South America Countries and Features

​Latin America Physical Features Review

• ​a body of water that lies between Mexico and Florida.

• It is an “arm” of the Atlantic Ocean.

• The Mississippi River and Rio Grande are two major rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

• The Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the United States to the north, Mexico to the south, and Cuba to the east.

​Gulf of Mexico

• the main mountain system in Mexico.

• The range contains 3 major chains

• contains some of the highest mountains and volcanoes in Latin America.

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​Sierra Madre Mountains

Multiple Choice

All of the following are true about the Sierra Madre Mountains EXCEPT

• They contain some of the highest mountains and volcanos in Latin America

• There are 3 major chains

• They are located all along the coast of South America

• They are located in Mexico

• The Panama Canal is a man-made feature in panama

• It is a “shortcut” that allows ships to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

• The Panama Canal is nearly 50 miles long!

• By going through the canal, you avoid traveling around South America, which cuts the trip down by many days

• It consists of artificially created lakes, channels, and a series of locks, or water-filled chambers, that raise and lower ships through the mountainous terrain of central Panama.

Panama Canal

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Panama Canal is a man-made structure.

• True

• False

Caribbean Sea

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• The Caribbean Sea is another arm of the Atlantic ocean.

• It is located between Cuba and South America and surrounds the Caribbean islands.

• The Caribbean Sea is a major trade route for Latin American countries.

• It is also a popular tourist area that is noted for its mild tropical climate and beautiful beaches.

Multiple Choice

Where is the Caribbean Sea located?

• To the east (right side) of South America

• It borders Mexico

• Between Cuba and South America

• To the west (left side) of South America

• The Amazon River is the 2nd longest river in the world 

• It carries the greatest volume of water of any river in the world.

• The Amazon River stretches 4,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.

• The Amazon River contains 20% of all freshwater in the world!

• It serves as a natural highway where it’s hard to build roads.

• The Amazon also provides food and hydroelectric power.

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​Amazon River

• The Atacama Desert is located in Chile at a high elevation in the Andes Mountains.

• The desert’s average temperature is pretty chilly.

• Also, it’s one of the driest places on earth with very little recorded rainfall annually.

• Parts of the Atacama Desert have never had any rain.

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Atacama Desert

• The Amazon Rainforest covers 1/3rd of the continent.

• It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.

• The Amazon Rainforest is home to a large variety of plants and animals. 

• The Amazon Rainforest’s plants produce more than 20% of the world’s oxygen supply.

• It is called the “lungs of the Earth”.

Amazon Rainforest

• ​The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean.

• It touches the western coast of South America.

Pacific Ocean

• ​The Atlantic Ocean is the world’s second-largest ocean.

• It is located east of South America.

​​Atlantic Ocean

Draw

Circle the worlds largest ocean. Draw a star on the worlds second largest ocean.

Open Ended

Choose one physical feature in Latin America to describe. Must be at least 2 sentences. (hint: Tell where it's located or an interesting fact we learned about it!)