Chapter 3 Terms Flashcards
A narrow strip of land that joints two larger land areas.
isthmus
Native to a particular place or region.
indigenous
The variety of life forms to be found in a given area.
biodiversity
Winds that blow from the northeast to the southeast towards the equator.
trade winds
Periodic climate-altering changes in the circulation of the Pacific Ocean
El Nino
Indigenous people of high-central Mexico noted for their advanced civilization before the Spanish conquest.
Aztecs
Indigenous people who ruled the largest pre-Columbian state in the Americas, with a domain stretching from what is now southern Colombia to northern Chile and Argentina.
Incas
The exchange of goods from the Americas to European countries after Columbus’s voyage.
Columbian exchange
People of mostly European descent, but born in the Americas.
creoles
A ruler who claims absolute authority, governing with little respect for the law or the rights of citizens.
dictator
A military or civilian-led forceful takeover of a government.
coup d’etat
People of mixed European, African, and indigenous descent.
mestizos
