Study Guide for Latin America

Geographic features 1. Caribbean Sea 2. Gulf of Mexico 3. Pacific Ocean 4. Sierra Madre Mountains 5. Panama Canal 6. Atacama Desert 7. Amazon River 8. Andes Mountains

1. Mexico 2. Panama 3. Cuba 4. Haiti 5. Brazil 6. Venezuela 7. Columbia 8. Bolivia

3. One geographic feature that greatly affects Brazil is the Amazon rainforest

4. Panama is part of a region known as Central America

4. What is the Panama Canal? A human-made waterway that allows ships to travel between the pacific and Atlantic Oceans without having to sail around South America

6. What poses the greatest threat to the rain forest in Brazil? Logging in the rainforest

7. A leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is Cattle ranching, growth of cities

8. How do mountains around Mexico City affect air quality? They cause pollutants to linger in the air and create health risks

9. What is a major environmental concern in Mexico? Air pollution in Mexico City

10. The climate in the Caribbean tends to be Tropical

11. Which natural disaster would a citizen of Haiti fear the MOST? Hurricanes

12. In which countries in Latin America would you find the most people? In the large cities : Mexico City

13. Why did Mexico City MOST likely become a heavily populated area? It is located close to a desert

14. What affect do surrounding mountains have on Mexico City? The mountains trap air pollution causing environmental problems

15. Which two countries rely on oil exports to support their economies? Mexico and Venezuela

16. How does the Amazon River affect where people live? Due to isolated regions and high elevations, only a few people live in the Amazon

17. Spain colonized many countries in Latin America 17. Spain colonized many countries in Latin America. How is Spain’s influence still seen in these countries? Architecture Most of these people are Roman Catholic

18. Which Latin America country is only one whose language and culture have been greatly influenced by Portugal, because it was the only colony of Portugal in the region? Brazil

19. Which country has the most significant impact on the language and religion of Latin America? Spain

20. The relationship between literacy and the standard of living in Latin America is The higher the literacy rate, the higher the standard of living