Places Flashcards
Colombia
northernmost country in S.A. Andes mountains. 1501, Rodrigo de Bastidas first European to arrive. Spaniards cononized it Nueva Granada. 1821, Republica de la Gran Colombia. 1830, got its present borders.
Economy based on agriculture, exports of coffee, corn, rice, sugar, cotton, and bananas.
Capital- Santa Fe de Bogota
Currency- Colombian peso
Ecuador
Indian tribes conquered by the Incas. Center of Incan empire in Quito.
Economy based on agriculture, largest exporter of bananas. Oil also important.
Capital- Quito
Currency- US Dollar
Venezuela
Arawaks and Caribes inhabited the area in Pre-Colombian times. Caracas founded in 1567. Exports of cocoa. Independence in 1811.
Economy based on oil and its products.
Capital- Caracas
Currency- the Bolivar
Uruguay
Charrúas inhabited in pre-colombian times. Sebastián Gaboto founded 1st settlement in 1527. Uruguay established as state in 1825.
Capital- Montevideo
Currency- Uruguayan peso
Argentina
Tehuelche and Mapuche inhabitants Pre-Colombian. 1516 Juan Díaz de Solís arrived. 1536 Buenos Aires founded. Independence in 1816.
Economy based on livestock and oil.
Capital- Buenos Aires
Currency- Argentine peso
Bolivia
Land-locked. Pukina and Aymara inhabitants Pre-Colombian. 1530 Europeans arrived. 1825 Bolíar declared independence.
Capitals- Constitutional capital is Sucre. Administrative capital and seat of government is La Paz.
Currency- the boliviano
Paraguay
River Paraguay divides country into east and west. Landlocked. Chané, Agacé, and Guaraní inhabitants Pre-Colombian. 1524 Alejo García arrived. 1830 Declared its independence. Official languages are Spanish and Guaraní.
Capital- Asunción
Currency- guaraní
Peru
Machu Picchu. Inca empire. 1820, José de San Martín declared independence. Official languages are Spanish and Quechua.
Economy based on agriculture.
Capital- Lima
Currency- the sol
Chile
Atacama Desert in the north. Incas. 1818 Bernando and José declared independence.
Economy based on agriculture. Also vineyards and exports of wine and tourism.
Capital- Santiago
Currency- Chilean peso
Antilles
Archipelago (group of islands) in Caribbean Sea. Greater archipelago includes Cuba, Dom Rep, Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Lesser Antilles are Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Granada, Trinidad, etc. Pre-Colombian inhabited by the Arawak and the Caribe. First land Colón stepped foot on in 1492. Sugar production and slavery flourished. Influence of Africa.
Panama
Pre-Colombian inhabitants of Chocó, Chibcha, and the Caribe. 1513 known as Castilla de Oro or Tierra Firme. 1821 Became part of Colombia.
Capital is Ciudad de Panamá
Currency is the balboa.
Dominican Republic
Pre-Colombian inhabitants of Taino and the Arawak. Spaniards lost island to French then recovered it. Independence declared in 1844.
Capital- Santo Domingo
Currency- Dominican peso
Cuba
Taino, Guanajatabey, and Ciboney indegenous groups. Cuba and Puerto Rico were last Spanish colonies in the new world. 1891 Cuba occupied by U.S. Dictatorship in 1952, Fidel Castro took control in 1959.
Capital- Havana
Currency- Cuban peso
Puerto Rico
Unincorporated territory of the U.S. Pre-Colombian inhabited by Taino. Ponce de León led conquest of the island. Declared autonomy in 1897. Part of U.S. in 1899.
Capital- San Juan
Currency- US Dollar
Guatemala
Mayans. 1524, conquest of territory. 1821 declared independence.
Economy- agriculture, coffee, sugar cane, bananas.
Capital- Cuidad de Guatemala
Currency- quetzal
El Salvador
Mayans, Pipile. 1524 conquered territory and founded San Salvador. 1841 Declared independence. Civil war from 1977 to 1979. Presidential regime est. 1983.
Economy- coffee
Currency- Salvadoran colón
Costa Rica
Contact area between Mesoamerican cultures of central america and south america. 1848 declared independence.
Economy- agriculture and fishing. Coffee, bananas, pineapple, cocoa are exported.
Capital- San José
Currency- Costa Rican colón
Honduras
Mayans, 1838 seceded and became independent. Main export is bananas. Coffe, corn, and tobacco.
Capital- Tegucigalpa
Currency- Lempira
Nicaragua
Nahuas inhabitants in Pre-Colombian. 1838 Declared its independence. First state to do so.
Economy- agriculture. Exports cotton, coffee, sugar, and bananas.
Capital- Managua
Currency- Córdoba
Mexico
Official name- Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Territory 3x that of Texas. Aztecs in center, Mayans in South, Chimichecas in north. 1821 declared independence from Spain.
Economy- agriculture, industry, mining, tourism.
Capital- Ciudad de México/ D.F.
Currency- Mexican peso
Spain
in Iberian Peninsula, 50 provinces. 5 main rivers are Ebro, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, and Guadalquivir. Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque.
Capital- Madrid
Currency- Euro
Spanish territories
the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and Melilla and Ceuta.
