Chapter 8 Geography Reveiw

a country that won its independence in 1804, following a revolt led by François Toussaint-Louverture

Haiti

A shipping shortcut across Central America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Panama Canal

the variety of different species of plants and animals in an environment

Biodiversity

a transportation route opened in 1914 and once controlled by the United States

Panama Canal

The Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles are part of a(n) ________ in the Caribbean Sea.

Archipelago

What crops are typically grown in the tierra caliente zone?

Bananas and sugarcane

Due to its colonial past, most people in Central America today are followers of

Catholicism

Prior to independence, Panama was part of

Colombia

the transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere

Columbian Exchange

Islands in the Antilles are surrounded by ________, which are home to a wide variety of fish.

Coral reefs

In Central America, most industrial employment occurs in

Cottage industries

a business that employs workers who work out of their homes

Cotton industry

the local form of a language used in a particular place or by a certain group

Dialect

Because they have a great variety of species of plants and animals that are threatened with destruction, Costa Rica and Panama are considered ________ hotspots.

Ecotourism

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a program aimed at reducing

Greenhouse gases

For most of Central America and the Caribbean, being located in the tropics results in

High temperatures & abundant rainfall year-round

Panama is a(n) ________ between North America and South America.

Isthmus

a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas

Isthmus

a place that hosts a great variety of species of plants and animals and is under threat

biodiversity hotspot

What is the largest freshwater lake in Central America?

Lake Nicaragua

a large agricultural estate owned by a family or corporation in Latin America

Latifundia

A small farm that produces food chiefly for family consumption in Latin America

Minifundia

Since major volcanic eruptions occurred on the island of ________ in 1997, scientists have been closely monitoring the volcano with the goal of developing better forecasts and predictions of volcanic eruptions in other parts of the world

Montserrat

A dialect used in everyday speech that blends elements of several languages

Patois

________ refers to the combination of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, thus causing migration or population decline.

Population pressure

the sum of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, therefore resulting in migration or population decline

Population pressure

PRODESEC (Economic Development Program for the Dry Region of Nicaragua) is a Nicaraguan plan to

Provide new opportunities for rural families

One method of reducing the damage to the rain forests of Central America is to enact laws requiring ________ of land that has been cleared.

Reforestation

the planting of young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed

Reforestation

a zone prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to tectonic plate movement

Ring of Fire

the action or process of forming or depositing eroded material

Sedimentation

In slums in Central America and the Caribbean, disease spreads quickly because of

The lack of sanitary water

A slum on the edge of a city which lacks running water and sanitation systems

Shantytown

In Central America, ________ agriculture has destroyed huge swaths of rain forest.

Slash-and-burn

On small Caribbean islands that have been intensively farmed for centuries, ________ has become a serious environmental problem.

Soil Erosion

Enacting laws that require the reforestation of cleared lands is one way that Central American countries can promote

Substainable development

What is the correct term for the transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases that began when Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere?

The Columbian Exchange

Many small islands in the Caribbean have been used for intensive plantation agriculture for centuries. What problem has this caused today?

The islands are suffering from soil erosion

a group or a chain of islands

archipelago

How did Cuba achieve its independence from Spain?

as a result of the Spanish-American War

The islands of the Caribbean typically have a ________ climate.

Tropical wet/dry

a former federation that included the present-day countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua

United Provinces of Central America

Like many disputes throughout the history of Central America, ________ was at the center of a 2010 conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Water

A new type of environmentally responsible travel

ecotourism

Which of the following describes the effects of deforestation in Central America?

loss of biodiversity and the extinction of species

The growing populations in Central American and Caribbean cities adds to the problem of deforestation because

more land is cleared for agriculture to feed urban residents.

Because of its location on the Ring of Fire, much of Central America is

mountainous with active volcanoes.

Why does the location of many shantytowns in Central America and the Caribbean pose dangers to their residents?

they are located on hillsides and are thus susceptible to mudslides and flooding

Which vertical climate zone is a hot temperature zone where bananas and sugarcane are grown?

tierra caliente

Which vertical climate zone is characterized by frosts in winter and is where potatoes and barley are grown?

tierra fría