World Geography Unit 1

What is a cordillera

2 parallel mountain ranges

What cordillera are the Sierra Madre mountains a part of

American cordillera

Are the Sierra Madre Oriental or the Sierra Madre Occidental taller

The Sierra Madre oriental

How much precipitation does the central mesa get

30 in

how is the central mesa important for Mexico’s livestock industry?

It's flat and good for animals

Who are the Native American/Amerindians in the Chiapas Highlands

Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya nations

What is the Zapatista Army of National Liberation(EZLN) in regard to the Chiapas Highlands

The EZLN is an indigenous revolutionary group. They were fighting for their right to the Chiapas Highlands and operate out of there

What is the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) in regard to the Chiapas Highlands

The NAFTA severely harmed the life of the Zapatistas, they started their revolution the exact day the treaty came into place

Who makes up the majority of the population in the Chiapas highlands

The Tzotzil and the Tzeltal people

What did the EZLN want to achieve with the Zapatista uprising

Demand basic rights, land, and autonomy for indigenous peoples

What impact do the highlands have on the Zapatista uprising

It's a good position for defense and attack, and is close to major areas to get media coverage

What are the prevailing winds and easterlies

Prevailing winds are winds that come from one direction, easterlies are winds that blow from east to west

What is the orographic effect

it creates rain shadow

What is a leeward slope

the opposite side of where the wind is blowing

In what direction do the prevailing winds move across central america

east to west

What weather and climate difference does the orographic effect create between the Atlantic/Caribbean and Pacific coasts?

it makes the atlantic/caribbean coast wetter and the pacific coast drier

what impact does the orographic effect have on population distribution in central america

people are trying to live on the windward side of mountains, where the winds blow the rain clouds

Why is the Nazca plate subducting under the South American Plate instead of the other way around

the Nazcaplate is thinner and dense, the South American Plate is less dense and more buoyant

What is notable about Mount Aconcagua among all the mountains in the Western Hemisphere?

It’s the tallest mountain outside of Asia

what is a tepui

large, flat mountain with steep slopes

What is Auyantepui

It’s known for Angel Falls, the worlds highest uninterrupted waterfall, which drops from the tepui

Brazilian Highlands and coffee production, soil robber

The Brazilian Highlands have volcanic, very fertile soil, which makes it a great place to grow coffee beans. Coffee bean plants take nutrients and don’t replenish them

Where does Brazil rank among world coffee producers

#1

What are the three physical geographic factors associated with coffee production

1. warm climate and lots of rain

2. high elevations

3. fertile, well drained soil

Why is coffee grown in the tierra templada as opposed to the lowlands

the highlands have moderate temperatures, the lowlands are too hot

What is notable about the patagonia ice fields

one of the largest areas of continuous ice outside of antarctica and greenland

Who was Ferdinand Magellan

his expedition became the first to circumnavigate the earth(though he passed away before the journey was completed)

Who are the Tehuelche

The Tehuelche were Indigenous hunter-gatherer peoples of Patagonia who became known for their skilled horsemanship.

Where did the name patagonia come from

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, they thought the Tehuelche were very large and named them and their area as such

Where is the source of the Rio Grande

the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado

What is the nature of the seasonal climatic rhythm in the area through which the Orinoco flows

There’s a wet and a dry season

Where does the Amazon rank among the world’s rivers in terms of volume of fresh water AS WELL AS discharge rate

The Amazon ranks #1

What are the two major reasons why the Amazon carries so much water?

huge drainage basin
heavy rainfall

What two countries cooperated to build the Itaipu Dam along the Paraná River

Brazil and Paraguay

What is an estuary

a partially enclosed coastal area where freshwater from a river mixes with saltwater

What does Rio de la Plata mean in English? How does this relate to the name of the neighboring country of Argentina

It means River of Silver. Argentina comes from the Latin word: Argentum, meaning Silver, explorers told of great amounts of silver in argentina

Why did the Maya practice migratory subsistence agriculture in the Yucatán Peninsula

The region has poor soil, they did swidden agriculture, slash and burn

What was arguably the most notable contribution the Maya made to mathematics? To what did the Maya apply their mathematics skills to?

the concept and use of zero

What was the legendary symbol that informed the Aztecs they were supposed to build their capital of Tenochtitlan in Lake Texcoco? What meaning does this symbol have for modern Mexico?

an eagle on a cactus eating a snake. It’s the mexico flag

Who led the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs?

Hernan Cortes

What happened to Tenochtitlan?

It was destroyed and mexico city was built on top of it

What are remittances?

money that migrants send back to family back in their home country

Where does Mexico rank among countries in terms of remittances on an annual basis?

#2 behind India

What company manages Mexico’s oil industry?

Pemex

What leading Mexican tourist destination did not exist before 1970?

Cancun

What is significant about the Belize Barrier Reef?

largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere

Why is Belize not considered to be part of Central America by most Central Americans?

it was a british colony

What is the Monroe Doctrine, and how did it ultimately impact U.S. relations with Latin America?

it stopped Euopean involvement and colonization but allowed the US to be involved more

What is the origin of the term “banana republic”

A US writer: O. Henry, in the book Cabbages and Kings.

Why did United Fruit want President Árbenz out of power in Guatemala?

Because Árbenz’s land reform threatened United Fruit’s large landholdings and economic interests in Guatemala.

Why was land reform needed in El Salvador

Land ownership was highly unequal, the peasants didnt have the land to farm

Where does El Salvador rank among mainland Latin American countries in terms of population density? Why does it have that rank

The top in terms of population density. It’s small with big population

Why have farmers in El Salvador been switching to organic farming

It reduces the need for pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Helps protect the soil. They need to be extra careful with the little farming soil they have

What hurricane ruined honduras

Hurricane Mitch(1998)

What is the difference between risk and vulnerability in natural hazards studies

risk is high chance of hazard

vulnerability is high chance of damage or injury because of hazard

What are the four main dangers associated with tropical storms/hurricanes

strong winds, storm surge, heavy rainfall and flooding, tornadoes

What have been the impacts of tectonic activity (positive and negative) on Nicaragua, particularly western Nicaragua

volcanic activity has created super fertile soil
earthquakes

Which lake is the largest freshwater lake in Central America?

Lake Nicaragua.

What river connects Lake Managua to Lake Nicaragua? In which direction does water flow (when it flows) between those two lakes?

Tipitapa river and it flows from lake managua to lake nicaragua, southward

What river connects Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea?

san juan river

Where does Costa Rica rank in terms of the density of its biodiversity among the world’s countries? Approximately how many species live in Costa Rica?

top 20 in the world
around 500,000 species

How does Costa Rica’s specific location impact its biodiversity?

It’s a land bridge between north and south america
pacific and caribbean coasts
varied elevations
tropical location
All of these create many different habitats, making it exceptionally diverse

What has Costa Rica done to protect and promote ecotourism?

Costa Rica protects its natural environments through national parks and conservation programs and promoting sustainable tourism

Why was Panama chosen as the site for a transoceanic canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?

Low elevation, thin country

Why was Ferdinand de Lesseps lead the first attempt to build a canal in Panama? Why did his attempt fail?

He made the suez canal
the terrain was difficult, landslides, heavy rainfall, yellow fever

What was the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba from the Spanish-American War until Castro’s revolution

Close economic ties but with US dominating

Why did Fidel Castro allow the Soviet Union to install nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962?

He believed it would deter a US invasion and protect his revolutionary government

The Blue Mountains in Jamaica are notable for high-quality production of which crop?

coffee

What is cultural diffusion? Bob Marley was responsible for the diffusion of what Jamaican cultural product?

the spread of culture from one place to another. Bob Marley spread reggae music

Who is Fulgencio Batista and why is he important

he ruled cuba and had good economic relations with the US. Castro overthrew him

Who is Nikita Khrushchev and why is he important

he led russia during most of the cold war, and he put missiles on cuba

Who is Raúl Castro and why is he important

younger brother of fidel castro, took power after his brother. repaired relations with US

Who is Miguel Diaz-Canel and why is he important

succeeded Raul in leading Cuba, first person outside the castro family to lead cuba since 1959. close ties with russia

What was the significance of Louverture and Dessalines’s slave revolt in Haiti by 1804?

they successfully overthrew the french and declared independence on the island

How did the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti help lead to Haiti’s current status as a failed state?

It ruined the already weak infrastructure there

How does Haiti qualify as a failed state?

Haiti is considered highly fragile because its government has limited ability to control its territory, maintain security, provide basic services, and maintain political and economic stability

Where does the Dominican Republic rank among foreign countries that have contributed players to Major League Baseball teams?

Dominican Republic #1

Why did baseball become the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic?

cuban immigrants brought it over, and lots of US influence

what is important about Medellín

2nd largest colombian city, important economic center

what is important about Cali, Colombia

3rd largest colombian city, salsa(dancing) capital of the world

What locational qualities made Colombia an ideal place for cocaine trafficking

close to america(a major cocaine market) close to two oceans, peru and bolivia are nearby and produce a ton of coca, lots of mountains, rivers, and jungles make the area hard to control and monitor

What cartel did Pablo Escobar lead? What cartel overtook that one in the cocaine industry after Escobar’s death?

He led the Medellin Cartel. Once he died, the Cai cartel took over

What location is still the leading area for oil production in Venezuela?

the orinoco oil belt

Which European country colonized Guyana

britain

Which European country colonized Suriname

the dutch(netherlands)

what is Petrobras

brazil’s major state-controlled oil and energy company

Where does Brazil rank among Latin American countries in population and land area?

#1 in both

What language is predominantly spoken in Brazil?

portuguese

What is the relationship between Brazil’s sugarcane production and its energy sector?

sugarcane is being turnedinto ethanol

What is alcool composed of?

ethanol made primarily from sugar or starch

what is a forward capital

a capital city specifically chosen to encourage economic growth in a particular area

what are centripetal forces

factors that bring people together and strengthen unity within a country

Why was Brasilia a forward capital? Has it been successful in that regard

They wanted their political center to the interior of Brazil. Get people to move inland, it was significantly successful, but not completely

What is a Guarani

indiginous people living in paraguay and surrounding areas

What language, along with the native language Guarani, is also spoken by about 90% of Paraguayan society, making it one of the most bilingual societies on Earth?

spanish

What other language besides the two referenced in the previous bullet point, is spoken with great frequency in the Triple Frontier? Why this language in particular?

arabic

Where does Uruguay rank among countries in the Western Hemisphere in terms of lack of corruption?

#2 behind canada

What approximate percentage of Uruguay’s energy comes from renewable energy sources

64%

what is a military junta

a government controlled by military officers

Where does most of Argentina’s wheat and beef production take place?

the pampas, pampean region