Unit Study Guide: Latin America and the Caribbean
Social Studies 6 – Stallions / Mr. Stigall
1. To whom did the Spanish monarch grant encomiendas? conquistadors
2. Priests converted Native Americans to Christianity and taught Spanish to them at church outposts known as: missions
3. The most important parts of the colonial economy were: mining and agriculture
4. Most Mexicans speak Spanish because Spanish influence during colonial times.
5. Which Spanish conquistador conquered the Aztecs? Hernán Cortés
6. The mountain ranges of Mexico are all called the: Sierra Madre
7. The body of water east of Mexico is the Gulf of Mexico
8. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico
9. The Aztecs built their capital on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco
10. European diseases killed the Aztecs in large numbers because the Aztecs had no immunity from the diseases.
11. The hard work of the mines and the haciendas was done by American Indians and Africans
12. Slash-and-burn agriculture could be a problem because it can deplete the nutrients in the soil.
13. A problem in Mexico City that is made worse by the surrounding mountains is smog
14. Mexico's coastal resorts and Aztec and Maya monuments attract many tourists
15. U.S. and foreign companies have built factories in Mexico because they can pay their workers less
16. Mexico’s colonial history can easily be seen in the cities and towns of central Mexico
17. Northern Mexico is probably most affected by American culture because it is geographically close to the U.S.
18. Considered the first leader of the Mexican Independence movement against Spain. Fr. Miguel Hidalgo
19. The first Mexican president of Indian heritage. Benito Juarez
20. Considered the “Father of the Mexican Revolution.” Francisco Madero
21. A Catholic priest who became the second leader of the Mexican Independence movement against Spain.
Fr. Jose Maria Morelos
22. A person of mixed European and Indian ancestry. mestizo
23. A person of mixed European and African ancestry. mulatto
24. A person of pure Spanish parents born in New Spain (Mexico). criollo
25. Which island group lies in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Florida? Bahamas
26. Economic development of Central America is limited because it has few energy resources.
27. An export of the Amazon Rain Forest is timber.
28. What is the official language of most Central American countries? Spanish
29. Ideas of independence in the Americas were sparked by a slave revolt in Haiti.
30. Major crop production of South America includes coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton.
31. In the 1500s, most of the Americas were claimed by Spain.
32. The poorest country in the Americas and Caribbean is Haiti.
33. Central American Indians and enslaved Africans were forced to work: on plantations and mines.
34. When Columbus discovered America, he actually landed in: the Caribbean Islands
35. The first permanent European settlement in the Western Hemisphere was: Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo).
36. The countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of: Hispaniola.
37. A conflict between two or more groups within a country. Civil war
38. Someone who flees to another country, usually for political or economic reasons. refugee
39. A regional variety of a language. dialect
40. The practice of using an area's natural environment to attract tourists. ecotourism
41. The percentage of the adult population that is able to read and write. Literacy rate
42. A group or chain of islands. archipelago
43. Land surrounded on three sides by water. island
44. A narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas. isthmus
45. A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water. strait
46. The total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year, divided by the number of people
in the country (“average income per person”). GDP (gross domestic product) per capita
47. A grouping based on a common cultural heritage, distinguished by customs, nationality, or race. ethnicity
48. The primary sector of the economy; includes farming, fishing, and mining. Agriculture industry
49. The secondary sector of the economy; includes factories that create products. Manufacturing industry
50. The tertiary sector of the economy; includes teachers, managers, and other service providers. Service industry
Unit Study Guide: Latin America Social Studies 6
Applying Geography Skills: Map Reading
51. The island group closest to South America is the:
52. The island nation farthest from South America is the:
53. Which island nation labeled on the map is closest to South America?
54. Which Central American country has no coast on the Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean?
55. Which of these conclusions is best supported by the information on the graph below?
56. Which of the categories has approximately 450-500 species according to the biodiversity graph?
57. Choose the best reason that explains why flowering plants are drawn larger than birds on the diagram.
58. Calculate the percentage of the world's bananas that comes from the four Latin American countries of Ecuador,
Costa Rica, Columbia, and Guatemala.
59. Identify the two climate zones that are found in all four of these Latin American countries.
60. Which climate seems best suited for growing bananas?