Latin America Flashcards
isthmus
narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas
major: isthmus of Panama
basin
area of land drained by a given river & its branches
area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevations
bowl-shaped, formed by erosion(inland sea)
gaucho
Spanish
cowhands employed by ranchers on large estates to drive heads of cattle across pampas
Argentine Pampas Plains
tierra templada
Spanish term for “temperate land”
the middle altitude zone of Latin American highlands climates
broad-leafed evergreen trees @ lower levels & needle-leafed, conebearing evergreens @ upper
crops: coffee, corn, citrus fruit
most densely populated of zones
estuary
an area where the tide meets a river current
where fresh water meets saltwater
inlet by Uruguay fed by Rio de la Plata
in DE, saltwater goes up to Churchmann’s Marsh near I-95, fed by Christina River
cordillera
parallel chains or ranges of mountains
canopy
top layer of rain forest, where the tops of tall trees form a continuous layer of leaves
blocks rain which prevents ground vegetation from being very lush; blocks sunlight which traps heat; rain caught + heat = rapid evap
130ft
hydroelectric power
electrical energy produced by falling water
declining rate of terrain = factor in how forceful the water is
Amazon R = in basin, so water = extra powerful; however, hard to build dam cuz water needs to be rerouted, dam built, & water led back; dam has to survive the force of the returning water
altiplano
Spanish for “high plain”
a region in Peru & Bolivia encircled by the Andes peaks
tierra fria
Spanish term for “cold land”
the highest altitude zone of Latin American highlands climates
frosts common during winter months
crops: potatoes, wheat, apples, barley
escarpment
steep cliff or slope between a higher & lower land surface
eastern coastline of SA filled with bluffs, cliffs, etc.; over time, begin to slope towards coastline -> escarpment
indigenous
native to a certain area
Native Americans (first to settle LA); Maya, Aztec, & Inca
dialect
local form of a language used in a particular place or by a certain group
patois
dialects that blend elements of indigenous, European, African, and Asian languages
Haiti - “Creole”; French, Swahili, some Spanish & English
Am. version of Creole = Cajan
blend of language
megacity
city with more than 10 million ppl
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires (“megalopolis”)
primate city
a city that dominates a country’s economy, culture, and gov’t & in which population is concentrated
usually the capital
if it has an international airport, prob primate
Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires
many began near waterways during colonial era
glyph
pictogram
picture writing carved in stone
transfer message
tell story
chinampas
floating farming islands made by the Aztec
quipu
knotted cords of various lengths & colors used by the Inca to keep financial records
conquistador
Spanish term for “conqueror”, referring to soldiers who conquered Native Americans in Latin America
1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue & others soon followed
brought disease & AA’s as slaves
used guns, germs, & steel to conquer natives; germs most deadly - smallpox wiped out millions
viceroy
representative of the Spanish monarch appointed to enforce laws in colonial Latin America (viceroyalties)
caudillo
a Latin American poltiical leader from the late 1800s on
often a military dictator backed by military forces & wealthy landowners
after Spanish & Portuguese lost control; after freedom
syncretism
a blending of beliefs & practices from different religions into 1 faith
the further from big cities, the biger the blend b/w monotheistic & native beliefs
mural
outdoor wall painting
graffiti = urban mural
