Maddi Geography
Gatun Locks
Electronic mules guide ship through the locks raises ships 65 feet to the level lake Gatun 3 sets of locks
Ejidos--
Farmland owned collectively by members of a rural community
Histroy of Panama Canal
France began construction in 1878 ( failed due to disease and lack of $$) 1903--U.S. signed a treaty to build canal greatest obstacle was disease (malaria) mosquitoes in the canal zone carried malaria Dr.Wm. Gorgas cleaning brush, draining swamps, destroying breeding breeding ground, and vaccine
The Valley of Mexico
Located at south end of plateau Mexico City
What region of Mexico is it's most populous and important region?
central plateau region
NAFTA
trade agreement which phased out trade barriers among the united states, canada, and mexico
Panama Canal
waterway that links the Atlantic to Pacific before Canal NY so SF 13,000 miles
Northern Pacific Coast
wide plains until about 80 miles in until reaches mountains, has little farmland
Gulf Coast
wide plains, vast deposits of petroleum and natural gas
What natural hazards make Mexico's central region so unstable?
earthquakes , active volcanoes, plate tectonics,
Yucatan Peninsula
flattest plains region
Yucatan Peninsula
generally flat, dotted with sinkholes
Why are there many factories clustered along the U.S.--Mexico border?
job opportunities and education
the plateau of Mexico
makes up most of the country bordered by two mountain ranges Sierra Madre Oriental (east) and Occidental (west
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec
narrow funnel-like Sierra Madre del sur
What is the maquiladoras impact on Mexico?
the increase of factories there has also been a lot of concerns about water and air pollution and improper disposal of waste water
What conditions cause many Mexicans to become migrant workers?
they didn't have the opportunity to work or have any land
What is the characteristics of urban life in Mexico?
three quarters of mexico's population lives , largest urban areas in the world, most urban dwellers are very poor and struggle to survive, working class citizens are skiller and strong
Culebra Cut (Gaillard Cut)
8 miles long 500 feet wide 42 feet deep *** cut through the Continental divide
Maquiladoras--
A factory in Mexico, along the United states border, that assembles goods for export
Archipelago--
A group of islands
Hacienda--
A large spanish-owned estate in the Americas, often run as a farm or a cattle ranch
Guerilla
A member of an armed force that is not part of a regular army relating to a form of warfare carried on by succ an independent armed force
Isthmus
A narrow strip of land having water on each side and joining two larger bodies of land
Migrant Workers
A worker who travels from place to place working where extra help is needed to cultivate work harvest crops
What are the TWO mountain ranges that dominate the physical geography of Mexico?
Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental
How did Spanish conquest affect the social structure of Mexico?
Spanish Conquest created 4 social classes, the Peninsulares (top class), Criollos (2nd class), mestizos (3rd class0, and the indians (lowest class)
What language spoken and which religion is practiced by most of the people of Mexico?
Spanish and roman Catholic
Coral Island
an island formed by the skeletal remains of tiny sea animals and the sand and sediment piling on top of them
Central AMerica
-Isthmus connecting N and S AMerica -separates the Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean Sea and Pacific Many short mountain ranges volcanoes
Pedro Miguel Locks
1 set of locks lower the ship's 31 feet into Miraflores Lake
Building the Panama Canal
1903-1914 cost 380 million (8.6 billion today) Thousands of laborers steam shovels, hand digging, and dredges 5,600 people died
Miraflores Locks
2 locks lower ship's to the level of the Pacific Ocean Approx. 16.5 ft.
After Canal
5,200 miles
What are some of the causes of political conflict in Central America?
Armed conflicts, shortage of available farmland, Limited access to productive technology
Trip through the Panama Canal
Canal is 51 miles long (runs N. to S.) Atlantic Ocean side Limon Bay-- Canal Capt. takes control of ship
What are the main ethnic groups and where are they found in Central America? African Decent
Central America, Carribbean Islands
What are the main ethnic groups and where are they found in Central America? Europeans and Mestizos -
Central America, Costa Rica
What are the main ethnic groups and where are they found in Central America? Indians
Central America, Guatemala
Southern Coast
Mountains crowd around the ocean, natural setting
Name the FOUR tectonic plates that intersect in Mexico.
North American plate, Caribbean plate, Pacific plate, and Cocos plate
Pacific
Toll based on--- vessel type, size, cargo Ave. $55,000 takes 8-10 hours 13-14,000 ships a year
Miraflores Lake
Travels 1 ½ miles
What landforms and climates are found in Central America? Caribbean Lowlands
Tropical wet climate
What landforms and climates are found in Central America? Pacific Coastal Plain
Tropical wet climate
What physical forces shaped the two types of Caribbean islands?
Volcanic mountains, pushed up from the ocean and volcanic explosions
What landforms and climates are found in Central America? Mountainous Core
Year round spring-like climate
Latifundios--
a large commercial farm owned by a private individual or a farming company
What are the main economic activities of the Caribbean Islands?
agriculture, bananas, sugar, coconuts, cocoa, rice and cotton
Why does Caribbean culture reflect a variety of different influences?
because of the independent countries are linked to many different places such as Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands