Latin America - Mexico Geography PDF

LATIN AMERICA Mexico Physical Geography of Mexico A. Mexico and Central America join the continents of North America and South America 1. Land Bridge: a strip of land that connects two larger landmasses enabling migration of plants and animals...

LATIN AMERICA Mexico Physical Geography of Mexico A. Mexico and Central America join the continents of North America and South America 1. Land Bridge: a strip of land that connects two larger landmasses enabling migration of plants and animals to new areas 2. Latin America is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire 3. Seismic: relating to or caused by an earthquake 4. Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean have few river systems 5. Mesa Central is the ‘breadbasket’ (grain producing) region; heavily populated B. Vertical Climate Zones: climate zones that occur as elevation increases, each with its own natural vegetation and crops 1. Gulf of Mexico supplies the fishing industry in both the United States and Mexico 2. Northeast trade winds dominate Mexico’s climates a. North is arid or semi-arid; chaparral biome b. Lower altitudes along the coasts, the climate is hot and humid; rainforest biome 3. Mexico is the world’s leading producer of silver 4. Mexico is a leading petroleum-producing country Human Geography of Mexico A. Mexico’s human geography reflects influences from the Maya, Aztec, and Spanish cultures 1. Centered in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mayan civilization was a cultural hearth 2. The Aztec Empire arose in central Mexico a. Capital city Tenochtitlán is the site of present-day Mexico City 3. 1519 – Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec; claimed Mexico for Spain a. Mestizo: refers to people of mixed indigenous and European descent b. Indigenous: native to a place c. Conquistador: Spanish for "conqueror"; Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of indigenous peoples of Latin America 4. Took gold and silver; land given to Spanish settlers a. Cash Crop: farm products grown to be sold or traded rather than used by the farm 1  family 5. Columbian Exchange: transfer of plants and animals between Europe and the Americas B. 1821 – Mexico won independence from Spain 1. Often ruled by caudillos or military dictators 2. Benito Juarez led a reform movement; re-established the republic 3. 1917 – Mexican Revolution established a federal republic a. Drug cartels control regions of Mexico; internal warfare b. Corruption remains a common reality in government c. Small group of wealthy landowners control most wealth C. Rural-to-urban migration has greatly altered the population’s distribution 1. Megacity: a great city that is made up of several large and small cities 2. Primate City: a city that dominates a country's economy, culture, and government and in which population is concentrated; usually the capital 3. Extended Family: household made up of several generations of family members D. Newly industrialized country - higher standard of living than many Latin American countries 1. Gross Domestic Product: market value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year 2. 1992 – North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): agreement that eliminated most trade restrictions between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico 3. Outsourcing: subcontracting manufacturing work to outside companies, especially foreign or nonunion companies 4. Maquiladora: in Mexico, a manufacturing plant set up by a foreign firm 5. Free Trade Zone: an area of a country in which trade restrictions do not apply People and Their Environment A. Obtaining and using natural resources often result in significant problems that threaten Mexico’s environmental health 1. Deforestation: the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming 2. Sustainable Development: technological and economic growth that does not deplete the human and natural resources of a given area 3. Mexico City faces serious problems: a. Water shortages b. Land Subsidence: the sinking or settling of land to a lower level in response to various 2  natural and human-caused factors c. Cars are a major contributing factor to air pollution Central America and the Caribbean Physical Geography of Central America and the Caribbean A. Much of Central America is hilly or mountainous; swamps and lowlands along coasts 1. Central highlands are volcanic; eruptions and earthquakes are common 2. Weathered lava produces fertile soil; rich agricultural zones; dense population 3. Isthmus of Panama connects North America and South America a. Isthmus: narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas 4. In the Caribbean, many of the more than 7,000 islands are the tops of mountains 5. Archipelago: a group or chain of islands 6. Plate boundaries - volcanoes and earthquakes are common B. Inland lakes and waterways provide transportation, drinking water, drainage, irrigation, and hydroelectric power 1. Lake Nicaragua is Central America’s largest freshwater lake 2. Panama Canal bisects the Isthmus of Panama; one of the world’s most important human-made waterways 3. Coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea are home to a wide variety of marine life C. Climates in the region are dependent on many factors, such as proximity to the sea, elevation, latitude, and local topography 1. Tropical rain forests dominate much of Central America 2. Biodiversity: the biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals 3. Tropical wet/dry climate is typical of Caribbean islands 4. Parts of Central America have vertical climate zones; animals, plants, and climates change as altitude increases 5. Natural resources include minerals such as nickel and iron, fish, timber, and petroleum Human Geography of Central America and the Caribbean A. Spain founded the region’s first permanent European settlement on the island of Hispaniola in 1493 3  1. Other European countries also established colonies in the region 2. Forced labor, starvation, and European diseases killed much of the indigenous population 3. Mid-1600s, began bringing African slaves to the region 4. 1804 – Haiti won independence from France; sparked independence movements through the 1800s B. Political, social, and economic upheaval in the 1900s 1. Panama benefited from the Canal Zone and U.S control 2. 1959 – revolution led by Fidel Castro produced a communist state in Cuba C. Populations of Central America and the Caribbean reflect a blend of ethnic groups 1. 79% of Central Americans live in highland cities and towns 2. Most countries have a single primate city, usually the capital 3. Population Pressure: sum of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, resulting in migration or population decline 4. Primary language in Central America is Spanish a. Caribbean islands settled by Dutch, English, French, and Spanish b. Dialect: local form of a language used in a particular place or by a certain group c. Patois: dialects that blend elements of indigenous, European, African, and Asian languages 5. 80% of Central Americans are Roman Catholic a. Caribbean islands settled by the French or Spanish are mainly Roman Catholic b. Islands settled by the English and Dutch are mostly Protestant 6. In the Caribbean family structure is often matriarchal a. Matriarchal: family ruled by a woman such as a mother, grandmother, or aunt b. In Central America families are mostly male dominated (patriarchal) D. Countries face the challenge of developing and diversifying economies 1. Latifundia: in Latin America, large agricultural estates owned by families or corporations 2. Minifundia: in Latin America, small farms that produce food chiefly for family use 3. Large-scale growers farm cash crops, such as bananas, sugarcane, and coffee 4. Cottage Industry: a business that employs workers in their homes 5. Ecotourism: the practice and business of recreational travel based on concern for the 4  environment People and Their Environment Central America and the Caribbean A. Countries must preserve and manage resources while developing their economies and meeting the increasing needs of a growing population 1. Water shortages are a big concern for several countries a. Some countries dam rivers to provide hydroelectric power b. Flooding and changing water levels harm the natural environment 2. Timberland cleared by slash-and-burn farmers and commercial logging 3. Soil erosion causes sedimentation: the action or process of forming or depositing sediment 4. Reforestation: planting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed South America Physical Geography A. Andes are the world’s longest mountain chain 1. Cordillera: parallel chains or ranges of mountains 2. Altiplano: Spanish for "high plain," region in Peru and Bolivia encircled by Andes 3. Part of the Ring of Fire; heavy tectonic activity 4. Andes produce a rain shadow to the east; Patagonia is dry, barren, and windy 5. Escarpment: a steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface 6. Llanos: fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Colombia and Venezuela 7. Pampas: grassy, treeless plains of southern South America B. Waterways important for the region’s economic development - provide transportation 1. Amazon River flows 4,000 miles from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean; world’s 2nd longest river a. Amazon Basin drains more than 2 million square miles 2. The Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers flow into the Río de la Plata: estuary that flows into the Atlantic Ocean 3. Lake Maracaibo - largest lake in South America 5 C. Range in elevation produces a wide variety of climate and ecological zones 1. Many Andean communities subsist on potatoes, barley, and quinoa 2. Tree line: above 12,000 feet, trees do not grow; grasses and low shrubs 3. The El Niño phenomenon also affects climate in South America 4. Amazon Basin has a tropical wet climate; world’s largest rain forest a. Located primarily in Brazil; covers 1/3 of South America b. More species of plants and animals than anywhere else on Earth 5. Tropical wet-and-dry climate in the llanos; grassland and scattered trees 6. Much of the southeast is humid subtropical 7. Atacama: desert created by the cold Peru Current – driest place on Earth 8. Natural resources include petroleum, minerals such as gold, silver, and copper, and emeralds Human Geography of South America A. South America’s diverse population is the result of blending indigenous groups, Europeans, Africans, and Asians 1. Inca established a highly developed civilization in the Andes a. Skilled engineers; built temples, fortresses, and roads b. Farmers cut terraces into the slopes of the Andes and built irrigation systems c. Quipu: knotted cords of various lengths and colors used by the Inca to keep financial records 2. Spanish, Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch colonized the region a. European diseases and hard labor on plantations reduced indigenous populations b. European colonists imported enslaved Africans B. 1800s – independence movements arose; inspired by French and American Revolutions 1. Led by revolutionaries such as Simón Bolívar of Venezuela and José de San Martín of Argentina 2. Independence brought political and economic instability a. Lacked tradition of self-government; power remained in the hands of the wealthy b. Democratic governments still struggle with political corruption and violence C. Most people live on or near the coasts and along major rivers; 80% in urban areas 1. Rural-to-urban migrants seek higher wages, better living conditions; sometimes escape from the violence of drug cartels or criminal groups 6  2. Brain Drain: loss of highly educated and skilled workers to other countries 3. South America is home to an ethnically diverse population; often bilingual 4. Majority of South Americans are Roman Catholic a. Many people practice a combination of religions; Macumba and Candomblé, combine West African religions with Roman Catholicism 5. Uneven Development: condition in which some places do not benefit as much as others from social and economic advancement 6. Urban upper and middle class families are likely to consist of a nuclear household—father, mother, and dependent children D. Land and water use in South America closely follow physical geography 1. Forestry prevails in the Amazon Basin 2. Ranching is widespread in the grasslands of the south 3. Herding llamas and alpacas occurs in the high Andean regions 4. Fishing occurs in major lakes, rivers, and along coastlines 5. Agriculture remains important; grains, soybeans, coffee, cocoa, citrus, cattle, sugarcane, tobacco, and cotton a. Commercial Farming: growing large quantities of crops or livestock in order to sell them for a profit b. Subsistence agriculture is a significant part of the economy 6. Natural resources include timber, gold, silver, copper, iron ore, and tin 7. Manufacturing growing rapidly in urban areas E. South America has some of the world’s largest reserves of forest and agricultural resources 1. Deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate in the Amazon rain forest 2. Farming, construction, logging, fires, and overgrazing increase rate of soil erosion 3. Monoculture: cultivation or growth of a single crop over a wide area for a consecutive number of years 4. Favelas: desperately poor slums - lack electricity, running water, sanitation systems 5. Many urban regions in less developed countries lack funding and organization to build extensive networks of piped water, drains, and sewage treatment plants 6. Farmers conserve the soil by using lime, fertilizers, and cover crops 7