SA - South America Module Overview

South America

Map of South America

Introduction 

South of North and Central America lies the continent of South America which is home to the Andes Mountains and the Amazon River Basin. The basin is a region of global importance that scientists have often called the planet's lungs. This is because the basin's dense forest is responsible for producing much of the Earth's oxygen. Although countries might wish to make decisions based on the impact the decisions will have on their citizens and economy alone, the importance of certain areas to the health of the world make that somewhat impossible. Brazil, the country with legal rights to most of the Amazon River Basin, can easily impact the rest of the world. Since all humans share this Earth and its resources, governments must consider the impact of their decisions on both their nation and the world. South America's history and present conditions are the result of both its geography and the way foreign and domestic governments have governed it. In this module we will study the ways that colonialism, geography, and global trade have impacted the development of the countries in South America.

 

Essential Questions

  • How do physical characteristics impact human settlement patterns?
  • How has South America's colonial history changed the ethnic composition and cultural landscape of the continent?
  • How do trade relations and agreements between nations impact government relations and the environment?

 

Key Terms

  • Acculturation - assimilation of various cultures.
  • Amerindians - the indigenous people of the Americas.
  • Basin - a depression in the Earth's surface. The Amazon Basin is a river drainage basin. It is where the Amazon River and its tributaries drain the land as they flow toward the mouth of the river.
  • Colonialism - control by one country over another area. It is the forcible taking of land by a political power from another territory and the subsequent exploitation of the land and its resources.
  • Fossil fuels - are hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon) such as: coal, fuel oil or natural gas. They are formed from the remains of dead plants and animals.
  • Equator - the line of latitude which cuts through the northern part of the South American continent and through the mouth of the Amazon River. A location's distance from the Equator impacts its climate.
  • Iberian Peninsula - located in Southwest Europe, the Iberian Peninsula is mostly divided between Spain and Portugal. South America was mainly colonized by the countries located on the Iberian Peninsula.
  • Lingua Franca - the language that people use to communicate with one another when they speak different native languages.
  • Mineral - a naturally occurring inorganic element such as: salt, gold, silver.
  • Mouth - the mouth of a river is the end of the river. The part of the river that flows into a sea or ocean.
  • Rain shadow effect - the effect of mountain ranges on precipitation patterns.
  • Southern Cone - The  Southern Cone is the name that has been given to the portion of South America that lies below the Tropic of Capricorn.
  • Subsistence lifestyle - a lifestyle of little to no excess. A lifestyle in which people manage to have enough to survive and not much else.

Complete the activity below.

 

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.