WORLD GEOGRAPHY VOCABULARY
•UNIT 3, Chapters 8-10 -LATIN AMERICA (Mexico,
Central America, South
America, & The
Caribbean)
A flag mosaic of Latin America --
The physical geography of latin America:
• The Andes consist of parallel mountain ranges, or _____.
• cordilleras
• The high plain encircled by the Andes of Bolivia and Peru is known as
the _____.
• altiplano
• The plateau of the Brazilian Highlands plunges sharply to the Atlantic
Ocean, forming a steep cliff called an _____.
• escarpment
• Cattle are raised on the broad grasslands called _____ in Columbia
and Venezuela and _____ in Argentina and Uruguay.
• llanos; pampas
• The Río de la Plata is typical of an _____, an area where the tide
meets a river current.
• estuary
Quebrada Utla, Cordillera Blanca trek,
Cordillera Blanca, IN PERU S. AMERICA
… More physical geography of latin America:
• The world's largest rain forest is located in the _____.
• Amazon Basin
• South America's two main grassland areas are called: _____ and
_____.
• llanos and pampas
• The three major geographic areas within Latin America are: _____,
_____, and ______.
• Middle America, the Caribbean, and South America
• The three island groups that make up the West Indies are: _____,
_____, and _____.
• the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles
• The three rivers that flow into the Río de la Plata are: _____, _____,
and _____.
• Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers
The amazon basin is beautiful; but it can
be deadly too!
Climate zones of latin America --t
• Highland climates are divided into vertical zones, including
the hot _____, the temperate _____, and the cold _____.
• tierra caliente; tierra templata; tierra fría
• The eight climate regions of Latin America are: _____,
_____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____ , and _____.
• tropical rain forest, tropical savanna, humid subtropics,
desert and steppe, marine west coast, and
Mediterranean
• The factors that determine why Latin America's highlands
climate is divided into three zones are: _____ and _____.
• elevation and latitude
Clouds on the “terraced” fields of Zumbahua
in Ecuadorian Altiplano. HIGHLAND Andes
near Quilotoa lagoon, South America
… some historical facets of latin america
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Native; original inhabitant:
Indigenous
Knotted cords used by keeping accounts:
quipu
Spanish or Portuguese conqueror:
conquistadors
Government officials appointed by European monarchs:
viceroys
Mayan picture writing:
Glyphs
The three indigenous Latin American empires are: _____, _____, and
_____.
• Maya, Aztec, and Inca
• North American revolutions, wanting more rights for the lower classes, and
anger and resent against Europe's rule fueled the movement for _____.
• Latin American independence
… cultural aspects of latin america
• The ancient art form that inspired the region's wall painters is _____.
• mural paintings
• The sports that are most popular in Latin America are: _____, _____,
_____, _____, and _____.
• fútbol, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and jai alai
• Mixing of diverse religious traditions:
• syncretism
• Designs made by setting small pieces of small stone, tile or shell into
mortar:
• mosaic
• Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins:
• extended family
• Two language variations:
• dialect
*Street art murals in Cerro Polanco.
Valparaiso, Chile, South America
… human geography of latin america
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A city that dominates its country's economy and government:
primate city
A city with more than 10 million inhabitants:
megacity
Migration from rural areas to cities:
urbanization
Condition caused by lack of food:
malnutrition
Most of South America's population is located along the _____.
coasts
The region's population density is unbalanced because _____, _____,
_____, and _____.
• temperature extremes, dense rain forests, towering mountains, and
arid deserts
Many South American MEGACITIES are
like this one: extreme wealth right next
to FAVELAS’ (slums or ghettos) poverty