|
 debt for nature swap | Private interest paying a country's debt in exchange for saving rain forest |
| Favelas | area of extreme poor conditions and slums, usually found in Brazilian cities |
| deforestation | cutting down and clearing of rain forest |
| Tourism | boosting the economy of the Caribbean |
| llanos | areas of plains in Colombia and Venezuela |
| Pampas | areas of plains in Argentina |
| Maquiladoras | factories along the US and Mexico borders |
| Terraced farming | farming method used in mountainous areas to stop erosion, found in the Andean region |
| Informal economy | an unofficial job where people make money, but it is not reported to the government |
| Cape Horn | The southern tip of South America |
| Andes Mountains | The mountain range that runs down the western side of South America |
| Amazon River | The massive river of South America that starts in the Andes and runs eastward to Atlantic |
| Slash and Burn | Technique of clearing the lands for farming found in areas around Latin America |
| Brazil | Country with the most rain forest |
| Infrastructure | The cities sewers, roads, electricity, and housing |
| Maya | Ancient civilization of Mexico, located around the Yucatan Peninsula. Disappeared without reason. |
| NAFTA | North America Free Trade Agreement |
| Treaty of Tordesillas | Treaty that established the line of demaracation in 1494, between Portugal and Spain |
| Oligarchy | Rule by a few powerful individuals |
| Mestizo | Mix of native and European descent |
| Roman Catholic | Religion found most frequently in Latin America |
| Spanish | Language found most frequently in Latin America |
| Cultural Hearth | Area of origin or beginning |
| Columbian Exchange | Exchange of goods, foods, diseases, and people between the old world and new world |
| Cortez | Conquered the Aztecs in 1500s |
| Pizarro | Conquered the Inca in 1500s |
| Panama Canal | Waterway built in early 1900s to shorten the travel and increase trade |
| Strait of Magellan | Water route found by Magellan at the tip of South America during his voyage around the globe |
| Tropics | Area around equator to 23 degrees north or south |
| literacy | ability to read and write |
| infant mortality rate | the number of infants that die before age 1 per 1000 during a given year |
| Population density | the number of people per square mile |
| Carnival | Massive festival in Brazil |
| Reggae | Music genre found in Jamaica |
| free-market economy | an economic system in which decisions on the three key economic questions are based on voluntary exchange in markets |
| What groups influenced Latin American culture? | African, Portuguese and Native people |
| Main Religion of Latin America | Roman Catholic |
| Democracy | a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them |
| Regions of the US | West, Northeast, South and Mid-west |
| Buddism | teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct, wisdom, and meditation releases one from desire, suffering, and rebirth |
| Judaism | The first monotheistic religion - guided by the Hebrew Bible called the Torah. |
| Islam | based on the teachings of Muhammad as laid down in the Koran. Youngest of major world religions |
| Hinduism | a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and characterized by a belief in reincarnation and oldest of world religions |
| Christianity | the Christian religion founded on the teachings of Jesus |
| Monarchy | an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority |
| Dictatorship | power is concentrated in a small group or even a single person |
| Amazon Rainforest | the largest rain forest in the world, located in South America mainly in Brazil |
| Inca | Largest and most powerful Andean empire. Controlled the Pacific coast of South America from Ecuador to Chile |