LAST TIME• Introduction• Latin American Map: You set the foundations for the study of human-environment relations in Latin America.• Course Syllabus: Course objectives, evaluation, and assignmentsTODAY•Latin American Diversity: Introduction• What is Geography?• Physical Geography of Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America:1. Mexican drylands2. Mesoamerican Highlands3. Coastal LowlandsWhat is Geography?• The study of phenomena relative to space, scale and place-this is the “lens” through which geographers study virtually any phenomena using a host of methods.• The study of human-environment interactions-This is a core theme of geographical inquiryLatin America Diversity I•Great size, especially N-S• Topographic - land forms and elevation)• In many places diversity is very close spatially - many LA countries are quite diverse• Biotic diversity - from deserts to tropical rainforests.Latin America Diversity II• Geographic diversity - vast differences is size of countries, resource wealth, etc.• Economic diversity - vast differences in wealth among and within countries• Pre-Columbian cultural diversity -Amerindiancultures from empires to hunting-gathering bands • Diverse immigration experience and resulting population patterns - Amerindians plus Africans (as slaves), Asians, and EuropeansCommonality: Roughly commonhistorical and cultural experience -unites• Roughly similar economic experience of Iberian colonialism• Broadly similar language, religion, cultural values (but with important exceptions)• Common physical environmental regions overlap multiple countriesPhysical Geography in Latin America• Climate (long term norms of weather) -temperature, precipitation, seasonality, etc.• Natural vegetation - super diverse due to elevation, latitude, and precipitation• Soils - great variation but with patterns• Land forms and elevation - the latter is very important to climate and natural vegetationMiddle America Environmental ZonesLatin American Environmental Subregions: Northern Mexican drylands• ~ Mexico North of tropic of Cancer• Climate - desert and steppe climate (Bw& Bs) ¾very little precipitation¾wide seasonal temperature swings• Vegetation: mostly arid adapted (except at elevation)• Soils - variableClimate: Northern Mexican drylands• Climographs (e.g., compare with San Francisco)• Very little precipitation¾Dry ¾And drier!• Wide seasonal temp swings• ExamplesNorthern Mexican drylands• Vegetation: mostly arid adapted (except at elevation)• Soils - quite variable• Mountain and plateau land forms¾Sierra Madre (Oriental & Occidental)Environmental Sub-region II:Middle American highlands• Land forms - very complex & tectonic• Soils – micro-variability• Vegetation types vary with elevation• LandscapesEnvironmental Sub-regions IIMiddle American highlands• Climate - role of the “tropics” and elevation key to understanding• Vegetation types vary with elevation• Tropical seasonality of rainfall (summer) • Example: Mexico CityMiddle American & Caribbean lowlands• Land forms and soils ¾Limestone (karstic) & tectonic (volcanic)Middle American & Caribbean lowlands• Climate (Köppen class Aw & Af)¾tierra calientethe hot and humid lands one thinks of as “tropical”¾“high sun” precipitation–a tropical characteristic ¾HurricanesMiddle American & Caribbean lowlands• Vegetation - varies with windward/leewardslopes and rain “shadows”¾“Rain forests”¾SavannasDestination of UCSB students?Northern MexicanDry lands© T. M. WhitmoreLatitude/Longitude = 37.45oN; 122.26oWAverage Annual Temperature (oC) = 13.75Annual Temperature Range (oC) = 9Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 475Summer Precipitation (mm) = 54Winter Precipitation (mm) = 421234512: Sierra Madre Occidental:Copper Canyon© T. M. Whitmore4: Coastal Plain looking E towards Sierra Madre Occidental© T. M. WhitmoreHighland Chiapas, Mexico© T. M. WhitmoreVolcano near Antigua, Guatemala© T. M. WhitmoreMiddle America Environmental ZonesTropic of CancerHurricane season© T. M. WhitmoreSouthern (rain shadowed) Dominican RepublicGyreGyreTrade windsTrade