GEO 1310 Latin America Unit1

My name is Craig Tucker. Last week was my birthday, my grandma gave me a check for 100 dollars. I was so happy. But then, 4 kids from my school came to my house, and said I should use my 100 dollars to invest in becoming a Peruvian flute band. they promised I would double my money in one afternoon. But the government arrested us, along with all the other Peruvian flute bands, and took us to an internment camp in Miami. We begged to go home, but instead the government told us they were sending us to Peru. And so that is why I'm now in Peru. if I die let it be known it is because of 4 guys I don't even like from my school lied to me and took my birthday money.

What is a cordillera?

A mountain range that parallels a coast

What cordillera are these (Latin American) mountains apart of?

The Rocky Mountains

(Orient)al

far east

(Occid)ent

far west

Does the Oriental range or Occidental have higher elevations?

Oriental

What does the “30 inches of precipitation” threshold mean in terms of agriculture in an area, particularly when an area is getting LESS than that?

dry, arid, less to no vegetation

What importance does this region (the central mesa) have for Mexico regarding its livestock industry?

Primary livestock area due to its inability to grow crops

Who makes up the majority of the population in the Chiapas?

Natives of mainly Mayan descent

What did NAFTA have to do with the Zapatista uprising on January 1, 1994? What did EZLN want to achieve with this uprising?

The day NAFTA went into effect (Jan/1/94). EZLN was concerned that with US agricultural products coming in, that Mexican farmers couldn’t compete.

What impact do the Chiapas Highlands have on this issue?

The moutainous nature of the highlands made it complicated to stimulate economy/infostructure.

What’s the difference between weather and climate?

Weather - day to day. Climate - long term patterns.

In what direction do the prevailing winds move across Central America?

East to West

What is the difference between the windward slope and the leeward slope of a mountain range?

windward slope - slopes that first meet the prevailing wings.

leeward slope - the slope that faces away from the mountains.

What weather and climate difference does the orographic effect create between the Atlantic/Caribbean and Pacific coasts?

Atlantic Caribbean - the creation of rain, cold drier air, overall wetter.

Pacific - hot, dry air, overall drier.

What impact does the orographic effect have on population distribution in Central America?

Most Central Americans live on the Pacific coast.

Who proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912? How it was initially received?

Alfred Wegener. It was received poorly, they thought he was crazy.

Explain the theory of plate tectonics. How does this theory explain the creation of the Andes with the movements of the South American plate and Nazca plate?

Everything on the Earth resides on moving chunks of crust. South American/Nazca plates moving/colliding/subducting created the Andes.

What is notable about Mount Aconcagua among all the mountains in the Western Hemisphere?

It’s the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.

What is notable about Angel Falls?

It is the worlds highest uninterrupted waterfall?

What is the relationship between bauxite and the Guiana Highlands?

A natural resource threat that is the ore that makes Aluminum is rich in the Guiana Highlands- that ore is bauxite.

What is the relationship between bauxite, alumina, and aluminum?

bauxite (ore) > almunia > aluminum

Why is aluminum recycling economically competitive with refining and smelting new aluminum?

Because raw aluminum is more expensive than recycling it.

How were the Brazilian Highlands formed millions of years ago?

as a result of lava flows.

Where does Brazil rank among world coffee producers?

Number one.

What are the three physical geographic factors associated with coffee production?

rich volcanic soils, tropical location, and elevation.

Why does coffee’s status as a “soil robber” require good soil?

a crop that takes far more nutrients than it takes back

Why is coffee grown in the tierra templada as opposed to the lowlands?

the lowlands is too hot for it to grow.

Where did the name “Patagonia: come from?

Patagon - myth of legendary giants, Ferdinand Magellan thoughts the natives (Tehuelches) were giants.

What is notable about the ice fields found in Patagonia?

they are the most extensive ice fields in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica

Where is the source of the Rio Grande?

Colorado

Why were physiographic (political feature) boundaries used for some of the first boundaries?

A obvious physical landmark. People thought they were permeant features.

What is the main problem with rivers as physiographic boundaries?

A river can/does change course within hours/days, floods and drought, rivers can carve out new channels.

What is the nature of the seasonal climatic rhythm in the area through which the Orinoco river flows?

Summer - wet, discharge rate is 10x higher than in dry season.

Winter - dry.

How does the seasonal climatic rhythm impact the navigability of the Orinoco?

in the dry season boats can bottom out, and not go any further.

What else causes problems for the Orinoco’s navigability?

At its mouth the river dries out in general, and sediment is scrapped/dredged out so ships can past.

Where does the Amazon rank among the world’s rivers in terms of volume of fresh water?

Number one.

Where does the Amazon rank among the world’s rivers in terms of discharge rate?

Number one.

What are the two major reasons why the Amazon carries so much water?

drainage basin is the largest on earth, and the tropics humid climate is in the drainage basin.

What is significant about Iquitos, Peru, as it relates to the Amazon’s navigability?

Iquitos was a major Atlantic port in the 1800’s

What two countries cooperated to build the Itaipu Dam along the Parana River?

Brazil, Paraguay

What is an estuary?

An area where freshwater discharge of a river mixes with ocean saltwater.

How did the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver) get its name?

There was a explorer who found precious metals there.

Why did the Maya practice migratory subsistence agriculture in the Yucatan Peninsula?

Soil depletion, weak soil in the Yucatan.

What was the arguably most notable contribution the Maya made to mathematics? To what did the Maya apply their mathematic skills to?

concept of zero into mathematics. architectural/building, astronomy, calendars

What was the legendary symbol that informed the Aztecs they were supposed to build their capital of Tenochtitlan in Lake Texcoco? What meaning does this symbol have for modern Mexico?

Cactus growing out of rock, eagle perched on it holding a rattlesnake in its beak. Modern Mexico City is built on Tenochtitlan ruins.

Who led the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs? What happened to Tenochtitlan?

Hernan Cortes. It was overthrown

Where was Mexico City founded?

On the ruins of ancient Tenochtitlan.

What is a primate city? How does Mexico City fit this definition?

A primate city is a city that dominates a country disproportionately large in terms of population, exceptionally expressive of the national character and culture.

Why is the air pollution problem so severe in Mexico City?

The physical geography of surrounding mountains causes temperature inversions.

What phenomenon resulted in Mexico City ranking as one of the world’s largest cities?

Slums/shantytowns, growth by the phenomenon of rural to urban migration.

What is the difference between push factors and pull factors in regard to migration?

Push (leave) - global climate change. Pull (to go) - jobs.

What are remittances? Where does Mexico rank among countries in terms of remittances on an annual basis?

Money earned by migrant workers sent back home to their families. 2nd in terms of remittances

Where is most of Mexico’s oil found? What company manages Mexico’s oil industry?

Bay of Campeche. PEMEX.

What leading Mexican tourist destination did not exist before 1970?

Cancun

Why has the illicit drug trade become such a threat to the tourism industry in Mexico?

It makes Mexico as a whole be portrayed as a dangerous place.

What is significant about the Belize Barrier Reef?

It is the second largest barrier reef on Earth

What is the Great Blue Hole?

A sinkhole in the bottom of the ocean

Why is Belize not considered to be part of Central America by most Central Americans?

English is the official language there, the British took it from Guatemala.

What is the Monroe Doctrine, and how did it ultimately impact US relations with Latin America?

The US wouldn’t tolerate European interference in the Western Hemisphere, we extended positive relations with Latin America

What is the origin of the term “banana republic”?

Any country who’s government is under control of foreign business interest.

Why did United Fruit want President Arbenz out of power in Guatemala?

Because he wanted land reform, to distribute land United Fruit had to poor Guatemalans

Where does El Salvador rank among mainland Latin American countries in terms of population density? Why does it have that rank?

Most densely populated, on the pacific coast

Why was land reform needed in El Salvador?

Undisturbed land, for organic farming.

Why have farmers in El Salvador been switching to organic farming?

Organic produce adds 30% revenue

What is the difference between risk and vulnerability in natural hazard studies?

Risk is the chance and likelihood a particular hazard will effect people in a particular area. Vulnerability shows how severe the impacts are from a natural hazard.

What are the four main dangers associated with tropical storms/hurricanes?

1. heavy rainfall

2. flash flooding

3. high winds/tornado

4. storm surge

Where were some of the major impacts of Hurricane Mitch on Honduras?

one of the deadliest storms in recorded history, the number one killer was flooding on a mountainous terrains leading to landslides, it killed 8,000 people, rendered 1/3 of Honduras homeless, set back Honduras economy by 50 years

What was the cold war? Why did the US back Somoza in Nicaragua during the cold war?

A geopolitical conflict between US capitalist allies and Soviet Union communist allies. Because the Somoza’s were anti-communist.

What event allowed the Sandinistas to start gaining support from the Nicaraguan people?

The 1972 earthquake devastated Managua, poor response by Somoza led to support of Sandinistas.

Who were the Contras?

Somoza’s old national guard backed by the US.

Why was the Iran-Contra Scandal such a scandal during Ronald Reagan’s US Presidency?

Reagan illegally backed the Contras and broke that law by selling weapons to them.

Why is Costa Rica called “The Switzerland of Central America”?

Is is the most politically stable/economically prosperous in Latin/Central America

How does Costa Rica manage internal conflicts and threats?

abolished the military, defense agreements, and a small national police force

What is the difference between flora and fauna?

Flora - plant life. Fauna - animal life.

What is ecotourism? What has Costa Rica done to protect and promote ecotourism?

People come to see tourism of the natural world. They set aside large areas for national parks/game reserves.

Why is Panama not considered to be part of Central America by most Central Americans?

They believe it would still be apart of Colombia if not for the influence of the US.

Why was Panama chosen as the site for a transoceanic canal between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans?

It is the narrowest portion of Central America

Why was Ferdinand de Lesseps lead the first attempt to build a canal in Panama? Why did his attempt fail?

He had already had created the Suez Canal. The diseases carried by mosquitoes killed the workers.

Why did the US help Panama get independence from Colombia in 1903?

The US couldn’t negotiate terms on the canal with Colombia, so they helped Panama get independence to get a canal.

What was the purpose of the US embargo against Cuba?

To weaken the Cuban government to pressure a revolt

What was the relationship between the US and Cuba from the Spanish-American War until Castro’s revolution?

legal and organized crime by Americans ran the country

Why did Fidel Castro allow the Soviet Union to install nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962?

To deter the US from invading/attacking him, scare tatic

Why did John F. Kennedy use the term “quarantine” for the naval pressure applied to get the Soviets to remove the nuclear missiles from Cuba?

Because by using “blockage” it would have been an act of war

What is the geographic difference between where sugarcane is primarily grown in Jamaica versus where coffee is primarily grown?

the conditions of the blue mountains makes richer coffee

How did Bob Marley’s music impact his influence and power in Jamaica until his death in 1981?

He brought his music which impacted his influence and power in Jamaica

What is cultural diffusion?

the sharing of culture

What was the significance of Toussaint Louvertue’’s slave revolt in Haiti in 1804?

the first successful slave revolt to succeed in North America

How did the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti help to lead to Haiti’s current state as a failed state?

It killed three hundred thousand people, and collapsed the economy

How does Haiti qualify as a failed state?

A country who’s government is non-existent/has no power

Where does the Dominican Republic rank among foreign countries that have contributed players to Major Baseball teams?

Number one

Why did baseball become the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic?

It was brought there by Cuban immigrants, Cubans fell in love with baseball after emulating the US. The Cubans wanted to break away from Spanish culture.

Which locational qualities made Colombia an ideal place for cocaine trafficking?

Colombia is at the land gateway between north/south america, nearby the Panama canal, has two coastlines (Atlantic and Pacific)

What cartel did Pablo Escobar lead? What cartel overtook that one in the cocaine industry after Escobars death?

Medellin. The Cali cartel overtook Medellin

What are US state department travel advisories?

advisories and information on countries based on safety and if the US could help.

What criteria does a resource deposit have to meet to be counted as a proven reserve?

We know it exists (proven to exist), it has to be economically feasible in order to extract (can make a profit.)

What location is still the leading area for oil production in Venezuela?

Lake Maracaibo (not really a lake)

What are some of the problems that Venezuela has experienced from being a monoeconomic state state regarding its oil?

Razor thin profit margins, and fluction of prices

Has OPEC been successful in its goal to completely control oil prices?

No

Which European country colonized Guyana?

Britain