Notes

NAFTA- North American Free Trade Agreement, countries make what they're good at, trade for everything else. Helped expand Mexico's trading especially with avocados and Mexican wine but caused loss of many jobs
inland mexican plateau is most densely populated
vertical climate zones- a climate zone that occurs as elevation increases with its own natural vegetation and climate zone
Tierra Caliente- tropical rain forest, between 2,500 ft and sea level, produces bananas, sugarcanes, rice, tropical crops (tropical california)
Tierra Templada- between, 6,000 and 2,500 ft, zone with largest human population, grows largest exported food, (town terrain) sheep, cattle, dairy, vegetables, coffee, corn, and small grains
Tierra Fria- between 12,000 and 6,000 ft, highest zone in central America, barley, grazing, potatoes, dairy operations (frozen terrain)
(caliente tempers fria)
Mexico's climate is influenced by global wind patterns (such as the northeast tradewinds which are responsible for pattern of tropical storms), elevation (vertical climate zones which create temperate or mild climates found throughout the south elevation of highlands, allows various types of farming), and regional high pressure systems which keep north and central parts of Mexico dry and cause droughts, winter is warmer.
with poor infrastructure and the fact that water cannot be replaced in Mexico, it has a problem of water scarcity
Mexico city is a megacity since it has absorbed surrounding towns and smaller cities into the urban sprawl of the dominant city
Deforestation occurs in Mexico because of overpopulation and logging
Cartel- suppliers who aim to maintain prices at a high level and restrict competition
Conquistador- spanish soldier who contested the indigenous people of latin america
Cash crop- farm product grown to be sold rather than used by the farm family
Free Trade Zone- area of a country in which trade restriction doesn't apply
Maquiladora- manufacturing plant owned by a foreign company but is used in Mexico
Shantytowns- a section of a city characterized by shanties and crudely built houses
Primate City- city that dominates a country's economy, culture, and government; population is concentrated
Columbian Exchange- widespread transfer of plants, animals, and other objects between americas and the old world; spread diseases
Isthmus- narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
Latifundia- latin america, large agricultural estates owned by families or corporations
Minifundia- latin america, small farms that produce food for family use
Reforestation- planting young trees in land where trees have been destroyed
Population Pressure- sum of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population
Patios- dialects that blend elements of many diverse languages
outsourcing- lower factors of production, US/Japan have used Mexican employers
Gulf of Mexico has warm water, and oil sources. The pacific ocean is colder.
Yucatan Penninsula had early civilizations like the Mayans
Mexico and Central America are land bridges which joins South and North America
Population of Mexico is growing, equal among the genders
50% of Mexican population lives in poverty
Rapid growth in urban areas creates challenge for Mexico to keep up with basic infrastructures such as proper waste disposal
Christianity is dominant religion
Primary language is spanish
Mexican culture values family with many homes holding 3-4 generations, men are in charge
60% tertiary jobs (tourism), 25% secondary jobs (cars, computers), 24% primary jobs (silver/oil), 4% farming (avocados, onions, limes)
80% Mexican exports go to US/Canada
Isthmus of Panama: diverse and harsh lands such as rainforests, mountains, and coastal lands makes contact between people difficult. Spanish American war involved Cuba, philippines, and america; was where america fought for columbia and aimed to build a canal
Panama Canal- bisects isthmus of Panama, one of the most important human made waterways. Owned by Panama
Central America is hot, tropical along coast; dominant climate is tropical (wet) rainforest, high constant temperature and lots of rain
80% live in highland areas in Central America
most countriess have single primate city, usually the capital
El Salvador is most densely populated country in central america
Spanish is primary language, majority is christian
Families is male lead
Mayans built huge stone cities, were agricultural people, devised a complex and accurate calendar, developed written language based upon symbolic characters, and lived on the Yucatan penninsula
Aztecs were located in Central Mexico, were warriors and gathers, worshipped the sun god and built stone temples to honor him, and conquered other tribes.
Incas were located in the highlands of Peru, were engineers and had an advanced system of roads, developed way to keep financial records and people population, no written language and passed down knowledge through storytelling.
Baja Península is close to gulf of california and is in Mexico, Mexican plateau is most populated in mexico, gulf of mexico is warmer than pacific ocean, Yucatan peninsula is in mexico, Lerma river is an important river to Mexico, Rio Grande River is on Mexican border, Lake Chapala is just as important, Panama canal is very important human made waterway in Panama, Lake Nicaragua and Lake Mangua are important to central america as well.
In the caribbean, the highest population density in Latin America, greatest near cities and ports. Combines small land areas with large populations in small areas cause population pressure. High birth rates, younger population, similar to Mexico's growing population. Many are still developing countries. Primary languages include english, dutch, french, and spanish. Family is full of women, matriarchal. wealth is unevenly distributed in Carribbean and central america. Agriculture employs many workers, large scale growers form cash crops. Has one of highest population growth rates despite economic difficulty and low life expectancy. many people migrate away to escape civil wars, poor economies and instability. Blends many enthinic groups and language. Majority is christian with other religions like islan and hinduism. Education and health care quality varies greatly. art reflects history of europeans and natives. Many countries are developing countries. Ecotourism (tourism towards threatened nature) has grown rapidly along with service and technology industries. It's three distinct belts include pacific lowlands, Caribbean lowlands, and Central Highlands. Isthmus of Panama is another distinctive feature. More than 7,00 islands are part of the central highlands. Lakes and rivers are important to growth, development, transportation, drinking, irrigation, and power. Panama canal is one of the most important human made waterways and allows ships to cut through panama instead of going around south america. Commercial fishing in the caribbean sea has increased international trade.
Central America has a tropical wet climate with rainforests
Caribbean has a tropical wet/dry climate
Central America is affected by elevation which results in vertical climate zones
Nickel, Iron, ore, fish, timber, and oil are important natural resources of central america
Llanos- fertile grasslands found in inland areas of Columbia and Venezuela
Pampas- grassy, treeless plains of southern South America
Escarpment- steep cliff between higher and lower sruface
Oxiosol- weathered soil of humid tropics that is largely depleted of nutrients
Monoculture- growth of a single crop over a wide area for a specific number of years
Favelas- a shantytown specifically in brazil
Galapagos ISlands- archipelago of volcanic islands in the pacific ocean
Machu Picchu- eastern cordillera of southern Peru
MERCOSUR- south american trade bloc
Slash and burn- farming method of cutting and burning plants in an area to create a swidden
Terrace farming- farming on step stair like land
Experiences brain drain (loss of educated workers) to north america and europe
South America has a low population density, Ecuador is most densely populated.
Majority of population lives in urban areas
main language is spanish and portuguese
mainly christian
more than 20% population in primary jobs
brazil is the world's largest coffee exporter
Paraguay is large producer of soybeans
Cordilleras- parallel chains of mountains resulting in development of isolated groups
coastal lowlands rim the Pacific coasts
inland grassland like llanos and pampas provide fertile soil for cattle to graze
Amazon river is South America's longest river and it flows through the amazon basin or rainforest which is home to the most various species on earth.hundreds of smaller rivers join the amazon river and form amazon basin
Pantanal is world's largest tropical wetlands
Lake Maracaibo and Lake titcaca are south america's largest lakes
El Nino affects the climate in South America creates unusually warm ocean currents and has negative effects.
physical geography dictates each country's access to natural resources
Mountains are populous and create obstacles which cause people to live on the coast
Andes Mountainare distinct to south america