Geography 3 Flashcards
The area of California and New Mexico given by Mexico to the United States in 1848
Mexican Cession
Armed rebellion in which the Mexican people fought for political and social reform
Mexican Revolution
Government taking ownership of a company or industry
Nationalize
What role did Father Jose Morelos play in the fight for Mexican independence?
He wrote a Declaration of Independence and led rebels.
What did the leaders during the early years of Mexican independence want to achieve? Were they successful?
They wanted to create a stable government and no they were not successful.
What was the Mexican Cession?
After Mexico lost the Mexican American war it gave up one-third of its territory. today made up of California and the Southwestern United states
What major benefit did the Mexican Revolution bring to the people of Mexico?
A new constitution was approved that gave more land and writes to the poor and working class.
How did the United States respond to efforts to nationalize industries by Central American governments?
The United States opposed such actions and in some cases backed the overthrow of these governments.
During which decades did economic and political stability return to Mexico and Central America?
During the 1980s and 1990s.
Which two policies of the United States helped bring prosperity to Mexico and Central America?
Free trade and economic investment.
What were the main reasons for the Mexican Revolution?
Widespread poverty and denial of democratic rights.
What characterized most of the governments of the region during the years after independence from Spain?
Instability, dictatorships, and frequent change of government
Government controlled by a single leader
Dictatorship
A complete ban on trade with a country
Embargo
What were the two main groups of American Indians who first inhabited the Caribbean Islands?
Arawak and the Carib.
What crop was the most important to the colonial economy in the Caribbean?
Sugar
What were the three legs of the triangular trade, and what goods were traded on each?
The first leg brought manufactured goods from Europe to Africa. The second leg brought enslaved Africans to the Americas. The third leg brought sugar molasses to Europe.
Which country ruled Haiti at the time of its first fight for independence?
France
What prompted the United States to break away from Fidel Castro?
Castro’s nationalization of US owned property.
How did the government of Cuba change after Fidel Castro took power?
Cuba became a communist dictatorship.
Why did the United States place a trade embargo on Cuba?
It opposed communist Cuba’s policies.
A movement of people from their homeland to other places
diaspora
The spread of cultural traits from one country to another
Cultural diffusion
Large-scale painting painted on a wall
Mural
What decides where most people live in Mexico and Central America?
The location of farmland and job opportunities.
What has helped lead to the recent rise in the population of Mexican cities near the U.S. border?
Job opportunities in this region.
What groups have contributed most to Mexico’s cultural blending?
Mexican Indian and Spanish.
In what way do religious traditions in Guatemala reflect a blending of cultures?
Stories about Maya gods have been recast to be about Catholic saints.
What are some of the positive and negative effects of the Mexican diaspora?
Positive effects are: finding jobs, escaping corruption, seeding money home; Negative effects are: leaving friends and family and making a difficult journey.
Money that people who live in another country send back to families in their home countries
Remittance
Tourism that focuses on the environment and seeks to minimize environmental impact
Ecotourism
Act of concentrating on a limited number of goods or activities
Specialization
The state of people or countries being dependent on one another
Interdependence
What effects did the shift toward democratic government in the 1990s have on countries in the region?
Greater Political stability and economic growth.
What explains the political stability of Costa Rica?
A long tradition of elections and civilian government.
Why do you think Rigoberta Menchu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
Her work helped end violence in her country.
How does Belize’s government differ from those in other Central American countries?
Most central American countries have Presidential democracy but Belize has a Parliamentary democracy led by a Prime Minister with the King or Queen of Britain as head of state.
What type of economy is most common in Mexico and Central America?
Mixed economy
What types of investments are needed to boost economic growth in the region?
Investment, Entrepreneurship, and Human Capital.
What major change did Mexico’s leaders make in the late 1990s to improve the country’s economy?
They moved toward a market economy by loosening government regulations.
What might happen to the Mexican economy if remittances were stopped?
Spending stimulates economic growth so the economy would probably slow down since people would have less money to buy goods and services
What conditions have allowed Costa Rica’s economy to prosper compared to many other Central American nations?
A stable Political situation and high education levels have attacked foreign investment.
What economic barriers does NAFTA limit among its members?
Tariffs, quotas, and embargoes
What is the difference between the roles the governments of Mexico and Panama played in their country’s economics?
Compared to Mexico Panama’s government had a limited role in the country’s economy.
What are some criticisms of free-trade agreements?
Workers in poor countries lose out from free-trade and countries can become too dependent on the economic success of other countries.
Tropical cyclone that forms over the tropical Atlantic Ocean
Hurricane
A language that mixes two or more parent languages
Creole
Cuban religion that combines Catholic and West African beliefs
Santeria
What impact do natural disasters such as hurricanes have on Caribbean Islands?
They bring death and injuries and harm the economy.
How did colonialism and slavery shape the culture of the Caribbean?
Caribbean culture mix elements of the culture’s of past European rulers and enslaved Africans.
What were the four main types of governments in the Caribbean nations?
Presidential Democracy, Constitutional Monarchy, Communists dictatorship, and Parliamentary Democracies
Why has Cuba’s economy performed poorly?
The communist government’s tight control of the economy has discouraged investment and entrepreneurship.
What are the four most important examples of diversity and blending in Caribbean culture?
Languages, religions, art, and food.
Why is tourism so important to the region?
Many country’s economies rely on tourism.
Event marked by mud and earth sliding down hillsides onto lower areas
mudslide
Process by which water, ice, or wind remove rock and soil
erosion
A body of public works, such as roads, bridges, and hospitals, that a country needs to support a modern economy
Infrastructure
A group of businesses that control an industry
Cartel
A wide gap in access to the internet
Digital divide
What natural environmental challenges do all the nations of Middle America face?
Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes
How is deforestation connected to agriculture?
People sometimes clear forests to use the land for farming but this can cause soil erosion.
How have Mexico City officials tried to solve the pollution problem?
They sometimes ban a large number of vehicles from city streets.
What are five of the region’s main economic challenges?
Poverty, Lack of education, Income inequality, Poor Infrastructure, and Crime Corruption.
How does poverty harm a country’s economy?
Poverty limits educational opportunities and dieverts government resources.
How are the causes of mudslides and erosion different?
Earthquakes can cause mudslides. Erosion can result from natural processes or human actions.
What social problems do drug cartels create for countries in Middle America?
Drug cartels are responsible for thousands of murders and other illegal activities.
