Geography Chapter 9 Middle America

Guatemala City

Largest city in Central America

Belize

Least populated Central American country

Cancun

Popular tourist resort in eastern Mexico

Spanish-American War

Spain lost Cuba during what war in 1898

Aztec

Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes conquered the

haciendas

Spanish noblemen built large ranches, called what, that were run like feudal manors

common wealth

in 1951 Puerto Rico voted to become a what of the the United States

commonwealth

in 1951 Puerto Rico voted to become what of the United States. Many puerto Ricans now want it to become the U.S.

Sandinistas

in Nicaragua the Contras fought against the soviet-funded what

Guatemala City

largest city in Central America

Guatemala

most heavily populated Central American country; center of ancient Mayan civilization

mestizos

people of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry

West Indies

the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles combine to form

West Indies

the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles combine to form what

copper canyon

the Grand Canyon of Mexico

Contras

the United States supported who in Nicaragua

Havana

the capital of Cuba

Nicaragua

the largest country in central America

a coup

the sudden, illegal overthrow of a government by a military officer or government official is what

Barbados

this country in the Lesser Antilles has the highest population density in the Western Hemisphere

the Aztec

what Indian civilization once occupied the region around modern-day Mexico City

Panama

what country currently controls the Panama Canal

Panama

what country is the most developed of all the Central American countries

Yucatan

what peninsula curves north and east into the Gulf of Mexico

true

(t/f) Costa Rica means "rich coast"

true

(t/f) Fidel Castro established the first Communist government in the Western Hemisphere

false

(t/f) Haiti and Barbados share the island of Hispaniola

false

(t/f) Havana, the capital of Cuba, is one of the Greater Antilles's most elegant and modern cites

false

(t/f) Leeward refers to an island that is open to the prevailing winds from the ocean

false

(t/f) Like other Central American nations, Belize was settled by the Spanish

false

(t/f) Mulattoes are mixed Indian and Spanish descent

true

(t/f) Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America

true

(t/f) Santo Domingo is the oldest European-established city in the Western Hemisphere

true

(t/f) almost one-third of Guatemala's population is Protestant

Jamaica

A notorious haven for pirates

Haiti

Citizens speak French and Creole

El Salvador

Famous for volcanoes; has the smallest area of any Central American country

Costa Rica

First Central American country to grow coffee

the banana republic

Honduras has earned what nickname because its economy is dependent on one crop

They left written records

Mayans are the most famous of the Indian civilizations because

land bridge

Middle America forms what between North and South America

Panama

Most developed Central American country; "Crossroads of the World"

Virgin Islands

Most famous Leeward Islands

false

Trinidad and Tobago have not yet gained independence from Great Britian

What religion combines West African spirit worship, black magic, and Roman Catholicism

Voodoo

Belize

What Central American country has a distinctly British heritage

Mayas

What Indian civilization one dominated the Yucatan Peninsula

Creoles

What are people with European ancestry who were born in the New World

mulattoes

What are people with both African and European ancestry

mestizos

What are the people of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry

Cancun

What city is a major tourist destination on the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula

Panama Canal

What has reduced the trip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean substantially

junta

What is a council of military and civilian leaders called

Cuba

What is the Largest and most populous island in the West Indies

Haiti

What is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere

the Lesser Antilles

What island chain forms the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea

Haiti and Dominican Republic

What two nations are on the island of Hispaniola

bahamas

Which country is a member of the British Commonwealth

Honduras

Which country was nicknamed the "banana republic"

Costa Rica

Which country's name means "rich coast"

Fidel Castro

Who formed the first Communist government in the Western Hemisphere

contras

anti-Communist rebels