World Geography: South America
Why did the Andean highlands attract settlers?
They attracted settlers because of the cooler climate and fertile soil.
What crop did enslaved Native Americans help produce?
They helped produce sugarcane plantations.
How did the legend El Dorado encourage Spanish exploration in region?
El DOrado is a legendary gold-rich king, and the Spanish explored land to find him and become rich.
Why is Carnival a good symbol of Brazil's multicultural society?
It's a good symbol because it expresses their different cultures with floats, music, and dance. You can spot out the European and African cultures easily because they're dominantly expressed.
Why was reliance on exports bad for the region's economy?
It's bad because if the price of those exports goes down, so does the economy. When the economy goes down, the people seem to struggle.
Describe mercantilism.
Raw materials were sent to the mother country. In return, colonists were expected to buy Spanish products.
What is the basic structure of Brazil's national government?
Their government is a democracy with all three branches. The legislative contains two houses called the National Congress. The executive contains the president and the judicial contains the Federal Supreme Court.
What is causing subsidence around Lake Maracaibo?
It's because of decades draining underground oil fields.
Why are there so many ecosystems in the Andes?
It's because there are different climate zones the higher up you go.
What happens during a boom and bust cycle?
During the boom part of the cycle, the export they're most reliant on is highly needed and it's price is driven up. The economy grows, but then as soon as the bust part enters it suffers. the price is driven lower and the export is no longer needed. The cycle continues, just with different exports.
What kinds of climates would you find in the region?
In the wet season, you can find wet, tropical climates. When the wet season is over there is mostly dry, arid climates.
How does El Nino affect climate?
It affects climate because it heats up water on the coastline of Peru and brings heavy rains.
How is the oil industry affecting Venezuela's environment?
It has been polluting Lake Maracaibo which makes it one of the largest polluted areas in the region. Leakage has been happening there, and pollutes the water.
What factors might persuade people to move to an inland city?
One factor is that there are jobs in cities which are inland, and another one is that resources like food and water are readily available.
What are some natural resources of Caribbean South America and where are they located?
One natural resource is petroleum and most of it is drilled from Lake Maracaibo by Venezuela. Natural gas is also found there. Gold is found in the forests that the Spanish explored.
Who liberated the colonies in Caribbean South America?
Simon Bolivar liberated the colonies when people sought out his help.
How did rival European powers gain a foothold in Spanish lands?
Since the Spanish had conquered such a large amount of land, places like the coast were very vulnerable. Pirates threatened ports daily, and Europeans went ahead and settled in places like those.
Where is the best agricultural land in the region?
The best agricultural land is in Argentina and is called the Pampas.
What are the major ethnic groups in this region?
The major ethnic group is the Indian and is followed by the descendants of enslaved Africans.
How does Columbia's land differ from Venezuela's?
Colombia's land is easier to grow crops on but they only use 2% of their land for farming. They grow coffee beans there.
Know where these are on a map:
Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana
How have farmers adapted to the difficult landscape of the Andes?
Farmers use different types of farming like subsistence and terrace farming. They farm on the sides of mountains.
Why doesn't Brazil simply outlaw all development in the Amazon basin?
It is because much of the destruction is taking place in Brazil's remote areas called frontiers. Frontiers are always difficult to patrol.
Why were the liberated countries so unstable?
It was because of the Andes Mountains which extend up the west coast of South America and split into three parallel ranges, which made it hard for communication and transportation. They also had weak economies and were dependent on exports.
How has physical geography determined settlement patterns?
People tend to settle in places where they can farm and in cooler temps. They settles in grasslands, mountains, and other places.
What environmental problems trouble the region?
Pollution is a big problem because of leakage from oil drilling. Deforestation is another because there has been a rise for wood-needed products.
In Brazil's cities, where are the wealthy and poor neighborhoods usually located?
Poor neighborhoods are built on hillsides while wealthy neighborhoods live in flat areas in cities.
What language is spoken in Brazil today?
Portuguese is the most dominant language spoken in Brazil.
Why might some nations in this region have weaker economies than others?
Some nations, like Venezuela, are dependent on only one or two exports, so if the price drops so will the economy. The natural resources may not be very good or hard to work with. Things like how fertile the soil is decide what is grown and harvested.
What are some strengths of the Brazilian economy?
Some strengths are that they are a market economy and are moving towards service based things. Another strength is that they aren't reliant on exports anymore.
What three cultures came together in Brazil?
The Portuguese came from Europe to hide, then enslaved Native Americans that were already there. Once they either fled or died out, the Portuguese imported enslaved Africans. When the government abolished slavery, the three intermarriaged.
What is the "boom and bust" cycle?
The boom and bust cycle is when an export is highly needed and the economy grows, but the bust part is when that export's price goes down and so does the economy. This is repeated over and over again with different exports.
Why did governments encourage industrialization?
The export boom ended and economies suffered. People in the region regretted becoming so dependent on exports. They encouraged industrialization as a way of becoming economically independent.
What is the most serious environmental issue facing Brazil?
The most serious environmental issue is the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. It has a large biodiversity and if it disappears then those animals and plants cannot be as easily found.
What are some natural resources of this region?
There is oil and petroleum.
What are some tensions and conflicts in the region?
There were political conflicts called La Violencia. Redistributing land led to conflicts and rebel armies began to form.
What type of government did Brazil adopt after the empire fell?
They adopted a republic, a government with an elected president.
How did Spain benefit from mercantilism?
They benefitted because the people paid a lot, and if the finished products didn't reach the people that paid, they lose money and products while Spain gets to keep the money.
How did Venezuela use its oil revenues?
They exported the oil and became the largest oil exporter by the 1900s and used the profit for building roads and such.
Where does most of the population live in Caribbean South America?
They live in higher altitudes because it's cooler. Colombia and Venezuela are highly populated.
Where do most Brazilians live?
They mostly live on the coastline and in cities.
What were the main areas of European settlement in Caribbean South America?
They settled on the coasts and moved up mountains because it's cooler.
Why are many buisnesspeople upset by the policies of Hugo Chavez?
They were upset because he made it easier to get medical care and other services. They didn't want him taxing them more and shutting down businesses.
Why are Brazilian cities growing so rapidly?
They're growing rapidly because of the job offers and the farming plantations.
How did trade help early Andean societies survive?
Trade routes helped distribute food among colonies. It helped because it gives the societies resources they need but can't get.
