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 | |