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1
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- Rio Grande to
- Tierra del Fuego
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2
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3
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4
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- The Mainland region of Mexico and Central America includes everything
but the Caribbean. It consists of A-type climates, B-type climates, and
H-type climates. The Highland climate is easy to identify since that is
where Mexico City is located - at well over a mile above sea level. The
Tropical Humid climates are very wet and conducive to the growing of
tropical fruits like, bananas, coconuts, and pineapples, along with
sugarcane. The Dry climates are found in the north along the Mexican/US
border. [Check the map for specific physical features.]
- The Caribbean region is totally A-type climates, excluding the
Netherlands Antilles B-type climates. Sugarcane and other tropical
fruits are a mainstay of the Caribbean economy. Hurricanes occur
frequently in this region from July to November. Hurricane is a Mayan
word for "big wind". They develop off the coast of
Western Africa's Bulge and strengthen as they move across the Atlantic
Ocean, drawing on the power of water's latent heat energy. The Antilles
are islands of an archipelago, a chain or group of islands.)
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5
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6
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- South America has a wide range of climates from north to south. It has
the largest tropical rainforest in the world - the Amazon. Sitting
astraddle the Equator, the Amazon has been called the "lungs of the
world" for its incredible oxygen output. There are several groups
of highlands on the continent, but none as impressive as the Andes
Mountain system. The best agricultural area is the Cfa climate of
southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. It's no
coincidence that this is the most economically prosperous part of South
America. [Check the map for specific physical features.]
- I must include here some mention of the incredible power of the Amazon
River. Some people think the length of the river equates to power. This
is untrue. The largeness of a river's discharge is the determining
factor. The Nile is the longest river in the world, but it looks like a
mere creek when compared to the amount of water that moves though the
Amazon every day.
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7
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8
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- The Amazon ranks second longest in the world, behind the Nile. The area
the Amazon River drains is larger than the Congo and Chang Jiang
combined. This is the key to the Amazon's power. Find the discharge in
cubic feet per second (cf/s). All of the other rivers combined probably
would not match the flow of water coming from the Amazon.
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9
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10
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Notes
