Test: Latin America and the Caribbean

What type of economic activity is based on the extraction of natural resources?

primary economic activity

Tierra Caliente

warmest region, lowest in elevation, produces tropical fruits

What country has the largest population of Portuguese speakers?

Brazil

Which of the following are megacities in Latin America? (choose all that apply)

Mexico City, San Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro

What two rivers supply water to the pampas and flow through four different countries? (choose two)

Parana and Paraguay

What is the series of mountain ranges that encloses the country of Mexico?

Sierra Madres

Which of these are tropical, treeless, grassy plains in northern South America?

llanos

The climate of the pampas; temperate climates with mild winters and hot summers

Humid Subtropical

What isthmus separates the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from one another?

Isthmus of Panama

What dam located on the Parana River provides power for Paraguay and Brazil?

Itaipu Dam

Orinoco River

Its tributaries feed much of the Ilanos in the region

Air pollution is a significant problem in many parts of Latin America, but it is particularly bad in ___________ due to the city's high elevation and lower oxygen levels.

Mexico City

Belize

Owned by Spain before being taken over by the British Empire

What is the most common religion of Latin America and the Caribbean?

Roman Catholicism

Uruguay

Second smallest nation in South America; former center of Spanish control in Latin

Which of the following is true about land in Latin America and the Caribbean?

The climate and rich soils are perfect for growing certain tropical fruits and cash crops.

El Savvador

The name of this nation means "the Savior"

Which of the following is true about the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean?

They have diverse economies and don't rely on a single industry.

The climate of much of the IIanos; high temperatures and ample rainfall

Tropical wet-dry

If it is summer in the United States, what would the season be in Argentina?

Winter

Tierra Templada

middle region in temperature and elevation, produces corn

What river flows through Venezuela and Colombia and feeds the llanos?

Orinoco

Lima is the capital of what South American nation?

Peru

Nicaragua

The largest nation in Central America

In one sentence, explain why people in Latin America and the Caribbean live primarily in densely populated cities.

Thick tropical vegetation, rugged mountain ranges, and barren desert regions cause many people in Latin America and the Caribbean to live primarily in densely populated cities, while they also go to find work.

What type of agricultural activity is prominent in Brazil and Argentina?

cattle ranching

Tierra Fria

coldest region, highest in elevation, produces potatoes

Peru

Home of the Inca civilization; diverse climate due to the Andes

Cuba

A communist nation formally led by Fidel Castro

The climate of Baja California; created by cool, dry ocean currents and temperatures

Arid

In one or two sentences, define the term altiplano.

Altiplano translates to tall plain in English. The term can refer any plateau region in Central or South America, but it primarily means the high plateau region in South America.

What body of water is located south of the Greater Antilles, west of the Lesser Antilles, and north of South America?

Caribbean Sea

Bahamas

Composed of many islands; capital is Nassau; English-speaking

Rio Bravo

Forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico

What term describes someone from a Spanish-speaking country?

Hispanic

Greater Antilles

Includes Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico

Columbia

Includes parts of the IIanos and Andes; birthplace of Shakira; capital is Bogota

Which lake is located between Peru and Bolivia and is also the highest lake in the world?

Lake Titicaca

Bolivia

Landlocked country; it's capital La Paz is the highest capital in the world

Paraguay

Landlocked country; lost the War of the Triple Alliance, the deadliest war in Latin American

Argentina

Largest Spanish-speaking nation in South America; proud heritage of gauchos

Amazon River Basin

Largest river system in the world by volume

What term describes someone from Latin America?

Latino

Lucayan Archipelago

Located in the Atlantic Ocean; contains the Bahamas

Ecuador

Located on the Equator; owns the Galápagos Islands

Which of the following is true about water in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Many rivers have become important in the production of hydroelectric power.

What major indigenous culture influenced the nations of Guatemala and Honduras?

Mayan

What nation has the most Spanish speakers in the world?

Mexico

What language is the most widespread in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Spanish

Which of the following type of agriculture only produces enough food for a single person and his family?

Subsistence Farming

Caracas is the capital of what South American nation?

Venezuela

In one sentence, explain why we use the term Latin America.

We use the term Latin America, because Latin America's official or primary languages are Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Puerto Rico

A freely associated commonwealth of the United States

What are the two primary reasons for the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest? (choose two)

A need for more farmland and growing demand for timber

Capital of Buenos Aries

Argentina

What desert located along the coast of Peru, Chile, and Argentina is the driest non-polar desert in the world?

Atacama Desert

What civilization ruled much of present-day Mexico when the Spanish arrived?

Aztec

Venezuela

Became a socialist state under authoritarian leaders like Hugo Chavez and Nicolas

Jamaica

Birthplace of Bob Marley; Capital is Kingston; English-speaking

What is the largest nation in South America?

Brazil

A crop grown solely for economic purposes is called a(n) ______ crop.

Cash

In one sentence, explain why Central America is considered a different subregion of Latin America.

Central America is considered a different subregion of Latin America because of demographics. They could have different geography, politics, culture, etc.

Capital of Santiago

Chile

Lesser Antilles

Contains many small islands, including Barbados and Grenada

Panama

Contains the narrow strip of land between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

What nation whose name means rich coast is known for its tourism?

Costa Rica

What is the largest island nation in the Caribbean?

Cuba