Latin American Test Prep

Amazon Rainforest

A tropical rainforest that covers a large part of the Amazon Basin in South America. It is the largest rainforest in the world and is home to a significant portion of the world's biodiversity.

Andes

A mountain range that runs through western South America, spanning over 7,000 km from Venezuela to Argentina. It is the longest continental mountain range in the world and has a significant impact on the climate and geography of the region.

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

A Mexican politician and military leader who played a prominent role in the Mexican War of Independence and the Texas Revolution. He served as president of Mexico multiple times and is known for his controversial leadership and political maneuvers.

Aristocracy

A social class consisting of people who hold noble titles and often have significant wealth and political power. In many societies, they are considered to be part of the ruling class and hold a privileged position in society.

Atacama Desert

A desert located in northern Chile, known for its extreme dryness and unique geology. It is one of the driest places on Earth and is home to several unique plant and animal species that have adapted to the harsh conditions.

Atahualpa

The last Inca emperor of the Inca Empire, who was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533. his death marked the end of the Inca Empire and the beginning of Spanish colonial rule in the region.

Augustin de Iturbide

A Mexican army general who played a key role in Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain. He later became emperor of Mexico, but was eventually overthrown and executed.

Aztecs

A civilization that flourished in central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th century. They are known for their sophisticated agriculture, complex social hierarchy, and impressive architecture, including the iconic temple-pyramids of Tenochtitlan.

Bartolomeo de las Casas

A Spanish Dominican friar who was an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. He is known for his extensive writings documenting the atrocities committed by the Spanish against Indigenous peoples, and is considered a key figure in the history of human rights.

Benito Juarez

A Mexican lawyer and politician who served as president of Mexico multiple times in the mid-19th century. He is known for his reforms aimed at reducing the power of the Catholic Church and the military, and for his efforts to modernize Mexico's economy and legal system.

Cabildo

A term used in Spanish-speaking countries to refer to a town council or local government. In some places, the term specifically refers to the town hall or government building.

Chasqui

A messenger in the Inca Empire who was responsible for carrying messages and goods along the extensive network of roads that connected the empire.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and other regions of the world that occurred after the voyages of Christopher Columbus. It had a profound impact on the environment, agriculture, and culture of the Americas and other parts of the world.

Conquistadors

The Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who conquered much of the Americas in the 16th century. They were motivated by a desire for wealth, power, and the spread of Christianity.

Coup d’etat

A sudden and violent overthrow of a government or political leader by a group of individuals, often members of the military or other powerful institutions.

Creole

A person of European descent who was born in the Americas. The term is also used to refer to a type of language that developed from a mixture of European and Indigenous languages.

Cuzco

also known as Cusco, is a city in southeastern Peru located in the Andes mountain range. It was the capital of the Inca Empire and is now known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and archaeological remains of the Inca civilization, including the famous Machu Picchu. Cuzco is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.

monroe doctrine

a U.S. foreign policy statement in 1823 that declared any European attempt to colonize or interfere with any nation in the Western Hemisphere would be viewed as a hostile act against the United States

mulatto

a person of mixed African and European ancestry

nationalism

a political ideology that emphasizes the interests and cultural identity of a particular nation, often leading to a desire for national independence or unification

nouveaux riches

people who have recently become rich and are still adjusting to their new social status

oligarchy

a small group of people who hold a disproportionate amount of power or wealth within a society or organization

pampas

a large, grassy plain in South America, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay

peasants

rural laborers who typically work on farms or in agriculture

peninsulares

Spanish-born residents of Latin America who held significant political and economic power during the colonial period

peon

a worker, typically a farm laborer, who is bound to a particular employer and must work off debt owed to them

Francisco Pizarro

a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru in the 16th century

Quetzacoatl

a Mesoamerican deity often depicted as a feathered serpent and associated with creation and fertility

quipus

a system of knotted cords used by the Incas for record-keeping

regionalism

a political or cultural ideology that emphasizes the interests and identity of a particular region within a larger country or organization

Roman Catholicism

a branch of Christianity centered around the authority of the Pope and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church

rural poor

people living in poverty in rural areas

Sierra Madres

a mountain range in Mexico that runs from north to south along the country's Pacific coast

Simon Bolivar

a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a key role in the Latin American wars of independence from Spain

Slaver (ship)

a ship used to transport enslaved people from Africa to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade

Tenochtitlan

the capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco in central Mexico

Treaty of Tordesillas

a treaty signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal that divided the newly-discovered territories of the New World between the two countries

Urban poor

people living in poverty in urban areas

Urbanization

the process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities and other urban areas

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

a Spanish explorer and conquistador who crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean

viceroy

a governor who represents a monarch in a colony or other overseas territory

Virgin of Guadalupe

a popular religious figure in Mexico associated with the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego in the 16th century

wage hands

laborers who are paid a wage for their work

Zambo

a person of mixed African and Native American ancestry