World Geography--Chapter 10--Human Geography of Latin America

Spanish Conquest

the take-over of the Native Americans by the Spanish

Tenochtitlan

the ancient Aztec capital, the site of Mexico City today

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

the political party introduced in 1929 in Mexico that helped to introduce democracy and maintain political stability for much of the 20th century

mestizo

people of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage

maquiladoras

a factory in Mexico that assembles imported materials into finished goods for export

NAFTA

The trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico; this agreement has created a huge cooperation zone on trade and economic issues on the continent

cultural hearth

the heartland or place of origin of a major culture

United Provinces of Central America

the name of Central America after the region declared independence from Mexico in 1823

Panama Canal

a man-made waterway for shipping cut through Central America connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean

calypso

a style of music that began in Trinidad and combines musical elements from Africa, Spain, and the Caribbean

reggae

a style of music that developed in Jamaica in the 1960s and is rooted in African, Caribbean, and American music.

informal economy

this way of finding work operates outside official channels without benefits or protection for workers (i.e. street vending, or shining shoes, etc.)

Inca

a tribe of the Quechen peoples of South America who built a civilization in the Andes Mountains in the 15th and 16th Centuries

Quechua

the language of the Inca Empire, now spoken in the Andes highlands

Mercosur

an economic common market that began operating in the southern cone of South America in 1995

Treaty of Tordesillas

a treaty between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that gave Portugal control over the land that is present-day Brazil

Carnival

the most colorful feast day in Brazil

samba

a Brazilian dance with African influences

capoeira

a martial art and dance that developed in Brazil from Angolans who were taken there by the Portuguese from Africa