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
Since Latin America is a huge area of land 15 percent of Earth examining its individual regions and territories is more beneficial than using generalities Some places of interest including the Amazon rain forest are rap idly disappearing as Latin America’s population places higher demands on its land and resources However there are still many unique and fascinating places to experi ence and explore for those curious about Latin America’s natural wonders 8 THE LAND AND CLIMATE OF LATIN AMERICA
CHAPTER ONE REMARKABLE MEXICO T he country of Mexico or Estados Unidos Mexicanos is the southernmost part of North America but the north ernmost section of Latin America To the north Mexico shares a border with the United States 1,900 miles 3,100 kilometers long To the southeast are the Central American countries of Guatemala and Belize The Pacific Ocean lies to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are to the east A TOUR OF MEXICO Mexico can be divided into several major regions The larg est is the Mexican Plateau which tilts gently upward from north to south It extends from the US border to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec The isthmus is a low narrow strip of land slightly more than 125 mi 200 km from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean The plateau covers much of central Mexico but is split into two sections The Mesa del Norte begins near the US border and ends around the 9
