Latin America Today Key Terms Flashcards
Amazon River:
The world’s largest river in terms of volume, located in South America.
Andes Mountains: (G1a)
mountain range in western South America. It stretches approximately 5,000 miles, from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. (G1a)
Atacama Desert:
A plateau in western South America, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. It is considered the driest desert in the world
Autocracy: (CG1b)
A system in which all of the power is held by one person. In this system of government, the ruler has absolute or unlimited power.
Brazil:
The largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. It contains tropical and temperate zones, with timber forests and a large amount of minerals at hand. (G1b, G3b)
Bolivia:
A country located in western South America. It is landlocked, which means that it is not bordered by a body of water. (G1b)
Caribbean:
The area in and around the Caribbean Sea, including its many islands and the coasts of countries bordering that sea. It is located east of southern Central America and north of South America. (G1a)
Confederation:
A group of states or nations that retain most power while granting limited authority to a central government. (CG1a)
Cuba:
An island country located in the Caribbean Sea, south of the tip of Florida. Its climate is tropical, and its natural resources include cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, salt, and petroleum. (G1b, G3b)
Cuban Revolution:
A revolution in Cuba that lasted from 1956 to 1959. It was led by Fidel Castro against the dictatorship that, at that time, controlled the small island country. (H3a)
Democracy:
A system of government in which a nation’s citizens vote for their leaders. (CG1b)
Dictatorship:
A system in which the government is controlled by a single person, known as a dictator. The Republic of Cuba is a dictatorship. (CG2a)
Embargo:
An official ban, usually on trade with another country. Sometimes the ban is on specific goods. (E2b)
Federal-republican system:
A system under which individual states have a republican system of government, while there is a central government known as a federation. The federation is given limited power. Brazil and Mexico are both federal-republican systems. (CG2a)
Federal system:
A system in which individual states share authority with a central government. Examples include Germany and the United States. (CG1a)
Gulf of Mexico:
An Atlantic Ocean region located east of Mexico and south of the United States.
Haiti:
A country on the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies.
Human capital:
The human knowledge, creativity, and habits that contribute to an economy. (E3a)
Latin America:
The countries in the area connecting North and South America. People
Mexico:
A nation bordered by the United States to its north. It is also bordered by four bodies of water: the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Its climate varies between temperate and tropical, and its natural resources include petroleum, silver, copper, and gold. (H3b, G1b, G3a)
Mixed economy:
An economy that is part market economy and part command economy. Most countries have mixed economies. (E1b,c)
North American Free Trade Agreement:
A trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that eliminated most tariffs and trade restrictions on goods and services traded among those countries. (E2c)
Oligarchy:
A system in which a small and powerful group controls the government. (CG4b
Pacific Ocean:
The largest ocean on Earth. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Southern Ocean to the south, Asia and Australia to the west, and North and South America to the east. (G1a)
