South America Today Quizzes Flashcards
The first European explorers came to Brazil from ______
Portugal
Scientists hope to use the rare plants of Amazonia to develop new _________
medicines
True or False
The Jesuits missionaries of Salvador de Bahia enslaved the native population
True
Brasilia, located in the Highlands region of Brazil, is well known for its _________ architecture
futuristic
What natural source would Brazil need to import from other countries?
oil
Iguacu Falls helps Brazil’s economy by _________
attracting tourists
Bolivia’s altiplano region is known _________
to be heavily populated
True or False
Hydrofoils have replaced reed boats as the main carriers of cargo and passengers on Lake Titicaca
True
What has changed the symbol of oppression into a Bolivia symbol of cultural pride?
the bowler hat
The least-populated area of Bolivia is_________
the lowlands
What extreme type of action has tried to stop the democratic government of Bolivia
military coups
What is buried in the cornerstones of most buildings in Bolivia to bring good luck?
a dried llama fetus
What major Bolivian export took the place of silver in the early 1800s?
tin
What makes the highland valleys of Sucre and Cochabamba ideal places to live in Bolivia?
the climate
Some people believe that Tiahuanaco may be the _______ city in the world
oldest
Chile is South America’s _________ country
longest
What has provided upward mobility for many middle-class and some lower-class Chilean citizens?
secondary education
How did Augusto Pinochet become leader of Chile?
though a military coup
True or False
Though Chile grows many of its own vegetables, some must be imported from other countries
False
Empanadas are Chile’s version of ____________
fast food
What does the long coastline allow Chile to be
one of the top ten fishing regions
Why is Puerto Montt so important for travel to the far southern region?
It is impossible to travel the route by land
Why have so many Germans immigrated to the lake district of Chile?
The region has many similarities to their homeland
Though Paraguay and Uruguay are different in many ways, they have similar _____________
landscapes
“Gaucho” is another word for___________
cowboy
Why did the Jesuit priests organize the Guarani Indians into townships?
to protect them from slave traders
Why is nearly 95% of the population of Paraguay mestizo?
Spanish settlers were encouraged to take indian wives
The Itaipu Dam will make Paraguay the world’s leading exporter of_______________
electricity
What is the biggest reason Paraguay is one of South America’s least industrialized nations?
lack of good transportation
Unlike most other Latin American nations, only 66 percent of the people of Uruguay claim to be____________
Roman Catholics
The permanence if institutions in Uruguay is demonstrated by___________
having the longest tradition of democratic government in South America
True or False
The main base of Uruguay’s economy comes from tourism
False
Both Paraguay and Uruguay share a similar economic problem. What is it?
their small size
Peru is located in which region of South America?
the western region
The wooden balconies of Lima’s colonial buildings, several countries old, have not rotted away. What is the reason?
the dry coastline climate
True or False
The Incas built terraces on steep slopes to make it easier to grow crops.
True
Peru’s transportation system is limited by its __________.
geography
What makes Iquitos a unique city in Peru?
It can be reached only by air or water
The Jivaro tribes were popularized in Hollywood movies for their____________.
poison blowguns
Lake Titicaca is the ___________ navigable lake in the world.
highest
In the 1920s, Peru gained a freedom that the United States has always enjoyed. Which freedom is it?
freedom of religion
What fabled “lost city” was the center of the Incan religion?
Machu Picchu
Why does the sun rise and set in Ecuador at six o’clock every day, 365 days a year?
because its on the equator
True or False
Petroleum makes up the bulk of Ecuador’s production and income
False
The southern part of the ___________ region of Ecuador is an arid desert.
Costa
what is slowly forcing the Indians of Ecuador from their native lands?
modern civilization
What is the official language of Ecuador?
Spanish
What features makes it easy to figure out to which tribe an Otovalo Indian belongs?
their hats
Half of Ecuador’s population is employed in______________.
agricultural work
How did Ecuador solve its transportation problem between the Sierra and the Costa?
It built a railroad
The Galapagos Islands inspired Charles Darwin to formulate his theory of_______
evolution
