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Chapter 9 Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Conquistador | Name for the Spanish explorers who claimed land in the Americas for Spain |
| Cultural convergence | The contact and interaction of one culture with another |
| Caudillo | A Latin American military dictator |
| Pampas | A grassland region in Argentina and Uruguay |
| Cay | A small, low island or coral reef |
| Coral | The rock like skeletons of tiny sea animals |
| Tropical storm | A storm with winds of at least 39 miles per hour |
| Hurricane | A destructive tropical storm that forms over the Atlantic Ocean, Usually in late summer and early fall with winds of at least 74 miles per hour |
| El Nino | A warm ocean current off South America's northwestern coast that influences global weather patterns |
| Canopy | The upper most layer of a forest where tree branches meet |
| Mestizo | A person of mixed European and Native American heritage |
| Mulatto | A person of mixed African and European ancestry |
| Volcanoes | A break in Earths crust where magma and other material erupts from Earth interior |
| Rainforests | A type of thick evergreen forest found in areas of heavy rainfall |
| Desert | A geographic region with too little rainfall to support much plant life also a vegetation zone |
| Region | An area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristic that set it apart from other areas |
| Isthmus | A narrow strip of land that links two larger landmasses |
| Landmassess | A very large, unbroken area of land |
| Volcanic islands | An island formed when an underwater volcano builds up enough lava and ash to rise above sea level |
| Plateaus | A raised area of land, such as a hill or mountain with a flat top |
| Basin | A bowl shaped depression or hollow in Earths surface |
| Climates | The pattern of weather over a long period of time |
| Temperate | Moderate or mild, without extremes of hot or cold |
| Arid | Dry or lacking rainfall also a climate or climate zone that hot and dry all year with very little rain |
| Semiarid | Dry with little rainfall also a climate or climate zone with hot dry summers ad cool dry winters |
| Tropical wet and dry | A climate or climate zone that is hot all year with rainy and dry season |
| Ecosystem | A community of all the living things in an area and the environment in which they live |
| Cloud Forest | A type of high altitude tropical forest that is usually covered |
| Hurricanes | The name for a tropical cyclone that begins in the Atlantic Ocean |
| Broadleaf evergreen forest | A vegetation zone of mainly tall trees that remain green all year |
| Desert scrub | A vegetation zone of mainly small trees, bushes and other plants adapted to a dry climate |
| Grasslands | A large open area of country covered with grass |
| Vegetation Zone | A large area of Earth with a certain mix of plants and trees that are adapted to similar conditions |
| Forest floor | The bottom layer or ground of a forest |
| Temperate Grasslands | A vegetation zone of mainly grasses and scattered trees adapted to a tropical wet and dry climate |
| Empire | A group of territories, peoples, or nations ruled by a single authority |
| Dictators | A leader who governs by force without the consent of the people |
| Urban | Found or living in a city |
| Natural Resources | A useful material that is found in nature |
| Economic Activites | Any action that relates to the making, buying and selling of goods and services |
| Livestock raising | Raising animals for food, milk , wool or other products |
| Subsistence farming | Farming carried out mainly to provide food for farm families |
| Barter | Conducting trade by exchanging goods or services instead of money |
| Hydro-electric power | Electricity that is generated from the power of moving water |
| Commercial farming | Raising crops for sale, often on large farms |
| Plantations | A large farm, especially in a hot area |
| Forestry | The planting, growing and harvesting of trees |
| Tourism | Travel for pleasure rather than business or necessity |
| Cultural diffusion | |
| Renaissance | |
| Industrial Revolution | |
| Summit | |
| Prevailing Westerlies | |
| Euro | |
| Compulsory |