Puerto Rico Geography and Resources - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts: PR geography, geomorphic regions, archipelago, major physical features, hydrography, climate and resources, ecosystems, and map-related terms.

Geomorphic regions of Puerto Rico

Three major topographic regions that shape PR’s physical landscape.

Archipelago (Puerto Rico)

Puerto Rico is an archipelago—a large island with surrounding smaller islands (e.g., Vieques, Culebra) and nearby islets like Caja de Muerto.

Greater Antilles

One of the two main island groups in the Caribbean, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

Lesser Antilles

The other main Caribbean island group, comprising the islands south of the Greater Antilles.

Cordillera Central

The central mountain range and a dominant topographic feature in Puerto Rico.

Sierra de Cayey

A mountain range located in eastern Puerto Rico.

Sierra de Luquillo

A northeastern Puerto Rico mountain range that includes El Yunque National Forest.

Cerros de las Cuevas

One of Puerto Rico’s notable mountainous formations.

Sierra Bermeja

A mountainous region within Puerto Rico’s topography.

Northern Karst

Geomorphic province characterized by depressions, sinkholes, and mogotes.

Coastal plains

Geomorphic province important for agriculture and urban development.

Embalse

Artificial lake built to store water; examples include Dos Bocas, Carraizo, and others.

Hydrography

Study of the distribution and movement of water on Earth; PR has numerous rivers and water currents.

Alisios winds

Trade winds from the Atlantic that influence Puerto Rico’s weather and rainfall patterns.

Weather

Atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place (temperature, wind, rain, humidity).

Hurricanes

Tropical cyclones that PR lies in the path of; originate in warm Atlantic waters, often near West Africa.

Rainy season

June through November; period of higher rainfall in PR.

Dry season

December through May; period of lower rainfall in PR.

Rivers of Puerto Rico

Major PR rivers shaping the island’s hydrology (e.g., Loíza, La Plata, Camuy, Manatí, Guayanes, etc.).

Embalses and Lakes

Artificial lakes near rivers used to store water for consumption (embalses); examples include Adjuntas, Carraizo, Dos Bocas, Toa Vaca.

Forests of Puerto Rico

Tropical forests such as El Yunque, Guanica, Carite, Ceiba; El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest under federal control.

El Yunque

Puerto Rico’s famous tropical rainforest, federally managed.

Caribbean National Refuge

Network of protected refuges to preserve biodiversity (nine refuges in PR region).

Soil regions

Seven soil regions in PR: South, North, East, West, Central mountainous, West-central mountainous, and East-central mountainous.

Minerals (metallic vs non-metallic)

Natural resources: metallic minerals (manganese, gold, silver, uranium, cobalt, platinum, zinc) and non-metallic (water, petroleum).

Limestone, Sandstone, Alluvium

General rock/soil types found in Puerto Rico’s geology.

Vegetation examples

Native trees such as Palma Real, Cupey, Yagrumo, Maga, Algarrobo, Higuera; vegetation helps prevent erosion.

Lifezones diagram

Categorizes PR’s vegetation into lifezones (e.g., dry, moist, wet forests; rain forests; lower montane zones).

Parallels and Meridians

Lines of latitude (parallels) and longitude (meridians) used as references for location.

Absolute location

A specific geographic address; e.g., Puerto Rico’s coordinates around 18 15’ N, 66 30’ W.

Projection types

Ways to represent the Earth on a plane (conic, cylindrical, flat); common projections include Mercator, Peters, Miller, Mollweide, Goode’s Homolosine.

Scale (maps)

The relationship between map distances and real-world distances; can be verbal, graphic, or a representative fraction.

Topography and orographic effects

Mountainous terrain that influences rainfall patterns (e.g., Cordillera Central, Sierra de Luquillo) and related weather.