World Geo Study Cards

Which physical features have affected human settlement in the subregion?

Rainforest, deserts, and mountains that dominate South America's interior discourage human settlement

How are Latin American countries working to improve transportation and communications systems?

They are building highways to link countries, and building infrastructure for internet and cell phones.

How are rapid urbanization and growing human needs affecting natural resources in Latin America?

They are causing them to be used too quickly and in an unsustainable manner.

Why are transportation and communications systems necessary for economic development?

Transportation systems are necessary so that manufacturers can ship their goods to other places. Communications systems are necessary in a global economy to keep track of changes in the world marketplace

Patois

the dialect of the common people of a region, differing in various respects from the standard language of the rest of the country.

The Amazon Rainforest

the world's largest rainforest.

How has African culture influenced the cultural characteristics of the Caribbean? Give examples

African culture has influenced the cultural characteristics of the Caribbean in the following areas; Language and religion, education and health care, arts, family life and sports and leisure

What circumstances might make environmental protection a low priority for some Latin American countries?

Circumstances such as extreme poverty among the pop. and limited gov. Funding might make environmental protection a low priority for some latin american gov.

What are the factors that have influenced population patterns in Mexico.

Diverse ethnic groups, internal and external migration, rapid population growth, and urbanization have shaped population patterns in Mexico.

Deforestation of the Amazon Rain Forest. Leading Causes. Explain. What percentage is gone.

20% is lost. Causes: Cattle ranching, slash and burn

Where is the location of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca Empires? Major Accomplishments?

Aztecs - Central Mexico, Mesoamerican Achievements Tenchtitlán- chinampas, causeways adapted the original calendars and made the Sun stone poetry, music, dance, sculpt, paintings: praised god, told stories, celebrated the natural world, bright colors stone temples: double staircases, temples for the sun and rain gods spoken language=art; speeches in Nahautl gylph and pictographs; scribes used writing to record data that could not be written out because they did not have enough words Incas - Andes Mountains, they believed that the god Viracocha created the earth, stars, and all living things.They believed that he created the moon and the sun by plucking them from an island in Lake Titicaca. Inti, the god of sun was another important god. achievements engineering: roads/staircases of rock suspension bridges over rivers agriculture-large system of terraces where crops were grown; canals medicine: trephination surgery textiles: bright colors, patterns gold art music: instruments stone buildings, durable Quechua language no written language, used quipus (knotted ropes) Mayas - Southern Mexico, Roman Catholicism achievements original solar year (365.2420), 260 day year, calendar round math: zero, 20s place painting, weaving: colorful, showed priests and sacrifices stone creations: steles, pyramids from limestone, temples had many uses (stairs on 4 sides) hieroglyphics for writing many dialects: other languages based on their language

How is culture in this subregion similar to that of Mexico. How is it different?

Both Mexico and Central America were influenced by the natives and the Spanish. They were different through the native influences brought on by the different native cultures.

Explain the significance of brain drain and quipu.

Brain drain is significant because it is the loss of their highly educated and skilled workers to other countries. Quipu means a series of knotted cords of various colors and lengths.

Traditional technique

Burn portion of your land, ash fertilizes the soil .Slash and burn Pop. growth Rework the soil every 3-4 years Depletes the soil of nutrients Commercial Exploitation Tons of money can be made from exploring lumber Governments provide financial Cattle need tons of space to graze Gov. encourage the development of ranches Export beef globally. Population continues to grow Governments in need of jobs NO major transportation networks in the north

How do cash crops involve Latin American countries in world trade?

Cash crops are produced in large quantities to be sold or traded. A country that produces cash crops does so for the purpose of selling them on the world market to earn money or other things it needs.

syncretism

the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

Explain the significance of indigenous, Mestizo, glyph, megacity, chinampas, urbanization, primate city, conquistador, viceroy, caudillo, syncretism, malnutrition, mural, mosaic, extended family

Indigenous is originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native. Mestizo is a man of mixed race, especially the offspring of a Spaniard and an American Indian. Glyph is a hieroglyphic character or symbol; a pictograph Used by Mayans Megacity is city with more people Chinampas is a type of Mesoamerican agriculture which used small, rectangular areas of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico Conquistador is a conqueror, especially one of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century. Viceroy is Regal official who runs a country. Urbanization is the process of making an area more urban. Caudillo is (in Spanish-speaking regions) a military or political leader. Syncretism is the merging of different inflectional varieties of a word during the development of a language. Malnutrition is it occurs when the body doesn't get enough nutrients. Causes include a poor diet, digestive conditions, or another disease. Mural is a painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall. Mosaic is a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass. Extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives, who all live nearby or in one household.

Why might political instability in a country discourage investors?

Investors may lose their investment (the business they've put their money in) if a new government takes over or the investment may be damaged in conflict.

What is the significance of Lake Maracaibo?

Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in Latin America. It is an inlet of the Caribbean Sea and has tons of oil reserves. The Lake Maracaibo basin includes the largest oil fields in Venezuela.

Describe the ways in which Latin America is working to protect the environment.

Latin America is passing laws requiring reforestation, new methods of farming, mining and logging, encouraging responsible tourism.

Most agricultural regions/cattle ranching regions

Llanos

What ethnic group makes up the majority of Mexico's population?

Mestizos

What are the regions of Latin America/The Caribbean

Mexico, South America, Middle America and the Caribbean Islands

What has caused the population of South America to become disproportionately urban?

Migration

Minifundia/Latifundia/Campensino

Mini- small farm Latifundia - a large landed estate or ranch in ancient Rome or more recently in Spain or Latin America, typically worked by slaves. Camp- a peasant farmer.

Where do most Latin Americans live? Why?

Most live near the coast because of the thick rainforests, mountains, and deserts in the interior. They live in the tierra templada because of the mild temperatures

Rainforest

Nonseasonal forest that receives at least 80% rain per year.

How might population growth affect forest resources in the region?

Pop. growth affects forest resources when more land is needed to grow more food for a growing pop. Often, forests are cleared to create farmland or pastures for grazing livestock. Commercial logging also depletes forests as more people demand more timber resources.

Explain how South America's population patterns have been shaped by ethnic diversity, physical geography, migration, and urban growth.

South America's pop. is very diverse due to indigenous European, Asian, and African elements. Most people settled around the coast due to the mountains, deserts, and the thick rain forest in the interior. People have migrated to the city for jobs and services causing urban growth.

What is the impact of the mountains?

South America's primary mountain system, the Andes, is the world's longest. The range covers about 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles). Situated on the far western edge of the continent, the Andes stretch from the southern tip to the northernmost coast of South America. There are hundreds of peaks more than 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) tall, many of which are volcanic. The highest peak in the Andes, Aconcagua, stands at 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) and straddles the Argentina-Chile border. Aconcagua is the tallest mountain outside Asia. The mountains provide security to the countries in Latin America.

How have European settlers shaped Mexico's cultural geography?

Spanish conquerers and settlers brought their Spanish language to Mexico, and it is now the country's official language, although some indigenous groups from Aztec and Maya cultures still speak native american. The Spanish also brought Catholicism which is practiced by the majority of people in Mexico.

What is P.P.U?

The P.P.U river system is the second largest river system. It is the most important commercial highway. The Rio de Plata is an estuary which means that the river's current meets an ocean tide.

What is Vertical Zonation?

The change in climate due to elevation. Vertical zonation can affect where people choose to live and what kind of crops they grow. What are the zones? Tierra caliente or hot land lies at elevations between sea level and about 2500 ft. The temperature in this zone may reach over 90 degrees F for most of the year. The tierra templada or temperate land lies between 2500 and 6500 feet. Daytime temperatures in this zone range from 60-72 degrees F. Most people in Mexico live in this tierra templada area. The next zone is tierra fria or cold land which has average day time temperatures of 55 -655 degrees F. Freezing temperatures often occur at night during the winter months. Know a few of the crops that can be grown in each region? At elevations between sea level and 2500 feet, crops such as cacao, rice, pineapple, bananas, and sugarcane are grown. At elevations between 2500-6500 feet, corn , cotton, cacao, and manioc are grown. Coffee is grown at 5500-6500 feet, and potatoes are grown at the highest elevation. Crops grown in the tierra templada are corn, cotton, cacao, and manioc.

What urban challenges have been caused by the migration of many people in Central America and the Caribbean to capital cities and major ports?

The urban challenges that have been caused by the migration of many people in CA and the Caribbean to capital cities and major ports are: collapse of a city's infrastructure, rapid population growth, jobs ,and housing

Canopy

layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees.

What is slash and burn farming?

shifting cultivation-type of farming

Deforestation

the destruction of the rainforest.