Culture and Context: Latin America Flashcards
1
Q
The Aztecs
A
- Inhabited central Mexico
- Most powerful group in Mesoamerica before the arrival of Cortés
- The Aztecs and Mexicas are two groups
- Best known leaders: Montezuma I, Montezuma II
- Capital: Tenochtitlan
- Highly developed, multi-class society
- Believed in daily sacrifice of the human heart so that the sun would shine
- Quetzalcoatl: the god of life; Tezcatlipoca: the god of sorcerers and young warriors; Huitzilopochtli: the god of war and the sun; Tlalok: the god of the rain; Coatlicue: the mother goddess
- Language: Náhuatl
2
Q
The Mayans
A
- One of three most important indigenous groups of the pre-Columbian world
- Inhabited Yucatán in Mexico, Honduras, Belize
- Arithmetic, calendar, hieroglyphic writing
- The Popol Vuh: Mayan literary work
- Historic Mayan sites: Palenque, Copán, Tikal, Uxmal, Chichen Itzá
- Human sacrifice to appease the gods
- Itzamná: the supreme god; Kinich Ahau: the sun; Txchil: the moon; Chac: the rain
- Language: Mayan
3
Q
The Incas
A
- Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile
- Social structure based on ayllu or clans
- Communal agriculture
- Used violence to control their subjects
- Famous Inca sites: Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Pisac
- Inti: the sun god; Viracocha: the supreme god;
- Not as advanced as the Aztecs and Mayans insofar as art
- Language: Quechua, still spoken in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador
- Child and virgin sacrifice based on the agricultural cycle
4
Q
Mexico
A
- Estados Unidos Mexicanos
- Borders Guatemala and Belize to the south
- 3x the size of Texas
- Pre-Columbian: Aztecs, center; Mayans, Yucatán; Chimichecas, north
- Hernán Cortés presided as Captain General
- 1821 Independence from Spain
- Agriculture, industry, mining, tourism
5
Q
Venezuela
A
- North of Brazil and east of Columbia, Guyana is to its east, Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean are to its north
- The Arawaks and Caribes inhabited the area in pre-Columbian times
- First European expedition: Alonso the Ojeda and Pedro Alonso Niño
- Caracas founded in 1567, cocoa exports
- Part of the viceroyalty of Nueva Granada
- Audiencia of Caracas was formed in 1786
- 1812 independence
- Currency: Bolivar
- Petroleum-based economy
6
Q
Ecuador
A
- South of Columbia, east of Peru
- The Pacific Ocean is to its west
- In pre-Columbian times, Indian tribes were conquered by the Incas, whose empire was centered in Quito
- Spaniards arrived in 1527. Conquered by Sebastián de Belacázar in 1533
- Audiencia of Quito founded in 1563
- Incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada
- After turmoil in the 18th and 19th centuries, Ecuador declared its independence from Spain
- Agriculture and especially bananas, petroleum
- Capital Quito; currency: US dollar
7
Q
Nicaragua
A
- Southwest of Honduras and El Salvador
- Borders Costa Rica in the south
- In pre-Columbian times, it was inhabited by the Nahuas and other Indian groups
- In 1522, Gil González Dávila discovered the territory
- In 1524, Francisco Fernández de Córdoba began its conquest
- In 1527, established under the Audiencia of Guatemala
- In 1824, integrated with Provincias Unidas de Centroamérica
- First state to declare its independence in 1838
- Agriculture: cotton, coffee, sugar, and bananas
- Capital: Managua; currency córdoba
8
Q
Puerto Rico
A
- An island of the Greater Antilles, southeast of US
- Inhabited by the Taino in pre-Columbian times
- Cristobal Colón arrived in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas and named it San Juan Bautista
- Ponce de León lead the conquest and it remained under Spanish control until 1898
- Occupied by the US Army
- Became part of the US in 1899 after the Peace of Paris ended the Hispanic-North American war
- In 1950, it was set as an unincorporated US territory
- Capital: San Juan; currency: US dollar
9
Q
Chile
A
- South of Peru, southeast of Bolivia, west of Argentina
- Andes Mtns run through the country
- Atacama Dessert in the north
- Inhabited by the Incas in pre-Columbian times
- Diego de Almagro was the first European to arrive to the territory in 1513
- In 1552 Pedro de Valdivia conquered the area
- In 1778 it was incorporated to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
- After long fights led by Bernardo O’Higgins and José de San Martín, Chile declared its independence from Spain in 1818
- Agricultural economy, vineyards, varied climates promote tourism
- Capital: Santiago; currency: Chilean peso
10
Q
Argentina
A
- South of Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil; Chile to its west
- Inhabited by many indigenous peoples during pre-Columbian times like the Tehuelche and the Mapuche
- In 1516, Juan Díaz de Solís was the first European to arrive at Río de la Plata, and in 1536 Pedro de Mendoz founded Buenos Aires
- Not an important region until Spain established the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776
- Independence from Spain in 1816
- The Andes Mtns run through part of Argentina
- Economy based on livestock and petroleum
- Capital: Buenos Aires; currency: Argentine Peso
11
Q
Central America
A
- Begins in the Tehuantepec Isthmus of Mexico and continues south to Panama
- The Antilles, geographically, are part of SA
- Gauatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama form the region
- Under control of the Audiencia de Guatemala in colonial times
- Belonged to Provincias Unidas de Centroamérica for a few months before sovereignty
- The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
12
Q
Panama
A
- North of Colombia and furthest south in SA
- Inhabited by the Chocó, the Chibcha, and the Caribe in pre-Colombian times
- In 1501 Rodrigo de Bastidas y Colón was the first European to arrive in Panama
- From 1513-1535, it was known as Castilla de Oro or Tierra Firme; later incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru and Nueva Granada
- In 1821, it became part of Colombia
- Int’l enterprises have expanded into Panama due to the US
- Capital: Ciudad de Panamá; currency: balboa
13
Q
Costa Rica
A
- Located between Nicaragua and Panama in CA
- In pre-Colombian times, contact area between the Mesoamerican cultures of of the south of CA and those in the north of SA
- In 1523 the expedition of Gil González Dávila marked the first Euros to do so
- In 1523, Francisco Fernández de Córdoba began the conquest of the region
- Later it was under control of Audiencia de Guatemala
- Incorporated into the Provincias Unidas de Centroamérica in 1823
- 1848 independence
- Agriculture, fishing, coffee, bananas, pineapple, cocoa
- Capital: San José; currency: Costa Rican colón
14
Q
Cuba
A
- One of the islands of the Greater Antilles
- South of FL and west of the Bahamas
- Indigenous groups: Taino, Guanajatabey, Ciboney
- In 1511, Diego Velásquez began the conquest of the island
- Was the last Spanish New-World colony along with PR
- In 1891, Cuba was occupied by the US
- In 1952, Fulgencia Batista est a dictatorship
- In 1959 Fidel Castro took control of the country
- Capital: Havana; currency: Cuban peso
15
Q
Paraguay
A
- In SA to the S of Bolivia and E of Argentina
- The Paraguay River divides the country into E & W
- No ocean access
- In pre-Colombian times, Chané, Agacé, and Guaraní inhibited the area
- In 1524, Alejo García was the first Euro to to arrive, and in 1525, Pedro de Mendoza began colonization
- Between 1735 and 1756 the Guaranií rebelled against the Spaniards
- In 1777 it was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata
- Paraguay fought against Spain and Argentina, and in 1830 declared its independence
- Languages: Spanish and Guaraní
- Capital: Asunción; currency: guaraní