P HYSICAL G EOGRAPHY (MCC, SA),
A MAZON R AINFOREST
1.What are three key features of the Amazon River?
It contains 20% of the world’s fresh water.
It is an important trade route into inland South
America.
It creates fertile land when it floods.
2. What two countries are landlocked?
Bolivia and Paraguay
3. What country is currently the leading producer of
coffee?
Brazil
P HYSICAL G EOGRAPHY (MCC,
SA), A MAZON R AINFOREST
4. What is Venezuela’s most important natural resource?

Oil
5. What three things affect where people live and work?

Location, climate and natural resources
6. Why is air pollution a major issue in Mexico City?

Sierra Madre Mountains block the pollution from leaving
the Plateau of Mexico

Overpopulation and industrialization have increased the
amount of pollution produced

The wind patterns are not strong enough to push the
pollution away from Mexico City
P HYSICAL G EOGRAPHY (MCC,
SA), A MAZON R AINFOREST
7. What is a leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon
rainforest?
Cattle ranching
8. What are three major problems related to oil in Venezuela?
Deforestation, Oil spills, Air pollution
9. Where do most people choose to live in Cuba, Brazil and
Venezuela?
Urban Areas
10. What is Mexico City’s major environmental problem?
Acid Rain/Air pollution
C OLONIZATION AND
I NDEPENDENCE
11. How is Spain’s influence still seen in the countries
once colonized by Spain?

Most of the people in these countries are Roman
Catholic

Most of the people speak Spanish
12. What were three major areas that were impacted by
the Columbian Exchange?

Decline of Indigenous populations

Introduction of new crops to Europe and the
Americas

Introduction of the horse to Latin America
C OLONIZATION AND
I NDEPENDENCE
13
. Why were the African slaves utilized in the Latin
American colonies?
Work on plantations in the colonies – replace the
native slaves after they died
14. What are two key facts concerning Miguel Hidalgo?
He was the Father of Mexican Independence and a
Criollo priest
15. Haiti was the first Latin American country to
accomplish what two things?
It had a successful slave revolt and gained
Independence in Latin America
C OLONIZATION AND
I NDEPENDENCE
16.Which colonial power controlled Haiti prior to its
independence?
France
17. Which is the only Latin American colony that gained
independence without a fight?
Brazil
18. What were three major facts describing Simon Bolivar?


George Washington of South America

Venezuelan criollo who fought for independence

Bolivia was named after him
C OLONIZATION AND
I NDEPENDENCE
19. Latin America is ethnically diverse because of a
blending of which ethnic groups?

Indigenous Americans, Europeans, and
Africans
20. Which group of individuals was primarily
responsible for leading the independence
movements in Latin America?

Criollos
A ZTEC , I NCA
21. Which Spanish conquistador conquered the Aztec
Empire?

Hernando Cortes
22. Who was the Inca emperor when the Spanish
arrived?

Atahualpa
23. Who was the Aztec emperor when the Spanish
arrived?

Montezuma
A ZTEC , I NCA
24. What system did the Inca utilize in
order to farm in the Andes
Mountains?

Terraces
25. Where were the Aztec and Inca
empires located?

Aztec – Mexico

Inca – South America
A ZTEC , I NCA
26. In the 1500’s, the Incan civilization was conquered by
Spanish soldiers were led by whom?

Francisco Pizarro
27. Why were the Aztec and Inca empires so easily
conquered by the Spanish conquistadores?

European Diseases

Horses

Advanced Weapons
C UBAN R EVOLUTION ,
Z APATISTAS
28. Who were the two key individuals associated with
the Cuban Revolution?

Castro and Batista
29. What was a lasting impact of the Cuban Revolution?

Less political freedom for Cubans
30. Which country helped Cuba develop as a communist
country after the Cuban Revolution?

Soviet Union
C UBAN R EVOLUTION ,
Z APATISTAS
31. Describe the location, purpose and concerns of the
Zapatistas.

Based in the Chiapas region of Mexico

Desired more economic rights for the poor

Felt NAFTA would force poor Mexican farmers out of
business
32. What were the 3 political reforms that resulted from the
Zapatista movement?

Improvements in housing and education

Fair division of land

Representation in the national legislature
E CONOMICS
33. Who are the members of NAFTA?

US, Canada, and Mexico
34. What was the primary purpose in the creation of
NAFTA?

Increase trade between the member countries by
creating a large free-trade zone
35. What type of economy is typical in a communist
country?

Command -- they have less political freedom
E CONOMICS
36. In a mixed economy, how are prices and wages
determined?

Supply and demand as well as individual business
owners
37. When would each of the following types of trade barriers
be used?

Tariff – protect domestic products by issuing a tax on
imported goods

Quota – to limit the number of imports to protect
domestic industry

Embargo – stops all trade typically for political
reasons – usually during a time of war
E CONOMICS
38. What is specialization?

Where a factory focuses on producing one or two
goods and leaves the rest for another factory
39. What is the advantage of specialization?

A factory can produce more goods in less time
and for less money
40. Why is the role of an entrepreneur difficult?

Have to take additional risks and the business
might fail
E CONOMICS
41. What are the four categories when
discussing the factors of production?

Land, Labor, Capital, Entrepreneurs
42. How does a country’s literacy rate impact its
gross domestic product?

The higher the literacy rate the greater
the GDP
G OVERNMENT
43. What is the difference between a presidential and
parliamentary system of government?

Presidential – executive branch is separate from
the legislature, system of checks and balances

Parliamentary – prime minister is chosen from
the legislature, PM is not directly elected by the
voters
44. How are the voting rights of individual citizens
impacted in a dictatorship?

Rights are limited and controlled by the
government
G OVERNMENT
45. Explain the main idea behind a federal system of
government. (Federation)

A union of self-governing states which are joined
together by a central government
46. One way that Mexico’s government is different from
the U.S. government is that . . .

President can only serve one 6-year term in office
47. One way that Brazil’s government is different from the
U.S. government is that it . . .

Requires citizens 18-70 years old to vote