Unit 3 Study Guide: Latin America — Geography, Environmental Issues, & History

A set of vocabulary flashcards reviewing key geographic entities, environmental issues, climate, trade, and historical developments from the Latin America study guide.

Latin America

The geographic and cultural region encompassing South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.

South America

The continent bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, home to northern Chile, Brazil, and the Amazon Rainforest.

Central America

The region containing a man-made canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a sea to its east, and a narrow country connecting to South America.

Mexico

The country located directly south of the United States, with a major body of water situated to its north.

Mexico City

An urban area surrounded by geographic features that trap exhaust and air pollution, experiencing rising smog levels due to population growth.

Smog

Air pollution in Mexico City that increases as a result of population growth while exhaust is trapped by surrounding geographic features.

Deforestation

The clearing of large areas of the Amazon Rainforest, resulting in major environmental effects on plant and animal life in Brazil.

Amazon Rainforest

A large forest region in Brazil where extensive areas are cleared (deforested), significantly impacting plant and animal life.

Brazil

The largest country in South America, colonized by a European country, known as a leading coffee producer and exporter where sugar and coffee plantations expanded.

Chile

A long, narrow country stretching along the southwestern coast of South America, with its northern region containing the continent's driest desert.

Cuba

An island nation located in the Caribbean Sea that must import a large amount of its food from other countries.

Pacific Ocean

The major ocean located to the west of South America, connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a man-made waterway in Central America.

Atlantic Ocean

The major ocean located to the east of South America, connected to the Pacific Ocean via a man-made canal in Central America.

Caribbean Sea

The sea located east of Central America that contains island nations such as Cuba.

Sugar and coffee plantations

Agricultural estates in Brazil whose expansion led to an increase in the population of enslaved Africans.

Spanish and Portuguese colonization

European colonial expansion that resulted in the spread of a major religion throughout Latin America.

Enslaved Africans

A population whose numbers in Brazil grew significantly due to the expansion of sugar and coffee plantations.