Latin America Flashcards
Where did Europeans in the sixteenth century find a cheap labor source for work in the New World?
West Africa
Why did European colonists look to Africa for a labor source for their plantations and mines?
The previous labor force (indigenous people) had been decimated due to European diseases
- What was Triangular Trade?
The pattern of trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas that included the enslavement of people between 1400 and 1800
- African slaves were brought to Latin America during this time period to do what?
Work on sugar plantations and in mines
- What is an effect of slavery that influences Latin America today?
Many Latin American’s have ancestors from Africa.
- Which two European countries colonized much of Latin America?
Spain and Portugal
- Which Latin American country’s language and culture is greatly influenced by Portugal?
Brazil
- Which religion did Spain and Portugal bring to Latin America?
Roman Catholicism
- What language is the most prevalent in Mexico today? Why?
Spanish–Mexico and most other Latin American countries were conquered by Spain
- Describe Fidel Castro:
Answers will vary; Former lawyer, organized rebel fighters to overthrow Cuba’s leader, exiled for 7 years, dictator of Cuba until his death, brought Communism to Cuba
- What type of government did Castro install in Cuba?
Communist
- List several immediate impacts of the Cuban Revolution:
Land, businesses, & factories became property of the state, churches were closed, media outlets were shut down, individual rights were taken away, etc.
- How did America’s government feel when Cuba aligned itself with the Soviet Union during the Cold War? Explain.
Unhappy, uneasy—Cuba is only 90 miles south of Florida & was friendly with the enemy
- What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Castro allowed Soviet Union to place missiles in Cuba that were directed towards the US, could have led to WWIII
- What economic sanction was a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
US placed an embargo on Cuba
- Where did over 500,000 Cubans flee in order to escape Castro’s harsh policies?
USA
- Describe the relationship between the US and Cuba today:
Some travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba have been lifted, embassies have reopened in both countries, a U.S. president visited Cuba for the first time in 88 years
- List at least 3 factors that lead to a cycle poverty in Latin America:
Limited food and housing resources, lack of jobs, limited educational opportunities, etc.
- How has poverty led to migration out of Latin America?
In order to escape the cycle of poverty, many families leave the region in order to find better economic opportunities in other places (like the US)
- What region of Latin America is known for drug farming, manufacturing, and trafficking?
Andean Region (Colombia, Peru, & Bolivia)
- How has poverty led to drug problems in the region?
People join in on the illegal drug trade in order to make money to provide for their families
- Why has the War on Drugs been unsuccessful?
Government corruption, cartels keep moving around, brutal violence
- What are some reasons why Latin Americans migrate to the US?
Lack of jobs, lack of education opportunities, in search of a better life
