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CHAPTER 9
Caribbean South America
SECTION 1
Physical Geography
Physical Features
   World’s highest waterfall, S.A. largest lake, &
    world’s largest rodent
   Rugged mts., highlands, & plains drained by huge
    river system
   Mountains & highlands
       Andes: 18,000 feet
         Forms a three-pronged cordillera (mt. system made up of
          parallel ranges)
         Active volcanoes & earthquakes
       Guiana Highlands
         Eroding for millions of years
         Steep sided plateaus capped by sandstone (called tepuis)
Plains, Rivers, & Wildlife
   Llanos
       Region of plains between the highlands & the Andes
       Mostly grassland w/ few trees
       Plains flood easily
   Orinoco River
       River flows for about 1,600 miles
       River & tributaries drain the plains & highlands
           Cauca & Magdalena Rivers drain the Andean region
   Wildlife
       Orinoco River Basin
           Capybara, piranhas, catfish, & crocodiles
           100s of bird species, jaguars, ocelots, & monkeys
Climate & Vegetation
   Near equator = mostly warm temps year-round
     Temps   do vary w/ elevation
   Llanos region has tropical savanna climate
     Wet   & dry seasons
   Rain forests
     Humid  tropical climate
     Rain throughout the year
Resources
   Rich agriculture
     Good soil & moderate climates
     Crops: rice, coffee, bananas, & sugarcane

   Valuable Resources
     Oil,   iron ore, coal, & timber
   Coastal areas
     Fish   & shrimp
   Rivers in area used to produce hydroelectric
    power
SECTION 2
Colombia
Columbia’s History
   The Chibcha
     Well developed civilizations

     Practiced pottery making, weaving, &
      metalworking
     Customs
       New rulers covered with gold dust & then
        taken to a lake to wash it off
       Gold & emerald objects were thrown into
        the lake when ruler was being washed off
       These customs inspired the legend of El
        Dorado
Spanish Conquest
    Spanish Conquest
      Spanish arrived in the 1500s

      Expanding the Spanish empire

      Conquered Chibcha & seized their treasure

      Founded other colonies along Caribbean coast

      By the 1600s they had set up large estates in
       Columbia
        Powerfullandlords forced South American Indians &
        enslaved Africans to work the land
   Independence
     1700 struggle for independence began
     Republic of Gran Colombia was created
       Included Colombia, Ecuador,   Panama, & Venezuela
     1830
       Republic dissolved   & New Granada (now Colombia)
        was created
     After independence people argued over amount of
      power central gov’t & Roman Catholic Church
      should have
       Rugged geography   & little contact between people in
        Colombia lead to development of separate
        economies & identities
       Uniting groups was difficult
       Outbreaks of violence between the 1800s & 1900s
        killed thousands
Colombia Today
   Caribbean South America’s most populous
    country
   Most live in fertile valleys & basins among mt.
    ranges
     Moderate   climate good for farming here
   Rivers help connect settlements between mts.
    & coast
   Cattle ranches are common in the Llanos
   Few people live in the tropical rain forests in
    the south
Cultural Life

   Geography has isolated regions from one another
       People know by the area they live
   African traditions influence songs & dances
   Soccer is enjoyed by many Colombians
   Tejo is also played
       Chibcha sport similar to a ring toss
   Roman Catholicism is main religion
   Conflict
       Big problem today
       Border conflicts w/ Venezuela has gone on for many years
       Different groups have waged war with each other & Colombian
        gov’t
           Groups control large areas of the country & force farmers off their
            land, damaging the economy
Economy
   Resources
     Coffee,  bananas, corn, rice, cassava, sugarcane,
      & flowers
     Oil is leading export (found in eastern Colombia)

     Iron Ore, gold, emeralds, coal, & tin

   Many Colombians have low incomes even with
    rich resources
     Urban poverty & rapid population growth are
     challenges for Colombia
Civil War
   Major problem today
     Many different groups fighting each other & the gov’t
     Over past 40 years

   Guerrillas
     Militant group that uses irregular military force
     Have forced farmers off their land & caused
      thousands to flee the country
     Groups also grow illegal plants used to make cocaine

   Civil War have created uncertain future for
    Colombia
   New laws have made it harder for guerrillas &
    other militant groups to operate freely
SECTION 3
Venezuela & The Guianas
History & Culture of Venezuela
   Many small tribes of South American Indians
    prior to arrival of Spanish
     Became independent in 1800s, but Spanish rule
     shaped the history & culture of country
   Spanish Settlement & Colonial Rule
     Spanish     explorers came looking for gold & pearls
       Forced South American Indians to dive for pearls &
       pan for gold
            Little gold, however
       Agriculture
            Indigo was grown; South American Indians forced to work
             the fields
                Many died & enslaved Africans were brought in
                  Many escaped to remote areas & began governing
Independence & Self-Rule
   Simon Bolivar
     Led revolt against Spanish armies throughout the
      region
     Struggle for independence ended in 1830

   1830s
     Caudillos
             (Dictators) & civil wars plagued
     Venezuela
       Oil
          was discovered during this time
       Money from oil was kept by the dictators or caudillos

     1958    last dictator was forced from power
People & Culture
   Descended from native Indians, Europeans &
    Africans
     Majority are mixed Indian & European
     European descent live in large cities

     African descent live along the coast

   Most people are Spanish speaking Roman
    Catholics
     Indiansspeak 25 different languages & follow
     their own religious practices
   Culture
     Dancing,   rodeo events, baseball, & soccer
Venezuela Today
   Most make a living farming and ranching
   Most wealthy Venezuelans & the gov’t have
    made money in oil industry
   Agriculture & Ranching
     Northern   Venezuela
       Small family farms & large commercial farms
       Llaneros: cowboys; herd cattle
Economy
   Based on oil production
   Most people live in poverty
     Poor moved to cities to find work
     Settled in outskirts & lived in shacks w/ no running
      water, sewers, or electricity
   Wealth of country has attracted many immigrants
       Economy & people suffer when oil prices drop (like in
        the 1980s)
   Member of the Organization of Petroleum
    Exporting Countries (OPEC)
   Lake Maracaibo in a source of rich oil
       Are trying to reduce dependence on oil income
   Guiana Highlands
       Rich minerals like iron ore & gold
Government
   1st president elected in 1959
   Economic turmoil & political protests are
    common
   2002
     PresidentHugo Chavez started distributing oil
      income equally among Venezuelans
       Millions   went on strike to protest actions some for 2
        months
       This strike damaged the economy & oil exports fell
        dramatically
   2004
     Venezuelans       called for a referendum (recall vote)
The Guianas
   Guyana, Suriname, & French Guiana
     Dense   tropical rain forests cover much of region
Guyana
   “Land of Waters”
   Agricultural land located on the flat, fertile
    plains along the coast
     Rice   & sugar most important crops
   Population is diverse
   ½ are descended from those who migrated to
    Guyana from India
     Came    to work sugar plantations
   Today
     Most farm small plots of land or run small
      businesses
Suriname
   Resources & economy similar to Guyana
   Diverse population
     SouthAsians, Africans, Chinese, Indonesians, &
     Creoles (mixed heritage)
French Guiana
   Territory of France
     Send   reps. to gov’t in Paris
   People live mostly along coastal areas
   2/3 of people are of African descent
     Europeans,   Asians, & South American Indians as
      well
   Depend on imports for its food & energy

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Chapter 9 blog notes

  • 3. Physical Features  World’s highest waterfall, S.A. largest lake, & world’s largest rodent  Rugged mts., highlands, & plains drained by huge river system  Mountains & highlands  Andes: 18,000 feet  Forms a three-pronged cordillera (mt. system made up of parallel ranges)  Active volcanoes & earthquakes  Guiana Highlands  Eroding for millions of years  Steep sided plateaus capped by sandstone (called tepuis)
  • 4. Plains, Rivers, & Wildlife  Llanos  Region of plains between the highlands & the Andes  Mostly grassland w/ few trees  Plains flood easily  Orinoco River  River flows for about 1,600 miles  River & tributaries drain the plains & highlands  Cauca & Magdalena Rivers drain the Andean region  Wildlife  Orinoco River Basin  Capybara, piranhas, catfish, & crocodiles  100s of bird species, jaguars, ocelots, & monkeys
  • 5. Climate & Vegetation  Near equator = mostly warm temps year-round  Temps do vary w/ elevation  Llanos region has tropical savanna climate  Wet & dry seasons  Rain forests  Humid tropical climate  Rain throughout the year
  • 6. Resources  Rich agriculture  Good soil & moderate climates  Crops: rice, coffee, bananas, & sugarcane  Valuable Resources  Oil, iron ore, coal, & timber  Coastal areas  Fish & shrimp  Rivers in area used to produce hydroelectric power
  • 8. Columbia’s History  The Chibcha  Well developed civilizations  Practiced pottery making, weaving, & metalworking  Customs  New rulers covered with gold dust & then taken to a lake to wash it off  Gold & emerald objects were thrown into the lake when ruler was being washed off  These customs inspired the legend of El Dorado
  • 9. Spanish Conquest  Spanish Conquest  Spanish arrived in the 1500s  Expanding the Spanish empire  Conquered Chibcha & seized their treasure  Founded other colonies along Caribbean coast  By the 1600s they had set up large estates in Columbia  Powerfullandlords forced South American Indians & enslaved Africans to work the land
  • 10. Independence  1700 struggle for independence began  Republic of Gran Colombia was created  Included Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, & Venezuela  1830  Republic dissolved & New Granada (now Colombia) was created  After independence people argued over amount of power central gov’t & Roman Catholic Church should have  Rugged geography & little contact between people in Colombia lead to development of separate economies & identities  Uniting groups was difficult  Outbreaks of violence between the 1800s & 1900s killed thousands
  • 11. Colombia Today  Caribbean South America’s most populous country  Most live in fertile valleys & basins among mt. ranges  Moderate climate good for farming here  Rivers help connect settlements between mts. & coast  Cattle ranches are common in the Llanos  Few people live in the tropical rain forests in the south
  • 12. Cultural Life  Geography has isolated regions from one another  People know by the area they live  African traditions influence songs & dances  Soccer is enjoyed by many Colombians  Tejo is also played  Chibcha sport similar to a ring toss  Roman Catholicism is main religion  Conflict  Big problem today  Border conflicts w/ Venezuela has gone on for many years  Different groups have waged war with each other & Colombian gov’t  Groups control large areas of the country & force farmers off their land, damaging the economy
  • 13. Economy  Resources  Coffee, bananas, corn, rice, cassava, sugarcane, & flowers  Oil is leading export (found in eastern Colombia)  Iron Ore, gold, emeralds, coal, & tin  Many Colombians have low incomes even with rich resources  Urban poverty & rapid population growth are challenges for Colombia
  • 14. Civil War  Major problem today  Many different groups fighting each other & the gov’t  Over past 40 years  Guerrillas  Militant group that uses irregular military force  Have forced farmers off their land & caused thousands to flee the country  Groups also grow illegal plants used to make cocaine  Civil War have created uncertain future for Colombia  New laws have made it harder for guerrillas & other militant groups to operate freely
  • 15. SECTION 3 Venezuela & The Guianas
  • 16. History & Culture of Venezuela  Many small tribes of South American Indians prior to arrival of Spanish  Became independent in 1800s, but Spanish rule shaped the history & culture of country  Spanish Settlement & Colonial Rule  Spanish explorers came looking for gold & pearls  Forced South American Indians to dive for pearls & pan for gold  Little gold, however  Agriculture  Indigo was grown; South American Indians forced to work the fields  Many died & enslaved Africans were brought in  Many escaped to remote areas & began governing
  • 17. Independence & Self-Rule  Simon Bolivar  Led revolt against Spanish armies throughout the region  Struggle for independence ended in 1830  1830s  Caudillos (Dictators) & civil wars plagued Venezuela  Oil was discovered during this time  Money from oil was kept by the dictators or caudillos  1958 last dictator was forced from power
  • 18. People & Culture  Descended from native Indians, Europeans & Africans  Majority are mixed Indian & European  European descent live in large cities  African descent live along the coast  Most people are Spanish speaking Roman Catholics  Indiansspeak 25 different languages & follow their own religious practices  Culture  Dancing, rodeo events, baseball, & soccer
  • 19. Venezuela Today  Most make a living farming and ranching  Most wealthy Venezuelans & the gov’t have made money in oil industry  Agriculture & Ranching  Northern Venezuela  Small family farms & large commercial farms  Llaneros: cowboys; herd cattle
  • 20. Economy  Based on oil production  Most people live in poverty  Poor moved to cities to find work  Settled in outskirts & lived in shacks w/ no running water, sewers, or electricity  Wealth of country has attracted many immigrants  Economy & people suffer when oil prices drop (like in the 1980s)  Member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)  Lake Maracaibo in a source of rich oil  Are trying to reduce dependence on oil income  Guiana Highlands  Rich minerals like iron ore & gold
  • 21. Government  1st president elected in 1959  Economic turmoil & political protests are common  2002  PresidentHugo Chavez started distributing oil income equally among Venezuelans  Millions went on strike to protest actions some for 2 months  This strike damaged the economy & oil exports fell dramatically  2004  Venezuelans called for a referendum (recall vote)
  • 22. The Guianas  Guyana, Suriname, & French Guiana  Dense tropical rain forests cover much of region
  • 23. Guyana  “Land of Waters”  Agricultural land located on the flat, fertile plains along the coast  Rice & sugar most important crops  Population is diverse  ½ are descended from those who migrated to Guyana from India  Came to work sugar plantations  Today  Most farm small plots of land or run small businesses
  • 24. Suriname  Resources & economy similar to Guyana  Diverse population  SouthAsians, Africans, Chinese, Indonesians, & Creoles (mixed heritage)
  • 25. French Guiana  Territory of France  Send reps. to gov’t in Paris  People live mostly along coastal areas  2/3 of people are of African descent  Europeans, Asians, & South American Indians as well  Depend on imports for its food & energy