INTRODUCTION L atin America is the region made up of Mexico Central America and South America all of the continental land south of the United States border as well as the islands of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea This area was named Latin America because most of its inhab itants speak languages that can be traced back to Latin including Spanish Portuguese and French Grouping Latin America under a single characteristic may seem simple but the region is actually quite complex in its landscape cli mate and geologic history The entire area of Latin America rests upon massive rock foundations called tectonic plates whose friction and collisions are strong enough to shape mountains In fact western Latin America is part of the Ring of Fire a zone in the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur These forces have shaped and are still shaping Latin America not just in its physical form but also by how people use the land For example nutrient-rich volcanic ash throughout the West Indies and Central America makes land fertile for agriculture On the flip side ongoing volcanic activity has also led to the destruction of human habitats in these areas Latin America is a region of vast proportions extend ing roughly 6,000 miles 9,700 kilometers from the Rio Grande to the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in the south The landforms within its boundaries are tremendous as well The Andes Mountains are 5,500 mi 8,900 km long Their highest peak the highest in the Americas is Mount 4
INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The Ring of Fire rests along the edges of the Pacific Plate When this plate moves against the tectonic plates around it earthquakes and volcanoes are more likely to occur 5 5
THE LAND AND CLIMATE OF LATIN AMERICA Mount Aconcagua towers over an Andean valley The impressive peak is located on the border between Argentina and Chile Aconcagua at 22,831 feet 6,959 meters Fed by Andean streams the Amazon River and its tributaries spread through northern Brazil and parts of Venezuela Colombia Ecuador Peru Bolivia and Paraguay No other river com pares with the outpour of the Amazon which is equal to more than ten Mississippi Rivers Latin America also has an impressive range of climates due to differences in latitude elevation and maritime factors Rainy and dry seasons vary north and south of the equator Annual rainfall ranges from 40 to 70 inches 100 to 180 centimeters in many places but is heavier in the 6
INTRODUCTION rain forests Although lowlands and deserts can be hot and unwelcoming other areas average milder temperatures Higher elevations experience cooler weather and chilly nights with bright sunny days Tropical climates cover large areas of South America fostering rain forests and the colorful plants and animals that thrive in such conditions The Amazon basin has the world’s largest tropical rain forest and is home to lizards ants tapirs giant anacondas boas caimans anteaters jaguars and capybaras Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world They can weigh more than 100 pounds 45 kilograms 7
