The document discusses the Amazon Basin, which is located in Brazil and neighboring countries in South America. It has a tropical climate that is hot and wet year-round. The landscape is dominated by dense rainforest containing a vast diversity of plant and animal species. Indigenous tribes live sparsely in the basin, practicing subsistence farming and shifting cultivation due to the remote location and poor soils. The native people fish, hunt, gather fruits and vegetables for survival.

1. S2 Global Studies

2. Objectives To Learn the location and characteristics of the Amazon Basin and understand why it is considered an ‘Empty Land’ To know what life is like for people who live there.

3. 5 W’s? Where is the Amazon Basin? What is the climate like ? Why? What is the landscape like ? Who lives there? When was it first settled ?

4. WHERE? The Amazon Basin is located in Brazil (and neighbouring countries) in South America.

5. WHAT is the climate like?

6. It contains one of the longest rivers in the world, approx 6,500km long. It also carries the greatest volume of water in the world. The area surrounding the river is all Tropical Rainforest. This means it is very hot (27 approx.) all year round, and very wet (1500mm). Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

7. What is it like? Very dense forests – over 5m km2 Very sparsely populated (Tribes) Contains 1/5 of the world’s freshwater Has 10,000 tributaries Has 30% of all known plant and animal species Covers 6 different countries 2,000 known species of fresh water fish – 10 times that of Europe! Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

8. Vegetation in the Amazon There are 3 layers of trees: the emergents (up to 60m high) the canopy (up to 40m high) the understory (20m high) Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

9. UNDERSTORY CANOPY EMERGENTS

10. The Amazon canopy walkway – extends for 500 metres to see a great view of the forest. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest Trees have few branches and very wide roots. They contain many birds, snakes, monkeys and lianas.

11. WHO lives there? It is home to a very sparse population Population density is very low – often less than 1 person per sq.km. WHY?? People who DO live in the area live in ‘Tribes’, and practice ‘Shifting Cultivation’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_in_Brazil Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

12. Very Remote Difficult Climate – heat and humidity Very dense rainforest Soils are poor BUT, becoming less empty due to Western world activity Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

13. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

14. The native people are Amerindians (eg Yonomamo): They are hunters and gatherers Fish, animals, birds, fruit, honey Subsistence farmers Grow maize, yams, avocado, peppers… Shifting Cultivators (infertile soils) Have no money, make what they need Sustainable farming. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

15. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

17. Video – Living in the Forest Make bullet points on What the tribes do in the forest What they look like/ wear What they eat

18. The rainforest is important because of its biodiversity, its medicinal plants, air purification (give oxygen), prevent soil erosion and its valuable timber. How do people live there? Page 162 – Rerebawa’s story. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

19. ‘A Day/ Week in the Life’ You are a member of the Yonomamo tribe, living in the rainforest Give an account of what you do in a typical day – start from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep You can write it in note form, giving times Add any drawings and use the textbook to help

20. ‘A Day in the Life’ 8.00am I wake up to the sound of tapirs outside my tribal hut. The sun is beating down … 9.00am I now go and hunt my food for the day …

21. Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest

22. IT IS ALSO BEING RAPIDLY CUT DOWN – AS MUCH AS 20%. WHY? Empty Land 2 - The Rainforest