What are the four land areas that make up Latin America?
Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America
What two European countries colonized most of Latin America?
Spain and Portugal
What is the language most commonly spoken in modern Latin America?
Spanish
What two oceans surround Latin America?
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
What physical feature caused by the movement of tectonic plates is
common in Mexico and Central America?
volcanoes
Where do most of the islands in the Caribbean come from?
volcanoes and coral reefs
According to the CIA World Factbook, how many countries does the US
recognize in the Caribbean?
13
What is the longest mountain range in the world?
the Andes Mountains
By volume, what is the largest river in the world?
the Amazon River
What mountain range is located on along the western edge of South America?
the Andes Mountains
Where is the source of the Amazon River?
the Andes Mountains in Peru
What is the world�s largest rodent (found in South America)?
the capibara
What is the world�s largest snake (found in South America)?
the anaconda
What human feature were the Maya known for building?
stone pyramids
Where did the Maya people live?
in the jungle areas of Mexico and Central America
What was the 365-day Mayan calendar based on?
the sun
What do we call the picture-like writing symbols used by the Maya?
Hieroglyphs or glyphs
What type of agriculture were the Maya know for using?
slash and burn
What modern country did the Aztec Civilization once flourish in?
Mexico
What was the capital of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlan
What European country conquered the Aztec Empire?
Spain
What kind of food did the Aztecs grow?
maize (corn), chilies, beans, squash, tomatoes, avocados
What mountains did the Inca Empire exist in?
Andes Mountains
What name did the Inca use for their head of state (king)?
Sapa Inca
Who did all Inca�s work for?
the Sapa Inca
How did Inca�s pay taxes?
with labor
What did Inca�s do to their rope bridges if enemies chased them?
burned it down
Who was the Spanish conquistador that led the defeat of the Aztecs?
Hernan Cortes
Who was the Aztec Emperor imprisoned and eventually conquered by the Spanish?
Montezuma II
What European disease killed many native people of the Americas?
smallpox
What did the Spanish call the territory of Mexico?
New Spain
What is the modern capital of Mexico?
Mexico City
What animals did the Spanish bring to the Americas?
horses, cattle, sheep, pigs
What new religion did the Spanish bring to Mexico (and all of their colonies)?
Christianity / Catholicism
What was the name of the system in New Spain that allowed Spanish men
to oversee Native American villages and force villagers to pay tribute
in the form of goods, money or labor?
Encomienda System
What was the name of the priest who was executed for trying to help
Native Americans of Mexico gain back their independence from Spain?
Father Hidalgo
What large U.S. state used to be a part of Mexico?
Texas
What war did the United States fight with Mexico in 1846?
The Mexican War
What bittersweet savory food did the Aztecs introduce the Spanish to?
Chocolate
On what holiday do the people Mexico celebrate their resilience,
freedom and the idea of democracy?
Cinco de Mayo