final Flashcards
(260 cards)
1
Q
What are the physical geography aspects of Middle America?
A
Volcanic islands, mountain ranges, coral reefs, earthquakes
2
Q
What is the Mainland
A
the interior portions of Mexico and Central America
3
Q
What was the primary means of procuring labor for plantation agriculture?
A
slavery
4
Q
What is hacienda?
A
lands held by Spanish colonialists for social prestige and a comfortable lifestyle
5
Q
What types of people were used as servants on haciendas?
A
Amerindian peoples
6
Q
What crops did Europeans introduce to Middle America?
A
coffee, wheat, barley, rice, citrus fruits, and sugarcane
7
Q
What industrial inventions did Europeans bring to Middle America?
A
the wheel, new building methods, and new agricultural practices
8
Q
What was the European religion?
A
Roman Catholic
9
Q
What happened to the Amerindian population in Middle America after the European invasion
A
it decreased from 15-25 million people, to 2.5 million people after a century
10
Q
When was the Olmec era?
A
1200-400 BCE
11
Q
When was the Maya Classical Era?
A
300-900 CE
12
Q
When was the Tolet era?
A
900-1150 CE
13
Q
When was the Aztec era?
A
1300-1521 CE
14
Q
When was the Spanish Conquest of Middle America
A
1519-1521
15
Q
Who did Hernan Cortes and his men kill during the Spanish Conquest?
A
learned classes of the religious clergy, priestly orders, and those in authority
16
Q
What was lost of Maya and Aztec culture during the Spanish Conquest?
A
astronomy, advanced calendar, and engineering technology
17
Q
What is the Spanish colonial city characterized by?
A
a central plaza bordered by church, government offices, and stores; filled in with residential buildings
18
Q
What is the eighth largest country in the world by area?
A
mexico
19
Q
What borders Mexico on the southeast coast?
A
the Yucatan Peninsula
20
Q
What land features are in the north of Mexico?
A
Southern Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountain ranges
21
Q
What land feature is in the south of Mexico?
A
The Cordillera Neovolcánia
22
Q
How many languages are spoken in Mexico by more than 100,000 people?
A
17
23
Q
What is the long term goal of NAFTA?
A
to equalize economies of all three countries and create an open border free travel zone
24
Q
What are maquiladoras?
A
foreign-owned factories in Mexico that import materials, assemble the product with cheap local labor, and export the finished product
25
What is the primary source of illegal drugs in the US?
Mexican cartels
26
What do drug cartels do for the government?
They fund services in some areas of Mexico, a job that is meant for the government
27
What type of climate does Central America have?
tropical (Type A climate)
q
28
What causes a variation in climate in Central America?
mountains and height variances
29
What are some natural problems that Central America faces?
hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes
30
What is altitudinal zonation?
vertical environmental zones that change with altitude in mountainous regions
31
What are the 5 altitudinal zones?
Tierra caliente, tierra templada, tierra fría, tierra helada, tierra nevada
32
What is tierra caliente?
sea level-2500 feet; humid tropical lowlands, tropical rainforest, plantations, and coastal plains
33
What is tierra templada?
2500-6000 feet; most populated zone, most food crops can be grown here
34
What is tierra fría?
6000-12000 feet; highest zone found in Central America; shorter growing season
35
What is the only area in Central America colonized by the British rather than the Spanish?
Belize
36
Which countries gained independence from Spain in 1821?
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
37
What is the political geography of El Salvador?
civil war from 1979-1992, elite backed by the US fought peasants backed by the USSR, natural disasters have hindered recovery, coffee republicq
38
What is the political geography of El Salvador?
civil war from 1979-1992, elite backed by the US fought peasants backed by the USSR, natural disasters have hindered recovery, coffee republicq
39
What is a coffee republic?
a political state whose economy is dominated by a single crop, coffee
40
What is the political geography of Nicaragua?
civil war to 1978-1980 to oust US backed regime, civil war from 1982-1990 after Iran-Contra-Affair funded counterrevolution, US backed candidate defeated Marxist candidate Sandinista
41
What is the political geography of Hondruas?
no civil war, but fruit companies have manipulated the government to buy land and use cheap labor of locals moved off of the land to make profits, banana republic
42
What is the political geography of Costa Rica
no army, nicknamed the Switzerland of Central America, tourism and outside investments pay the bills
43
What is the political geography of Panam?
gained independence from Colombia in 1903, US completed Panama Canal in 1914, Jimmy Carter agreed to give the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999
43
What is the political geography of Panam?
gained independence from Colombia in 1903, US completed Panama Canal in 1914, Jimmy Carter agreed to give the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999
44
What islands make up the Greater Antilles?
Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (split into Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico
45
What islands make up the Lesser Antilles?
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
46
What were the other three minor colonizers of the Caribbean?
Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark
47
The present day middle class of the Caribbean is largely comprised of _______
mulattos
48
Who led the Cuban Revolution>
Fidel Castro
49
What was the Bay of Pigs?
a failed counterrevolution in 1960
50
What does Cuba hope for that will increase tourism?
fully lift the US travel ban
51
What type of economy is Cuba shifting towards
shifting from fully socialist to capitalism
52
Who originally claimed Puerto Rico?
the spanish
53
Who took over Puerto Rico after the Spanish?
the US (after the Spanish American war)
54
When did Puerto Ricans gain US citizenship?
1917
55
How is Hispaniola divided in terms of colonialism?
Spain in the east, France in the west during colonialism
56
What is the Dominican Republic's economic state?
stable economy, good tourism, although there is a wealth inequality
57
What is Haiti's economic state?
plantation agriculture, African slaves, slave revolt and independence in 1804
58
What is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere?
haiti
59
What are some ecological issues in Haiti?
Deforestation, environmental devastation, natural disasters
60
Who colonized Jamaica?
the Spanish
61
Who took Jamaica from Spain?
England
62
What is the problem with cruise ships in the Rimland?
large cruise ships can overtax an island and cause a disparity between rich tourists and poor workers
63
What is offshore banking?
individuals escape paying taxes in their home country by banking in the islands
64
What are some examples of Caribbean music and dance styles?
meringue, bouyon, rara, calypso, reggae
65
Where do tropical storms almost always develop?
between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
66
How do hurricanes form?
Warm moist air rises from warm water, water vapor condenses and cools, low pressure draws air upward from the surface
67
What is a storm surge?
high water driven forward by a hurricane, usually causes the most damage and death
68
Where do hurricane systems lose strength?
over land
69
When is hurricane season in the North Atlantic?
June 1 - November 30
70
What are the main geographical features of South America?
Andes mountains, Amazon rainforest, Pampas and Patagonia plains
71
What is the Atacama desert?
One of the driest places on earth
72
Where is the Pampas region?
eastern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil
73
What is the Tordesillas Line
a line created by the Catholic Church that divides South America: Spain in the west and Portugal in the east
74
What are the Guianas?
it is an area on the north of South America colonized by the British, Dutch, and French
75
What was the destination in South America for most slaves?
BRAZIL
76
Who captured the Inca ruler in 1533
Francisco Pizarro
77
When did the Inca Empire collapse?
1535
78
What did British Guiana become?
Guyana
79
What were runaway slaves called in Suriname?
maroons
80
What is the population of French Guiana mostly?
Creole (French and African)
Q
81
Where does more than half of the French Guiana population live?
in Cayenne
82
Where in South America does the European Space Agency have a launch site?
French Guiana
83
Where is the Rural Amerindian Region of South America located?
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
84
What type of climate does the Rural Amerindian Region have?
mountainous (type H)
85
Where is the Mixed Mestizo Region located?
coastal west and interior highlands of north and east; Paraguay, portions of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela
86
Where is the European Commercial Region located?
Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Brazil
87
What did the creation of the EU and NAFTA pressure South America to do?
develop similar organizations
88
What was formed in 2008 in South America?
UNASUR - The Union of South American Nations
89
Where is Venezuela located?
along the northern coast of South America
90
Where are the Andes located in Venezuela?
they run along the north all the way to the capital city of Caracas
91
What are llanos?
grassland plains bordering Colombia
92
What are the Guiana Highlands?
forests and mountainous terrain in the south of Venezuela
93
What is Angel Falls?
the largest waterfall in the world
94
Where does the majority of the Venezuelan population live?
on the north coast
95
Who was the founding member of OPEC?
Venezuela
96
What is a large majority of the Venezuelan population?
urban
97
What are the two largest legal exports of Colombia
coffee and oil
98
What is FARC?
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
99
What are some political/social issues Colombia faces?
government corruption, crime, death and destruction for normal citizens
100
What are the Rural Amerindia States?
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
101
What South American city is a port city for the Atlantic Ocean?
Iquitos, Peru
102
What language is spoken in rural and remote areas of the rural Amerindia states?
Quechua
103
What resources are found in Bolivia?
natural gas, gold, silver, tin, and other minerals
104
What are some ecological issues in the rural Amerindia states?
deforestation, mineral removal, and oil spills
105
What is a major source of tourism for the rural Amerindian states?
Incan and Pre-Incan sites: Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Lake Titicaca
106
What can permanently damage archeological sites?
high tourist activity
107
What are the two main language groups spoken in paraguay?
Spanish and Guarani languages
108
In Paraguay, what percentage of the land is suitable for growing?
less than 10%
109
What is the largest country in South America?
Brazil
110
What is triangle trade?
The Atlantic Ocean trade of manufactured goods from Europe to Africa, slaves from Africa to the Americas, and crops from the Americas to Europe
111
What country received the most slaves?
Brazil
112
What is the center of trade in industry for Brazil, as well as the largest city in South America?
Sao Paulo
113
What is the center of tourism and international business for Brazil?
Rio de Janeiro
114
Where did the Japanese migrate to after WWII?
Sao Paulo
115
What are Brazil's big exports?
Manufactured goods and food crops such as soybeans, coffee, orange juice, and beef
116
What happens when you remove the plants from rainforests?
It removes nutrients from the ecosystem which results in loss of biodiversity, which causes a release of carbon dioxide
117
What is considered the breadbasket of Brazil, and why?
West Central Brazil because it has the capital city of Brasilia and inland development
118
Where in Brazil are many European immigrant descendants found?
South Brazil
119
What are the features of South brazil?
good soils, moderate climate, high-tech industries, and a population separated from the rest of the country
120
What countries make up the Southern Cone?
Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile
121
Where can a Type C climate be found in the Southern Cone?
Uruguay, central Chile, and the Pampas of Argentina
122
Where can a Type B climate be found in the Southern Cone?
in the Atacama Desert and Patagonia of Argentina
123
Where is agriculture found in Uruguay?
In the Pampas
124
What is the capital city of Uruguay?
Montevideo
125
What is the home to the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur)?
Montevideo
126
What is the second largest country in South America and the eighth largest in the world?
Argentina
127
What country is home to the highest and lowest points in the Western Hemisphere?
Argentina
128
Where are the Falkland Islands located?
The Atlantic Ocean
129
What political/economic issue does Argentina face?
political instability resulting in hyperinflation
130
What is one of the driest places on earth where rain has never been recorded in some areas?
the Atacama Desert
131
What is the core region of Chile?
Central Chile; Valparaiso port, capital city of Santiago
132
What percentage of the Chilean population is European or Mestizo?
95%
133
What country has a relatively stable government compared to other South American countries?
Chile
134
What country has free trade agreements with each NAFTA member?
Chile
135
What are some political/social issues Colombia faces?
idk
136
What Isthmus serves as a land bridge between North and South American continents?
the Isthmus of Panama
137
What is the Rimland
The Caribbean Islands and the Caribbean coastal areas of Central America
138
Who typically operates a plantation>
individuals who are not directly working the land
139
What are some examples of cash crops?
tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, and fruit
140
By the 1800s, most of the population of middle America were ____
of African descent
141
What decimated local populations of Middle America?
disease
142
What replaced native food crops in Middle America?
cash crops
143
What are ejidos?
land in which the community owns the land, but individuals can gain profit from it by sharing resources
144
What animals did the Europeans introduce to Middle America?
horses, donkeys, sheep, chickens, and domesticated cattle
145
What disease did Europeans bring to Middle America?
measles, mumps, smallpox, and influenza
146
What is Mesoamerica?
a region in southern-central Mexico and northern Central America
147
What is a cultural hearth?
a region where an early human civilization began
148
What was the Olmec era?
a precursor to the Maya in Mesoamerica; known for large stone heads
149
What was the Maya Classical Era?
composed of city states with stone temples and large cities; glyphic writing
150
What was the Tolet era?
an era between Maya and Aztec; source of some Aztec myths, Nahuatl language
151
What was the Aztec era?
an era of regional power, agriculture, subjugation and tribute taxes, Tenochtitlán
152
What happened during the Spanish Conquest?
Hernan Cortes and his men defeated the Aztecs by uniting groups that the Aztecs had subjugated
153
What borders Mexico on the northwest coast?
the Baja Peninsula
154
What are the climate regions of Mexico?
temperate in the north, tropical in the south
155
temperate in the north, tropical in the south
mountain ranges, foothills, plateaus, deserts, and coastal plains
156
What are some issues in Mexico City?
pollution, fresh water shortage, and waste water dumping
157
What are some issues in Mexico City?
pollution, fresh water shortage, and waste water dumping
158
What is the official Mexico City population (2020)
nearly 22 million
159
What is the unofficial Mexico City population, including slums (2020)
126 million
160
What percentage of the Mexican population are Mestizo?
60%
161
The socioeconomic disparity in Mexico is largely divided by ________
ethnicity
162
What percentage of the Mexican population lives in poverty?
40%
163
What is NAFTA?
North American Free Trade Agreement; it is an economic agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico that eliminated or reduced tariffs between the countries
163
What is NAFTA?
North American Free Trade Agreement; it is an economic agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico that eliminated or reduced tariffs between the countries
164
Why was NAFTA created?
To help the US, Canada, and Mexico be able to compete on the global market scale
165
Why is Mexico a place that markets would want to have their products produced in?
There are less rigorous labor laws in Mexico, less pollution control, and there has been a loss of manufacturing jobs in the US
166
Other than drugs, what is another large source of income and violence in Mexico?
human trafficking
167
What is tierra helada?
12000-15000 feet; not found in Central America, no trees or crops, only livestock is grown here (aka "puna")
168
What is tierra nevada?
Above 15000 feet; little human activity, permanent snow and ice
169
What is tierra nevada?
Above 15000 feet; little human activity, permanent snow and ice
170
What percentage of people in Central America are rural?
50%; known for large family sizes
171
What is CAFTA?
Central American Free Trade Agreement
172
What are the republics of Central America?
Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and Panama
173
What is the political geography of Guatemala?
civil war from 1960-1966, conflicts with US based United Fruit Company in 1950s, peace brokered by the Catholic Church
174
What is the political geography of Belize?
they gained independence from Britain in 1981, heavily reliant on ecotourism
175
When did the US take Cuba and Puerto Rica from spain?
After the Spanish-American war
176
Who was named successor to Fidel Castro in 2006?
Raul Castro, his brother
177
Do Puerto Ricans pay federal taxes?
no
178
Can Puerto Ricans vote in federal elections?
no
179
Can Puerto Ricans vote in federal elections?
no
180
What are the two countries making up the island of Hispaniola?
the Dominican Republic and Haiti
181
How is Haiti's government?
There are difficulties maintaining a stable government
182
What was the native Taino population in Jamaica replaced by?
African Slaves
183
What was the native Taino population in Jamaica replaced by?
African Slaves
184
What are some political issues in Jamaica?
violence, organized crime, and drug trafficking
185
What is the main attraction of the Rimland?
cruises, clear waters, beaches
186
What is a hurricane?
a tropical cyclone that occurs in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
187
What is a typhoon?
a tropical cyclone that occurs in the North Pacific Ocean
188
What is a cyclone?
a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Indian Ocean region and in the South Pacific Ocean
189
North of the equator, tropical storms rotate in a _________ direction
counterclockwise
190
South of the equator, tropical storms rotate in a __________ direction
clockwise
191
South of the equator, tropical storms rotate in a __________ direction
clockwise
192
What is the eye?
the center of the hurricane with no clouds, sinking air, and less wind
193
What is the eyewall?
usually the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall; area that surrounds the eye
194
What are feeder bands?
lines of storms spiral outward from the eyewall, strengthening the storm system
195
What was the last major cultural group in the Andes Mountains?
the Inca Empire
196
How long are the Andes Mountains and where do they stretch to?
5,000 miles long, from Venezuela to Chile
197
How long is the Amazon River?
over 2,000 miles
198
What percentage of the global river water does the Amazon River contribute?
1/5
199
Where is Lake Titicaca located?
in the Altiplano region between Peru and Bolivia
200
What desert region contains rivers that contain arsenic
Atacama Desert, one example if the Lluta River
201
Where is the Patagonia region?
it is a prairie grassland in Argentina east of the Andes
202
What is Tierra del Fuego?
the southernmost portion of South America; contains active volcanoes
203
What crops were imported from South America during European colonialism?
coffee, sugarcane, bananas, and citrus fruits
204
What colonial power imported the most slaves?
Portugal
205
What city in South America became an important role for trade?
Lima, Peru
206
What type of climate does Guyana have?
tropical (type a)
207
What did Dutch Guiana become?
Suriname
208
What disputes does Suriname get into with other countries in South America?
border disputes over minerals and resources
209
What disputes does Suriname get into with other countries in South America?
border disputes over minerals and resources
210
What does French Guiana become?
Trick question, it remains a colony of France
211
Where is the Tropical Plantation Region of South America located?
north and east coast of South America, similar culture and economy to the Caribbean
212
What is the conflict in the Amazon Basin?
deforestation, land conflicts with Amerindian locals
213
What is Colombia's largest industry?
agriculture
214
What drug has been smuggled out of Colombia since the 1970s?
cocaine
215
What groups control large portions of Colombia?
drug cartels and armed guerrilla groups
216
Where does the Amazon River start?
Peru
217
What is the main language of the rural Amerindia states?
Spanish
218
What is the main language of the rural Amerindia states?
Spanish
219
Where is Paraguay located?
it is landlocked; not connected to the Andes or the Amazon Basin
220
What is the religion in Paraguay?
Roman Catholic
221
What religion is prominent in Brazil?
Roman Catholic
222
What is the language in Brazil?
Portuguese
223
What are some of the crops sent from the Americas to Europe?
sugar, tobacco, and rum
224
What is the capital city of Brazil?
Brasilia
225
What is the fifth largest country in the world?
Brazil
226
Where is there extensive poverty in Brazil?
in the favela slums
227
What are some ecological issues in the Amazon Basin?
deforestation of the Amazon rainforest for agricultural land; gold mining and other resource extraction
228
Where do 50% of the species on earth live?
rainforests
229
What percentage of the surface area of the Earth do rainforests make up?
5%
230
Where was plantation agriculture in Brazil?
in the northeast
231
What area of Brazil has industrial agriculture in cerrado grassland savannah and scrub forests?
West Central Brazil
232
What types of European immigrant descendants are found in South Brazil?
German and Italian
233
Where can a Type H climate be found in the Southern Cone?
Andes Mountains, varying with elevation
234
What areas result from the rain shadow effect on the Andes Mountains?
moderate Pampas in the north, dry Patagonia in the south
235
What are the dimensions of Chile?
2,500 miles long and 90 miles wide on average
236
What area of Chile is dry?
the north
237
What area of Chile is rainy?
the south
238
Where does 90% of the population of Chile live?
in Central Chile
239
What is the general climate of middle america?
Tropical (Type A) climate
240
What is plantation agriculture
focus on a single cash crop with seasonal high labor needs
241
What were plantations replaced by?
multiple private farms or large corporate farms
242
What is mestizo?
people of mixed ethnicity, including European and Amerindian ethnicity
243
What area of Mexico features industry manufacturing?
Mexico City
244
Why did manufacturing move from the US to Mexico?
lower labor costs
245
What is a banana republic?
a political state whose economy is dominated by a single crop, bananas
246
What were the four main colonizers in the Caribbean?
Spanish, English, Dutch, and French
247
When did the US by the Virgin Islands from Denmark?
after WWII
248
What is a mulatto?
a person with both European and African ancestry
249
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
It was when Cuba hosted USSR nuclear missiles on the island in 1962
250
How does Cuba regulate internet access?
Citizens are allowed to own computers and cellphones, but the government controls the internet
251
Where does a majority of the population of Guyana live?
in coastal regions
252
What type of climate does the Amazon Basin have?
tropical (type A)
253
What environmental impact has cocaine caused?
chemical pollution
254
What rural Amerindia states have oil?
Ecuador and Peru
255
What are some issues Paraguay faces?
lack of infrastructure, poverty, government corruption
256
What is the Middle Passage?
the journey of ships carrying African slaves across the Atlantic Ocean
257
What country has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan?
Brazil
258
How many Amerindians remain the Amazon Basin?
100k-200k
