G1501_LACModule

Crossing Lines and Boundaries

Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe

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Getting our Bearings

Getting our Bearings

Click on the arrows to look at the climate maps; then click on each region to learn a bit more about climates in these regions

Diverse Physical Environments

What physical factors/processes lead to climate and biome diversity in these regions?

Latin America

Africa

The Caribbean

Europe

What are your perceptions of the rainforest and its structure from this view?

Aerial view of the Amazon River near Manaus. Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Multi-layered Habitat -

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The Caribbean

• Most of region has high annual rainfall, warm temperatures
• Seasonality marked by change in rainfall, not temperature
• Guianas are different by rainfall and not impacted by hurricanes

Europe

• Importance of the Sea: Peninsulas and Islands
• Influences much of western and northern Europe. Milder climates than expected given latitude
• Mediterranean: Drier and warmer climates
• Continental Climates: colder, but still humid

Africa

• Humid, tropical climates at the equator, progressively getting drier as you move North or South:
• Grasslands: Savannas where wet; Steppes where dry
• Arid to the North and South
• Small areas of more temperate midlatitude climates on northern and southern coasts

Latin America

• Tropical Rainforests
• "Remarkable Paradox"
• Deserts
• Cold Ocean Currents
• Peru Current (Atacama) or Benguela Current (Namib in Africa)
• Altitudinal Zonation