Human Geography Unit 4: Latin America Review

Comprehensive practice questions covering Latin American geography, history, and political structures based on Unit 4 lecture notes.

How is a rainforest defined in the context of Latin America?

Dense forests made up of different species of trees

What is the slash-and-burn method of agriculture?

A method where you would cut trees, brush, and grasses and burned that debris to clear the field

What is terraced farming?

A technique for growing on hillsides or mountain steps

What are push factors in human geography?

Factors that push people to leave rural areas

How is infrastructure described in these notes?

Things to support communities

What modern-day location was once the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan?

Mexico city

What role did the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) play in Mexico?

A new political party that arose in 1929 that helped maintain political stability

What is the purpose of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)?

An agreement that has broken down many economic barriers among the three countries: U.S.A, Canada, and Mexico

What is a cultural hearth?

A place from which important ideas spread

What event occurred regarding the United Provinces of Central America in 1823?

Central America declared its independence from mexico

What is the geographical function of the Panama Canal?

Cuts though the land bridge and connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

Who are the Inca?

Descendants of people who may have crossed a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska and eventually found their way to South America

What was the outcome of the Treaty of Tordesillas?

When two European powers reached an agreement to divide South America

What is Carnival?

Colorful feast day in Brazil

How is biodiversity defined?

A wide range of plant and animal species

What is deforestation?

Cutting down and clearing away of trees in the rain forest

What characterizes global warming according to the notes?

When the temperature of the atmosphere starts to rise and weather patterns starts to change

What does a debt-for-nature swap entail?

That the government should be paid to preserve the forests

What are the characteristics of an oligarchy?

This form of government censors the press, limits free speech, and punished dissent

How is a junta described?

A new form of harsh government

What is a caudillo, and who is an example of one?

A military dictator or political boss - Juan Peron

What is the goal of land reform?

The process of breaking up large landholdings and giving portions of the land to land-poor peasant farmers