Unit 1: Latin American Geography
Study Guide 2015
1.
5 themes of geography (identify and apply to real-world examples):
a. location (2 types)
b. place (2 types)
c. human-environment interaction (3 types)
d. movement (cultural diffusion)
e. region (3 types)
2.
Bodies of water and relative locations: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf
of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of California
3.
Countries, capitals, and relative locations: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican
Republic, Haiti, Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay,
Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana
4.
Landforms and relative locations: Yucatan Peninsula, Andes Mountains,
Hispaniola, Sierra Madre (Occidental and Oriental)
5.
Physical Geography of Latin America (identify and explain its significance)
a.
volcanoes
b.
slash and burn
c.
Tropical Zone
d.
deforestation
e.
Middle America and its sub-regions
f.
Isthmus of Panama
g.
Central America and its countries (also their relative location)
i.
Rivers: Amazon River and Rio Grande River
j.
Caribbean Islands: relative location
k.
Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles
l.
tributaries
6.
Making Geographic Connections to Draw Connections
Review the 3 Activity Maps (Land Use, Population Distribution and
Physical Land) along with your class discussion notes. You will need to
be familiar with the terminology and materials in order to draw
connections and respond to interpretive questions.
6.
Cultural Geography of Latin America (identify and explain its significance):
a.
mestizo
b.
indigenous people
c.
African people
d.
Roman Catholicism
e.
movement to cities
f.
West Indies
g.
Christopher Columbus
h.
ethnic groups of Caribbean
i.
Carnival
j.
Portuguese
k.
subsistence farming
l.
cash crops
m.
gauchos