Latin America Key Terms Flashcards
Slash-and burn agriculture
Farming method in which trees and other plants on a plot of land are cut down and burned and ash is used for fertilizer
Quetzal
Colorful tropical bird
Hieroglyphic
Symbol that stands for a word, idea, or sound
Basin
Bowl-shaped area
Chinampa
Artificial island built by the Aztecs
Dike
A wall a hold back water
Aqueduct
A canal or pipe that carries fresh water
Conquistador
Conqueror in Spanish; a leader in the Spanish conquests of America, Mexico and Peru in the Sixteenth century.
Encomienda
Right granted by the Spanish government to its American colonists to demand labor or tribute from American Indians
Penisular
In Spanish colonial America, a person born in Spain
Creole
A language that mixes two or more parent languages
Mestizo
In Spanish colonial America, a person of mixed Spanish and American Indian ancestry
Mulatto
In Spanish colonial America, a person of African and European descent
Columbian Exchange
Exchange of people, plants and animals and ideas between the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere
Nationalize
Government taking ownership of a company or industry
Embargo
A complete ban trade with a country
Diaspora
A movement of people from their homeland to other places
Cultural diffusion
The spread of cultural traits from one culture to another
Ecotourism
Tourism that focuses on the environment seeks to minimize environmental impact
Specialization
Act of concentrating on a limited number of goods or activities
Interdependence
The state of people or countries being dependent on one another
Infrastructure
Body of public works, such as roads, bridges, and hospitals, that a country needs to support a modern economy
Cartel
A group of businesses that control an industry
Digital divide
A wide gap in access to the internet
Domesticate
To change the growth of plants or behavior of animals in ways that are useful for humans
Nomad
Person who moves from place to place without a permanent home
Andes
A mountain range that runs along the western edge of South America
Terrace
A strip of level land cut into a mountain slope that is planted with crops
Quipu
Record-keeping device made of knotted strings, used by the Incas
Hierarchy
System for ranking members of a group per their importance
Ayllu
In Incan society, a group of related families that pooled its resources to meet peoples need
Mita system
Incan system of payment of taxes with labor
Line of Demarcation
Line set by the Treaty of Tordesillas dividing the non-European world into two zones, one controlled by Spain and one controlled by Portugal
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treaty signed between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that divided the non-European world between them
Mechanization
Use of machines to do work that had been done by animals or humans
coup
Sudden violent overthrow of government, often by force
Ethnic group
Group of people who share a distinct culture, language, and identity
telenovela
Long serial drama made for television
Diversified
Depending on a variety of exports or products
Privatize
To sell government-owned businesses to private individuals and groups
Literacy rate
A locations rate of people able to read or write
Corruption
Use of power for personal gain
Deforestation
Loss of forest cover that results from so many trees being removed that trees cannot grow back
Free trade zone
Area within which all countries can freely trade with one another
Nongovernmental organization
Group, usually nonprofit, that operates with private funding
