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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Andes Mountains
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large system of mountain ranges that runs through the western portion of Central and South America.
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llanos
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vast grassy, treeless plains of Colombia and Venezuela
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cerrado
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savannas found in Brazil with flat terrain and moderate rainfall suitable for farming
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pampas
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plains of grasslands and rich soil found in northern Argentina and Uruguay
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Orinoco River
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river in the northern part of S. America; runs through Venezuela
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Amazon River
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4000 mile long river that flows from the Andes to the Atlantic. It carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world.
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Paraná River
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flows from southern Brazil through Paraguay and Argentina, emptying into the Atlantic at the Río de la Plata estuary.
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rain forest
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dense forests made up of different species of trees; located in a tropical wet climate
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slash-and-burn
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method of clearing a field that involves cutting trees, brush and grasses, and burning the debris
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terraced farming
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ancient technique for growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes by cutting step-like fields into the slopes
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push factors
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factors that push people to leave rural areas, including poor medical care, poor education, low-paying jobs, and ownership of the land by a few rich people
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pull factors
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factors that pull people toward cities, including higher-paying jobs, better schools, and better medical care
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infrastructure
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facilities needed in cities, such as sewers, transportation, electricity and housing
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Tenochtitlán
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Aztec city near the site of Mexico city
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Spanish conquest
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in 1519, Hernando Cortés from Spain conquered the Aztecs in Mexico
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Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
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political party that controlled Mexico for 71 years, from 1929 to 2000
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mestizo
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people of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage
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maquiladoras
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factories in Mexico that assemble imported materials into finished products for export, mostly to the US
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NAFTA
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North American Free Trade Agreement – Mexico, US and Canada - trade and economic agreement that encourages a zone of cooperation
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cultural hearth
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heartland or place of origin of a major culture
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United Provinces of Central America
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region of Central America that declared its independence from Mexico in 1823; later split into separate nations
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Panama Canal
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man-made canal that cuts through the land bridge to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, facilitating the exchange of both goods and ideas
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calypso
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music originated in Trinidad that includes elements from Africa, Spain and the Caribbean; songs frequently include steel drums and guitars and improvised lyrics
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reggae
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music style developed in Jamaica; many reggae songs deal with social problems and religion
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informal economy
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jobs that take place outside official channels, without benefits or protection for workers
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Inca
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advanced civilization from the Andes Mountains of Peru; in 1500, the Inca empire extended 2500 miles along the west coast of S. America
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Mercosur
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economic common market of S. America, which encourages a free-trade zone among member nations
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Quechua
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language of the Inca, which, although overshadowed by the Spanish, still is spoken today by native peoples
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Treaty of Tordesillas
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treaty between Portugal and Spain in 1494 that resulted in Portugal control over present-day Brazil
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Carnival
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colorful feast day with costumes and floats in Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro (corresponds with Mardi Gras in US and Europe)
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samba
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Brazilian dance
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capoeira
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martial art and dance that developed in Brazil from African origins
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biodiversity
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wide range of plant and
animal species; the rainforest is known for its biodiversity |
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deforestation
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cutting down and clearing away of trees
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global warming
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the rising of the atmosphere’s temperature and the associated changing of weather patterns caused by carbon dioxide buildup
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debt-for-nature swap
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paying governments to preserve their forests.
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oligarchy
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government by a few persons
or a small group |
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caudillo
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military dictator or political boss (e.g. Juan Perón in Argentina)
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junta
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government run by the generals
after a military takeover |
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land reform
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breaking up large landholdings and giving portions of the land to land-poor peasant farmers
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