Latin America Today Key Terms

Question 1

Amazon River:

Answer 1

The world’s largest river in terms of volume, located in South America.

Question 2

Andes Mountains: (G1a)

Answer 2

mountain range in western South America. It stretches approximately 5,000 miles, from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. (G1a)

Question 3

Atacama Desert:

Answer 3

A plateau in western South America, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. It is considered the driest desert in the world

Question 4

Autocracy: (CG1b)

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Brazil:

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

Bolivia:

Answer 6

A country located in western South America. It is landlocked, which means that it is not bordered by a body of water. (G1b)

Question 7

Caribbean:

Answer 7

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)

Question 8

Confederation:

Answer 8

A group of states or nations that retain most power while granting limited authority to a central government. (CG1a)

Question 9

Cuba:

Answer 9

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)

Question 10

Cuban Revolution:

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

Democracy:

Answer 11

A system of government in which a nation’s citizens vote for their leaders. (CG1b)

Question 12

Dictatorship:

Answer 12

A system in which the government is controlled by a single person, known as a dictator. The Republic of Cuba is a dictatorship. (CG2a)

Question 13

Embargo:

Answer 13

An official ban, usually on trade with another country. Sometimes the ban is on specific goods. (E2b)

Question 14

Federal-republican system:

Answer 14

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)

Question 15

Federal system:

Answer 15

A system in which individual states share authority with a central government. Examples include Germany and the United States. (CG1a)

Question 16

Gulf of Mexico:

Answer 16

An Atlantic Ocean region located east of Mexico and south of the United States.

Question 17

Haiti:

Answer 17

A country on the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies.

Question 18

Human capital:

Answer 18

The human knowledge, creativity, and habits that contribute to an economy. (E3a)

Question 19

Latin America:

Answer 19

The countries in the area connecting North and South America. People

Question 20

Mexico:

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

Mixed economy:

Answer 21

An economy that is part market economy and part command economy. Most countries have mixed economies. (E1b,c)

Question 22

North American Free Trade Agreement:

Answer 22

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)

Question 23

Oligarchy:

Answer 23

A system in which a small and powerful group controls the government. (CG4b

Question 24

Pacific Ocean:

Answer 24

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)

Question 25

Panama: (G1b)

Answer 25

A small country on the Isthmus of Panama. It is the southernmost nation of North America and is known for the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway that connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

Question 26

Parliamentary system of government:

Answer 26

A democratic form of government in which voters choose representatives to a governing body called a parliament. (CG4c, CG1c)

Question 27

Presidential system of government:

Answer 27

A republican form of government in which voters choose a president to lead the executive branch of a government, which is separate from other branches. (G4c, CG1c)

Question 28

Quota:

Answer 28

A limit set on the production of a product. Quotas can be set by governments or industry groups, such as OPEC. The purpose is usually to prevent the price of a product from dropping too steeply and therefore hurting the economy. (E2b)

Question 29

Tariff:

Answer 29

A tax or duty that must be paid on a specific import or export. Tariffs are often used by governments to limit imports from other countries. (E2b)

Question 30

Sierra Madre Mountains:

Answer 30

A Mexican mountain system approximately 1,500 miles in length. (G1a)

Question 31

Unitary system of government:

Answer 31

A system in which an entire country is ruled by a single government. Power is not shared between the central government and smaller states the way that it is in a federal system. (CG1a)

Question 32

Venezuela:

Answer 32

A country in South America located along the southern waters of the Caribbean Sea. The nation’s climate is alpine and tropical. Its natural resources include petroleum, iron ore, nickel, and coal. (G1b, G3a)

Question 33

Zapatista Guerrilla Movement:

Answer 33

A political and military group based in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. Its purpose was to protect rural Mexican indigenous people from economic policies that would negatively impact them. (H3b)