Latin American Cultures and Trade

Maquiladoras

• Factories in Mexico that process imported raw materials and components, assemble them, then export finished products, often to the US.

NAFTA

• Trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico, aimed at reducing trade barriers (tariffs and quotas) and increasing economic cooperation.

Inca Civilization

• Powerful indigenous civilization in South America, known for advanced culture, engineering, and political systems.
• Empire spanned large parts of western Andes and coastal regions.

Aztec Civilization

• Mesoamerican culture that thrived in central Mexico between the 14th and early 16th centuries.

Mestizo

• Person of mixed European (often Spanish) and Indigenous American ancestry, becoming significant during the colonial period in Latin America.

Mulatto

• Person of mixed African and European (usually Spanish or Portuguese) ancestry.
• Used during the colonial period, particularly in the Americas.

European Peninsulas

• Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas.

North European Plain

• Vast lowland stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains, encompassing various European countries.

North Atlantic Drift

• Powerful ocean current originating in the Gulf of Mexico, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, and curving towards northwestern Europe.

Deforestation

• Large-scale clearing or destruction of forests, often for agriculture, urban development, or logging.

Land of the Midnight Sun

• Regions within the Arctic Circle (or nearby) where the sun doesn't set for periods during the summer months.

Ethnic Differences

• Cultural, linguistic, and ancestral distinctions between different groups of people, particularly impactful in Europe.