GEOG151 Final Latin America

Latin America definition

refers to sections of America dominated by languages derived from Latin - Spanish is biggest, also Portuguese and French. a relatively new term from the mid 19th century

What happens during periods of low global temperature in the Americas?

sea level drops as water turns to ice

Who are the Mayas?

the Native American people of Mexico and Central America, in an around the Yucatan Peninsula

The Inca land empire

The Inca had the largest land empire of the Americas. A sophisticated road network interconnected the pieces of the empire

Which two nations were the most powerful seafaring nations of the 15th century?

Spain and Portugal

What did Portugal claim off the west coast of Africa?

the Cape Verde Islands

Hispaniola

an island between Cuba and Puerto Rico

Line of Demarcation

Pope drew a line settling dispute at the midpoint between the Cape Verde Island and (now) Cuba and Hispaniola with the Treaty of Tordesillas

Why did Spain take the Philippines even though they were west of the line in Portuguese territory?

because Spain thought that the Portuguese would not fight over the Philippines since they had no proven economic value

What land did Portuguese hold?

what is now Brazil

What land did Spain hold? (not red)

most of the southern extent of North America, and the Western Portion of South America

What did the French hold? (not red)

Haiti, Martinique, and French Guiana

What did the British hold? (not red)

throughout the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles

What did the Dutch hold? (not red)

Guyana and Suriname

What was the first Latin American country to gain independence?

Haiti in 1804

Monroe Doctrine

declared that the western hemisphere was off-limits for future colonization by European powers

What did Simon Bolivar fight for?

New World Independence — Argentina, Grand Columbia, Mexico, Chile

What did nationalism within Central and South America cause?

balkanization through the 20th century

balkanization

the process of dividing a region or country into smaller, often hostile units or factions, typically based on ethnic, religious, or political differences

Which country is smaller by area but larger by population to South America?

Europe

What is a drainage basin?

an area where surface water converges to a single point

The Amazon River

largest river in the world and the second longest

what is subduction?

the sideways and downward movement of the edge of a plate of the earth's crust into the mantle beneath another plate

The Andes Mountains

• highest mountain range outside of Asia

• furthest surface point from the center of the earth

  • caused by subduction of oceanic (Nazca) under the South American plate

What is a rain shadow?

a region of reduced rainfall on the leeward side of a mountain range, facing away from the prevailing winds

Atacama Desert

• driest desert on Earth

• in the rain shadow of the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range

Brazil urbanization rate

Brazil is highly urbanized (87%)

• US (82%)

• Germany (74%)

What is the largest city in Brazil?

Sao Paulo

What is the capital of Brazil?

Brasilia

When was Brasilia constructed?

between 1965-1960

• it is the largest city in the world that did not exist before 1900

Is French Guiana still a part of France?

YES

What is the official language of Guyana?

English

What is the official language of Suriname?

Dutch

What are the two trade bloc that dominate the economy of South America?

Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations

What is a big factor as to why Bolivia and Paraguay have lots of poverty?

they are landlocked countries

What does it mean for a country to be landlocked?

to be almost or entirely surrounded by land; having no coastline or seaport.

What was exported from South America during the Illegal Drug Trade in Latin America

cocaine exports

What did the Illegal Drug Trade in Latin America strongly influence?

the exceptionally high murder and violent crime rates along these trade routes

government involvement in the Illegal Drug Trade (not red)

• Panama’s Manuel Noriega

• Cocaine coups in Honduras and Bolivia

• Rebel groups funded by drugs (ex. FARC in Columbia)

• Frequent CIA involvement

Approximately how many Venezuelans have migrated?

7 million - about 25% of the current population

Venezuela oil reserve

estimates are imprecise, but they are approximately equal to those of Saudi Arabia

What did Venezuela vote for on December 3, 2023?

“voted” to annex much of Guyana with 95% of yes votes

Cuban Revolution

The Cuban Revolution was a socio-political uprising that resulted in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista's authoritarian regime in 1959 and the establishment of a new government led by Fidel Castro. Guantanamo Bay remains a US overseas naval base since 1903.

Falklands War

Military junta ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983

• 30,000 deaths in the dirty was

• Part of CIA’s Operation Condor to support anti-communists in South America