Term | Definition |
Cordillera | A system or group of parallel mountain ranges together with the intervening plateaus and other features, especially in the Andes or the Rockies. |
Maquiladora | Factory in Mexico that assembles imported materials into finished goods for export. |
Dialect | a version in language that reflects changes in speech patterns due to class, region or cultural changes. |
Slash and Burn | A way of clearing fields for planting by cutting trees, brush, and grasses and burning them. |
Terraced Farming | An ancient technique for growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes, using step-like horizontal fields cut into slopes. |
Cerrado | Savannas with flat terrain and moderate rainfall. |
Indigenous | Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place. |
Junta | a gov't run by generals after a military takeover. |
Caudillo | A military dictator or political boss. |
Estuary | Seaward end of a river, where the rivers currents meets the ocean's tide. |
Land Reform | Breaking up large landholdings to attain a more balanced land distribution among farmers. |
Oligarchy | A gov't run by a few persons or a small group. |
Deforestation | Cutting down and clearing away of trees. |
Debt-for-nature-swap | An organization agrees to pay off a certain amount of gov't debt in return for gov't protection of a certain portion of the rain forest. |
Biodiversity | Variety of organism,s within an ecosystem. |
Capoeira | A martial art dance that developed in Brazil from Angolans who were taken there by the Portuguese from Africa. |
Gaucho | A native cowboy of the South American pampas, usually of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry. |
Treaty of Tordesillas | Between Spain & Portugal in 1494 that gave Portugal control over the land that is present-day Brazil. |
Samba | Brazilian dance with African influence. |
Carnival | Colorful feast in Brazil. |
Pampas | Plains with areas of grassland with rich soil. Found in No. Argentina and Uruguay. |
Quechua | Language of the Inca Empire, now spoken in the Andes Mtns. |
Mercosur | A trading block composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela, with associate members Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. |
Inca | Member of the Quenchen peoples of So. America who built a civilization in the Andes in the 15th & 16th Centuries. |
Llanos | Grassy treeless area in So. America, used for grazing and farming. |
Informal Economy | Outside of officials channels, without benefit or protection of workers. |
Reggae | Music style developed in Jamaica in the 60's and is rooted in African, Caribbean, and American music, often dealing with social problems and religion. |
Calypso | Style of Music that began in Trinidad and combines musical elements from Africa, Spain and the Caribbean. |
Escarpment | a steep slope with a nearly flat plateau on top. |
United Provinces of Cen. Amer. | The name of Central America after the region declared independence of Mexico. |
Mestizo | Population of Spanish and Native American heritage. |
Altiplano | Andean Plateau or Bolivian Plateau, in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest. |
Institutional Revolutionary Party | Introduced in 1929 in Mexico that helped introduce democracy and maintain political stability for much of the 20th century. |
Spanish Conquest | Conquering of Native Americans by the Spanish. |
Tenochtitlan | The ancient Aztec capital, site of present day Mexico City. |