Studied by 1 personnaeknganpbsgns
The Mountains located along the western edge of South America are the
Andes Mountains
Parallel Mountain Ranges are
Cordilleras
Latin America includes
Middle America, The Caribbean, and South America
The five vertical climate zones are determined by
elevation
Shifting winds and cold Peru ocean currents have combined to create the
Atacama Desert
The pampas consist primarily of
grasslands
What is the Western Hemispheres longest River?
The Amazon River
Located in the Andes, Lake Titicaca is
the worlds highest navigable lake
The Amazon Basin contains the world's largest
rainforest
The Rio Grande forms part of the border between
Mexico and the United States
Mosaics are pictures and designs made by
the Aztecs, out of tiles, glass, wood, or stone
The Europeans who claimed parts of the Americas for Spain were called
conquistadors
When did most Latin American Countries gain independence?
1800's
The Colombian exchange involved
plants, animals, and the transmission of infectious disease
The Native American empires of Latin America were
the Maya, Aztec, and Inca
Aztec farmers grew maize and beans on
large, floating islands called chinampas
Which statement is true about South America's population?
The greatest concentration of people is in the coastal areas
When did the Maya dominate southern Mexico and northern Central America?
250 A.D. - 900 A.D.
African Americans came to the Caribbean as
enslaved workers brought by the Europeans
Where was the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan located?
modern day Mexico City
Most present day descendants of the Maya live in
villages in Southern Mexico and Central America
What natural resource attracted Spanish Settlers to Hispaniola?
Gold
About what percentage of Mexico's population is urban?
71%
Which country is most densely populated in South America?
Ecuador
What city in Brazil is home to one of the largest Carnival festivals?
Rio de Janeiro
What percentage of the US population is Latino?
13%
Which Caribbean islands have political links to the United States?
Puerto Rico and some Virgin Islands
Which religion is prevalent in Central America?
Roman Catholic
In some Latin American countries, growing cities have absorbed surrounding cities and suburbs to create
Megacities
Major challenges of Latin America megacities include
housing, employment, maintaining infrastructure, and crime
Minifundia are farms that
are farmed mostly for subsistence
Reforestation means
planting new trees in the land that has been stripped
Due to leaching, slash and burned farmland loses its fertility
within one or two years
Many rural immigrants in Latin America are forced to live in _______ when they reach the city
shantytowns
Farmers in the Amazon Basin clear the land using a technique called ________ in which all plants are cut down and set on fire
slash and burn agriculture
According to the Mexican government, NAFTA has
boosted exports, increased international trade, and created new jobs
NAFTA reduced trade restrictions among which countries?
Mexico, the US, and Canada
Tropical climates and fertile soil make ____ & _____ the world's leading producers of sugarcane
Brazil and Cuba
Service industries, such as banking communications, retail sales,
have increased in Latin America in recent decades
What are latifundia?
large, mechanized farms
Roads in latin america are often constructed over what geographic features?
rugged mountains, dense rain forests, and arid deserts
Many latin american countries depend on ____ to supply a major portion of their incomes.
Agriculture
Tourism has long been crucial to the economies in
the Caribbean
What are the Mayan Ruins?
Ruins of the Mayan civilization located in Tikal, Guatemala (located in the jungle, or around trees)
What is Machu Pichu?
Incan Ruins located in Peru
What are the Aztec ruins?
Ruins of the Aztec civilization (in areas with no trees or jungle)
What does middle america consist of?
Mexico and Central America
Primary Sector
extracts or harvests products from the earth. includes the production of raw material and basic foods. Activities associated include agriculture (both subsistence and commercial), mining, forestry, farming, grazing, hunting and gathering, fishing, and quarrying
Tertiary Sector
all service industries. This sector provides services to the general population and to businesses. Activities associated with this sector include retail and wholesale sales, transportation and distribution, entertainment (movies, television, radio, music, theater, etc.), restaurants, clerical services, media, tourism, insurance, banking, healthcare, and law.
llanos
grasslands in venezuela
pampas
grasslands in Argentina
Note
Flashcard