Mexico Flashcards
Peninsula
A price of land surrounded by three sides of water
Baja California
A peninsula in Mexico that stretches in the Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
A large gulf (body of water) of the southeastern coast of North America.
Yucatán peninsula
A large peninsula that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico.
Sierra madre.
“Mother range”, the chief mountain range in Mexico.
Empires
land with different territories and people under a single ruler.
Mestizos
A person of mixed European and Indian ancestors.
Missions
Church outposts
Miguel hidalgo
Catholic priest who lead a revolt against Spanish rule around 1810.
Haciendas
A huge expanse of farm or ranch land granted to the favored people of Spanish ancestry.
Benito Juarez
The first president with Indian ancestry.
Inflation
The rise in prices that occur when currency loses it’s buying power.
Slash-and-burn agriculture
The practice of burning forests in order to clear land for planting.
Cash crop
A crop that farmers grow mainly to sell for a profit.
Mexico City
The capital of Mexico
Vicente Fox
Elected in 2000, the first president to represent a different political party in 71 years
Smog
A mixture of fog, smoke, and chemicals
Maquiladoras
US or other foreign-owned factories in Mexico
What are the early cultures in Mexico? When did they start and end?
Olmec- 1500bc
The maya- AD 250-900
The Aztec- 1325-1521
How many distinct culture regions does Mexico have?
Four
Trucks bring cash crops from Mexico to…
United States
The border between Mexico and Texas is…
Rio bravo/ rio grande
How many cities are part of Mexico City?
50
Mexico two peninsulas are…
Baja California and Yucatán peninsula
What civilization do the scholars not know why it crashed so suddenly?
The Maya
In 1521 Hernán Cortés claimed land for…
Spain
What method did many farmers use to clear land for planting?
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Rio bravo
Mexican name for the river known as the rio grande in the United States; forms a border between Mexico and Texas
What are some cash crops in Mexico?
Sugarcane and coffee
What lies in Mexico along the border of The United States?
The fastest growing industrial centers.
Mexico’s coastal resorts along with Aztec and maya monuments attract many what?
Tourists
Why do most Mexicans speak Spanish?
Spa oars came and claimed Mexico. They were a big influence.
Priests taught natives Spanish at church outposts called…
Missions
Mayans studied what? Mayans developed what?
Stars, a detailed calendar
To whom did the Spanish monarch grant haciendas?
People of Spanish ancestry.
When, approximately, do the Mayan civilization collapse?
900 AD
In what part of Mexico are Indian languages most common?
Southern Mexico.
Where did the Olmec live?
Southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the vegetation like in northern Mexico?
There isn’t much much vegetation, the land is too dry.
What is the climate like in Mexico’s mountain valleys?
Mild climate
What were Mexico’s most valuable resources before oil?
Minerals like gold and silver.
What is the pollution problem in Mexico City?
Smog
