D. agriculture highly important in SA

E. more than 20% of the population is in the primary

sector of farming, fishing, & ranching

F. coca plant thrives in northwestern parts of SA;

coca plant used as a natural stimulant & appetite

suppressant

G. natural resources- timber, gold, silver, copper, iron

III. Climate, Biomes, & Resources

A. temperate climate of the tierra templada is found in areas of Peru,

Brazil, & Colombia

I. Landforms

1. skilled engineers- built roads, temples, & fortresses

2. Macchu Picchu- Incan temple

3. no written language; storytelling

4. used quipu (knotted cords of various lengths & colors

used by the Inca to keep financial records)

C. Independence movements began in the 1800's

D. Key revolutionaries were Simon Bolivar & Jose de San

Martin

E. Population Patterns

1. SA 4th largest continent; made up of 12 countries

2. 400 million people

3. as education increases, people are having less children

4. low population density generally (except in cities)

A. Isthmus of Panama connects North & South America

B. North to South the continent of SA spans 4,700 miles

C. At its widest it is 3,300 miles east to west

D. Andes mountains consists of cordilleras (chains or ranges of

mountains)

E. Andes are extensions of the Rockies

F. despite threats of natural disaster, people choose to settle in the

Andean highlands (cooler climates, volcanic soil is good for

agriculture, & natural resources)

G. Amazon Basin, located along the eastern base of the Andes, is the

lowlands area drained by the Amazon River

H. Mato Grosso Plateau- sparsely populated plateau of forests &

grasslands extending cross Brazil, Bolivia, & Peru

I. Brazilian Highlands- warm climates & open spaces good for

raising livestock

V. Society and Culture Today

A. over 350 indigenous groups

B. Spanish & Portugese the 1st Europeans in SA

C. after independence, Dutch, Italians, & Germans moved

to SA

B. Andean communities are in the tierra fria

C. El Nino creates unusually warm ocean conditions on the west

coast that extend as far north as Ecuador & as far south as Chile

D. Tropical wet (rain forests) & tropical wet/dry (savanna) are the

predominant climate zones

E. Amazon is the largest rain forest in the world

F. located mostly in Brazil but extends into Peru, Colombia,

Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, & French Guiana

G. Natural resources- oil, gold, silver, emeralds, and copper

IV. History and Government

A. early civilizations included the Moche, Mapuche,

& Arymara

B. Inca Empire

1. stretched from present-day Ecuador to central

Chile

Chapter 9: South America