 | Term | Definition |
| |
Llanos |
plains region of eastern Colombia and western Venezuela |
| |
Pampas |
the vast grassy plains of northern Argentina |
| |
El Nino |
(oceanography) a warm ocean current that flows along the equator from the date line and south off the coast of Ecuador at Christmas time |
| |
La Nina |
An ocean and weather pattern that causes the eastern Pacific Ocean to be colder than normal |
| |
Tepuis |
A chain of high plateaus in the Guinea Highlands |
| |
Tree Line |
The line of elevation above which trees do not grow |
| |
Tar Sands |
Rock or sand layers that contain oils |
| |
Andes |
a mountain range in South America running 5000 miles along the Pacific coast |
| |
Chibcha |
Early people of the Columbian Andes who developed gold-working skills |
| |
Inca |
Founders of South America's greatest early civilization |
| |
Latifundia |
Large estates in Sounth America |
| |
Buffer State |
a small neutral state between two more powerful countries |
| |
Llaneros |
cowboys of the Venezuelan plains |
| |
Gauchos |
Argentine cowboys |
| |
Coup |
A change of government caused by a group taking control by force |
| |
Manioc |
Tropical plant with starchy roots |
| |
Portuguese |
the Romance language spoken in Portugal and Brazil |
| |
Favelas |
large slums in urban areas of Brazil |
| |
Terrorism |
The use of fear and violence as a political force |
| |
Mercosur |
South American organization whose purpose is to expand trade, improve transportation, and reduce tariffs among member countries |
| |
Minifundia |
Small South American farms created when large colonial estates break up. |
| |
Landlocked |
Having no coast on the ocean |
| |
Amazon Basin |
the home of the world's largest tropical rainforests, runs along the Amazon river |
| |
Lake Titicaca |
the lake between Bolivia and Peru; highest lake in the world on which ships can travel |
| |
Lake Maracaibo |
the lake that the Europeans landed at first; oil |
| Add or remove terms from this set |
