Geography of South America Flashcards
What River cuts through the desert and forms a border between Mexico and the United States?
Rio Grande
What mountain in the western portion of South America - home to many ancient civilizations - runs roughly parallel to the Pacific coast for more than 5,000 miles?
The Andes Mountain
What is the mountain range in western Mexico that runs roughly parallel to the Pacific coast?
Sierra Madre Occidental
What is the huge plateau that covers most of central Mexico and is surrounded by mountains?
Plateau of Mexico
What are the highlands in the northern portion of South America that separate Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana from Brazil?
Guiana Highlands
What is the large lake in the northern tip of the South American continent that has a small opening to the Atlantic Ocean?
Lake Maracaibo
What is the major river in the northern portion of South America that winds from the Guiana Highlands to the Atlantic Ocean?
The Orinoco River
What is the large peninsula in Mexico - much of which is covered by rainforests - that extends into the Gulf of Mexico?
Yucatan Peninsula
What is the long river in South America that winds from Peru through an immense rainforest in northern Brazil, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean?
The Amazon River
What is the main mountain range in eastern Mexico - containing Mexico’s highest peak - that begins South of the Rio Grande?
Sierra Madre Oriental
What lake is situated high in the Andes mountains and forms part of the border between Peru and Bolivia?
Lake Titicaca
What is the plain that extends through northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Bolivia?
The Gran Chaco
What is the grassy plateau located in southern Argentina between the Andes mountains and the Atlantic Ocean?
Patagonia
What is the fertile plain that covers most of central Argentina?
Pampas
What is the desert located in northern Chile that is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountains to the east?
Atacama Desert
