1. Pacific South America

2. Physical Geography

3. Physical Features
 Stretch along Pacific Ocean from the equator to almost
the Arctic Circle
 All countries have high Andes mountains

4. Mountains
 Andes run through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, & Chile
 Some rise more than 20,000 feet
 Earthquakes & volcanoes are constant (two tectonic
plates meet in region)
 Some earthquakes cause glaciers to send ice & mud rushing
down mts.
 Landscapes differ from north to south
 Rugged peaks to rounded peaks
 In the north Andes split into two ranges
 Peru & Bolivia ridges are far apart
 altiplano: broad, high plateau lies between the ridges

5. Water & Islands
 Andean glaciers
 Source of tributaries of Amazon River
 Few major rivers
 Water has no outlet to the sea
 Forms two large lakes
 Lake Titicaca: highest lake in the world
 Strait of Magellan
 Links Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
 Tierra del Fuego
 Large island south of the strait
 Chile & Ecuador control large islands in Pacific
 Galapagos Islands have wildlife not found anywhere else in the
world

6. Climate & Vegetation
 Vary widely
 Mostly effected by elevation
 5 climate zones in the Andes
 1st Zone
 Hot & humid near sea level; sugarcane & bananas
 Humid tropical: part of Amazon basin; thick rain forests
 2nd Zone
 Cooler air; moist climates w/ mt. forests; coffee; largest cities
 3rd Zone
 Cooler zone w/ forests & grasslands; potatoes & wheat are grown
 4th Zone
 Above the tree line; alpine meadows w/ grasslands & hardy shrubs
 5th Zone
 Highest elevation; very cold; no vegetation; ground almost always
covered w/ snow & ice

7.  Deserts
 Atacama Desert
 600 miles long
 Rain falls less than five time a century
 Fog & low clouds are common
 Some rivers bring snowmelt to dry coastal region
 Sometimes only appear certain times of the year

8. El Nino
 An ocean and weather patter that affects the Pacific
coast
 Every 2-7 years
 Cool Pacific water near the coast warms
 May cause extreme ocean & weather events that can
have global effects
 Warm water cause fish to leave
 Affects fishers
 Heavy rains
 flooding

9. Natural Resources
 Valuable natural resources
 Forests: provide lumber
 Coastal waters: rich in fish
 Valuable oil & minerals
 Tin, gold, silver, lead, zinc, & copper
 Do not have much good land for farming
 Difficult to produce large crops for export

10. Section 2

11. Early Cultures
 900 B.C.
 Peru’s f1st advanced civilization
 Built stone terraces into mts. to raise crops
 In coastal areas they created irrigation systems to store water &
control flooding
 Agriculture
 Supported large populations, towns, & culture
 Tiahuanaco
 Made huge stone carvings
 Nazca Lines
 Scratched outlines of animals & other shapes into surface of
Peruvian desert

12. The Inca Empire
 Controlled an area that stretched from northern Ecuador
to central Chile
 Home to 12 million people
 Empire was highly organized
 Irrigation projects turned deserts into farmland
 Stone-paved roads connected empire
 Rope suspension bridges used to cross steep valleys
 No wheeled vehicles or horses
 Relay teams of runners carried messages (up to 150 miles in one day)
 Did not carry written messages because they had no written
language

13. Spanish Rule
 Spanish captured new Inca ruler on his way to be crowned
king
 Demanded enough gold & silver to fill a room
 Killed king instead of setting him free
 Fighting broke out
 By 1535 the Spanish had conquered the Inca Empire
 Spanish rulers
 Were harsh to South American Indians of Inca Empire
 Had to work in gold or silver mines or on plantations
 Spanish viceroy (governor) was appointed by king of Spain to
ensure Indians followed Spanish laws & customs

14. Independence
 Early 1800s
 Revolts began against Spanish rule
 Creoles (American-born descendants of Europeans)
were the main leaders of revolts
 1825
 Chile, Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia became independent

15. Culture
 Spanish & native cultures have left their mark
 Most speak Spanish
 Many maintain native culture
 Speak native languages
 Spanish & Indian heritage also present
 Bolivia: highest % of South American Indians on any country
in South America
 Follow customs & lifestyles that existed centuries ago
 Spanish & Indian influence in religion
 Roman Catholicism
 Some practice ancient religious customs

16. Pacific South America Today

17. Ecuador Today
 Faced recent instability
 Widespread poverty (factor that threatens stable gov’t)
 Government
 Democracy, but 9 presidents in 10 years
 2005 President fired judges of supreme court
 People were not happy (thought he was trying to gain too
much power)
 Also not happy w/ recent economic reforms to improve
housing, medical care, and education had failed
 People & gov’t forced president from power as a result

18. Economic Regions
 3 economic regions
 Coastal lowlands: agriculture & industry
 Andean region: poorer; capital located here; open-air
markets & Spanish colonial buildings attract tourists
 Amazon basin: valuable oil deposits (provides jobs that
bring people to region); economy suffers if world oil
prices drop; harmful to rain forest

19. Bolivia Today
 Poor country & political unrest recently
 Government
 Democracy now after years of military rule
 Gov’t divided between two capital cities
 2000s
 People disagreed with gov’t plans for use of country’s
resources & how to fight poverty
 National protests forces several presidents to resign
 2005
 Indigenous leader was elected (Evo Morales)
 Worked to improve lives of the poor

20. Economy
 Poorest country in South America
 Few roads & little investment money in eastern Bolivia
 Foreign aid has allowed some development
 Has valuable resources like metals & natural gas

21. Peru Today
 Largest & most populous
 Making progress against political violence &
poverty
 Lima
 Capital of Peru
 1/3 of people live here
 Has industries, universities, & gov’t jobs
 Big urban areas where people live in poverty
 Few slum areas though (poor claim land on outskirts of
city)
 Build their own houses often out of poor building
materials
 Settlements of new self-built houses are called young

22. Government
 1980s & 1990s
 Terrorist group Shining Path carried out deadly attacks
because it opposed the gov’t policies
 70,000 people died
 Economy suffered
 Group leaders were arrested & gov’t began making
progress against political violence & poverty
 Has an elected president & congress

23. Resources
 Key factors in economic progress
 Mineral deposits near coast
 Hydroelectric projects provide energy
 Highland are less developed
 Indians grow potatoes & corn here

24. Chile Today
 Has ended long violent period
 Stable gov’t & growing economy
 Government
 1970: president w/ communist ideas was elected
 Overthrown & died in a U.S. backed military coup (a sudden
overthrow of a gov’t by a small group of people)
 Military rulers gained power & crushed political enemies
 Gov’t was harsh & violent (thousands were imprisoned or killed)
 1980s
 People rejected military rule after 15 years
 Created democratic gov’t
 People enjoy many freedoms
 One of most stable countries in South America

25. Resources & Economy
 Economy is strongest in region
 Poverty rates have decreased
 Small businesses & factories are growing
 Many people are finding work & wages are rising
 1/3 of people live in central Chile
 Mild climate allow farmers to grow many crops
 Grapes & fruits
 Farming, fishing, forestry, & mining foundation of
economy
 Copper mining is especially important
 International trade is also key
 Free trade agreement w/ U.S.