Caribbean and Latin American Geography and Culture

Creole (language/culture)

A stable natural language that develops from the mixing of parent languages; also refers to Caribbean cultures that blend African, European, and indigenous elements.

Export Processing Zone (EPZ)

Industrial areas where foreign companies operate under special economic regulations (e.g., tax breaks) to produce goods for export.

Greater Antilles

Include Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and DR), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica.

Lesser Antilles

Smaller islands from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad.

Rimland States

Include Belize and the Guianas, with strong mainland influences.

Indentured labor

Labor system where workers, often from South Asia, signed contracts to work for a set period in exchange for passage to the Caribbean.

Maroon communities

Settlements of escaped enslaved people who formed independent, often hidden societies.

Neocolonialism

Indirect control or influence by powerful nations over less developed regions, often through economic means.

Offshore banking

Financial services provided to non-residents in countries with low regulation and taxation, like the Cayman Islands.

Operation Bootstrap

A post-WWII industrialization plan in Puerto Rico that aimed to modernize the economy using U.S. investment and tax incentives.

Ejido system

Communal land system created after the Mexican Revolution where land was redistributed to peasant communities.

Maquiladoras

Foreign-owned factories in Mexico, especially near the U.S. border, that assemble imported parts for re-export.

Mestizo

Person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, the majority demographic in Mexico.

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, established in 1994.

USMCA

Updated version of NAFTA with changes to labor and trade rules, established in 2020.

Orographic precipitation

Rainfall caused by moist air rising over mountains.

Rain shadow

Dry region on the leeward side of a mountain due to blocked precipitation.

Haiti

French colony, Creole-speaking, poorest in hemisphere, deforestation, political instability.

Dominican Republic

Spanish colony, more economic development, stronger ties to global economy, tourism-driven.

Major imports

Fuel, manufactured goods, food.

Major exports

Sugar, bananas, bauxite, textiles.

Tourism shortcomings

Seasonal, vulnerable to disasters, profits often go to foreign companies, reinforces inequality.

Remittances

Money sent home by migrants working abroad, significant in Mexico's economy.

Subsidence

Land sinking due to groundwater extraction, a problem in Mexico City.

Subtropical high (STH)

Semi-permanent high-pressure zones that suppress rainfall.

Zapatista

Leftist revolutionary group in Chiapas advocating for Indigenous rights and land reform.

Climate-shaping factors

Altitude, subtropical high pressure, ocean currents, mountain ranges.

Environmental hazards

Earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts.

Mexico City challenges

Air pollution, water shortages, land subsidence.

Economic divide

North is industrial and integrated with the U.S.; South is rural and poorer.

Migration to U.S.

Driven by economic opportunity, family reunification, violence, and labor demand.

NAFTA impacts

Boosted trade, but also increased inequality and displaced small farmers.

DR-CAFTA

Trade agreement between the U.S., Dominican Republic, and Central American nations.

Indigenous peoples

Descendants of pre-Columbian civilizations (e.g., Maya), often marginalized but significant in Guatemala and southern Mexico.

Plantations

Large-scale agricultural operations producing export crops (e.g., bananas, coffee).

Subduction zone

Region where one tectonic plate is pushed under another, causing earthquakes and volcanoes.

Urban primacy/primate city

Disproportionately large and dominant capital city (e.g., Guatemala City, San Salvador).

Climate factors

Latitude, altitude, ocean proximity, trade winds, mountain ranges.

Indigenous distribution

Densest in Guatemala and southern Mexico; less so in coastal areas.

Factional struggles & U.S. role

Rooted in land inequality, Cold War geopolitics; U.S. backed anti-communist regimes and insurgencies.

Costa Rica's stability

No military, strong education system, democratic traditions, eco-tourism economy.

Migration causes

Violence, poverty, climate change, lack of opportunity.

Major exports/trade partners

Bananas, coffee, textiles; primary partners include the U.S. and Mexico.

ALBA

Alliance of leftist Latin American countries promoting regional integration and social justice.

Altitudinal zonation

Classification of environment and agriculture by elevation (e.g., tierra caliente to tierra helada).

Andean Community

Regional trade bloc including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

El Niño

Climate event that warms Pacific waters and disrupts weather patterns across South America.

Humboldt Current

Cold ocean current that cools western South America and supports rich fisheries.

Lithium

Critical mineral for batteries, abundant in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

Mediterranean climate

Hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters—found in parts of Chile.

Petrostate

Country dependent on oil exports for government revenue (e.g., Venezuela).

Climate-shaping factors

Andes Mountains, Pacific currents, elevation, El Niño/La Niña.

Environmental hazards

Landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts.

Colombia geography/politics

Andes create isolated regions, complicate transportation and governance; past instability tied to drug trade.

Lima water scarcity

Coastal desert climate, rapid urbanization, glacial melt decline.

Indigenous distribution

High in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador (Andes); marginalized politically but culturally significant.

Natural resources/challenges

Minerals (copper, gold, lithium), oil; problems include price volatility, environmental degradation.

Branco

White Brazilian, typically of European descent.

Convective/convectional precipitation

Rainfall from heated, rising moist air—common in the tropics.

Deforestation

Large-scale forest clearing, especially in Amazonia for ranching, farming, and logging.

Frontier urbanization

Rapid city growth along edges of previously undeveloped land, like the Amazon.

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

Band of low pressure near the equator, causes heavy rainfall.

Pardo

Mixed-race Brazilian.

Shifting cultivation

Traditional farming method that rotates land to preserve soil (slash-and-burn).

Várzea

Amazon floodplain with fertile soils used for seasonal agriculture.

Common market

Trade bloc where goods, services, capital, and labor move freely.

Customs union

Trade agreement with common external tariffs and free internal trade.

Economic integration

Process of unifying economies through agreements (e.g., MERCOSUR).

Free trade area

Region where member countries remove tariffs among themselves.

Frontal precipitation

Rain formed by air masses colliding—common in southern South America.

MERCOSUR

Southern Cone trade bloc including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Monetary union

Countries adopt a shared currency (not yet realized in MERCOSUR).

Polar front

Boundary between cold polar air and warm tropical air, influencing southern climates.

Staples economy

Economy reliant on the export of primary commodities (e.g., beef, soy).

UNASUR

Union of South American Nations promoting political and economic cooperation (inactive).