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
