Deck 3: Middle and South America

Question 1

The Aguarico River is located in:

A) Chile.
B) Uruguay.
C) Paraguay.
D) Ecuador.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Middle and South America occupied an advantaged position in global trade after initial contact with Europe.
B) Middle and South America were able to advance economic development within the region with the large profits garnered from supplying Europe and North America with raw materials.
C) The negative environmental impacts of the extractive industries in Middle and South America have largely been ignored.
D) The region of Middle and South America has few natural resources to draw in outside interest.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The continent south of Central America is:

A) Middle America.
B) South America.
C) North America.
D) Eurasia.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The Amazon Basin lies within:

A) Uruguay.
B) Panama.
C) Brazil.
D) Costa Rica.

Question 5

Tropical crops such as bananas and pineapples thrive in:

A) tierra caliente.
B) tierra templada.
C) tierra fria.
D) tierra helada.

Question 6

__________ is found at the southern tip of South America.

A) Turks & Caicos
B) Tierra del Fuego
C) the Tropic of Cancer
D) the Brazilian Highlands

Question 7

Llanos are commonly found in all of the following countries EXCEPT:

A) Brazil.
B) Colombia.
C) Venezuela.
D) Mexico.

Question 8

The mountain chain that extends along the western edge of Middle/South America is known as __________ in Mexico and as __________ in South America.

A) the Appalachians;the Rockies
B) the Montanas;the Tierras
C) the Sierra Madre;the Andes
D) the Andes;the Fuegos

Question 9

The source of the Amazon River is found in:

A) the Andes.
B) Mexico.
C) Texas.
D) the Sierra Madre.

Question 10

What is the name of the tectonic process that has created many of the mountains in Middle and South America?

A) subduction
B) block faulting
C) eustatic rise
D) talusing

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the natural hazards common to this region?

A) hurricanes
B) volcanic eruptions
C) earthquakes
D) blizzards

Question 12

The first U.S.company to establish a major oil development business in Ecuador was:

A) Texaco.
B) Sunoco.
C) Lukoil.
D) BP.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT included in the region known as Middle America?

A) Mexico
B) Central America
C) the Caribbean
D) Colombia

Question 14

Oil revenues make up approximately __________ percent of the Ecuadoran government's budget.

A) 25
B) 40
C) 65
D) 90

Question 15

Which temperature-altitude zone is the highest?

A) tierra caliente
B) tierra templada
C) tierra fria
D) tierra helada

Question 16

Which indigenous group negotiated with Occidental Petroleum over its plans to drill for oil in their native lands?

A) Inca
B) Secoya
C) Aztec
D) Maya

Question 17

The term used to refer to Mexico,Central America,and the islands of the Caribbean is:

A) South America.
B) Latin America.
C) Middle America.
D) MCAC.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a key difference between North America and Middle and South America?

A) Middle and South America are larger than North America.
B) Middle and South America have a more varied environment than North America.
C) Middle and South America have a larger indigenous population than North America.
D) Middle and South America have a less varied level of human well-being than North America.

Question 19

The mountains of the Caribbean were created when the __________ Plate thrust under the eastern edge of the Caribbean Plate.

A) Atlantic
B) Pacific
C) Cocos
D) Nazca

Question 20

The highest point in the Americas is located in:

A) Colorado,USA.
B) Argentina.
C) Venezuela.
D) Brazil.

Question 21

All of the following are threats related to climate change EXCEPT:

A) shortages of clean water.
B) violent storms.
C) solar flares.
D) rising sea levels.

Question 22

In which ocean do trade winds originate?

A) Atlantic
B) Pacific
C) Indian
D) Arctic

Question 23

Tropical rain forests absorb approximately __________ percent of the carbon dioxide added to Earth's atmosphere yearly by human activity.

A) 5
B) 18
C) 33
D) 62

Question 24

What is lowland South America's largest physical feature?

A) the pampas
B) the llanos
C) the Amazon Basin
D) Patagonia

Question 25

It is estimated that the southern tip of South America was first settled about __________ years ago.

A) 15,000
B) 13,000
C) 10,000
D) 8000

Question 26

The El Niño effect reaches its peak around:

A) Christmas.
B) Thanksgiving.
C) Easter.
D) the 4th of July.

Question 27

The world region that receives the most rainfall is:

A) North America.
B) Middle/South America.
C) Europe.
D) Southeast Asia.

Question 28

The highest winds are found __________ a hurricane.

A) at the edges of
B) above
C) in the center of
D) below

Question 29

Which of the following features of the physical environment contributes least to the climate in Middle and South America?

A) ocean currents
B) topography
C) global wind patterns
D) soil type

Question 30

Approximately __________ Earth's remaining rain forests are located in South America.

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half

Question 31

The world's largest industry is:

A) tourism.
B) steel production.
C) agriculture.
D) cattle farming.

Question 32

Shifting cultivation refers to an agricultural system in which:

A) ownership of crops shifts from the people to the government.
B) agricultural plots are harvested and then left for several years to regenerate.
C) agriculture moves from one section of a country to another.
D) men decide to pursue hunting activities and shift crop production to women.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT true of most hurricanes?

A) They originate just south of the equator.
B) They draw their energy from warm surface waters.
C) They dissipate as they move over cooler water or land.
D) They begin as a group of thunderstorms that then coalesce.

Question 34

Which of the following groups is most likely to have first settled in the Middle and South America region?

A) Christian missionaries from Europe
B) hunters and gatherers from Asia via the Bering land bridge
C) boat people from the Pacific Islands
D) explorers from Spain

Question 35

All of the following are contributing to deforestation in Middle/South America EXCEPT for the:

A) clearing of land to raise cattle and cash crops.
B) logging of hardwoods.
C) extraction of minerals and oil.
D) increased volcanic activity in the region.

Question 36

In which temperature-altitude zone are Mexico City and Quito located?

A) tierra caliente
B) tierra templada
C) tierra fria
D) tierra helada

Question 37

A storm becomes a hurricane when winds reach __________ miles per hour.

A) 25
B) 45
C) 65
D) 75

Question 38

All of the following release more greenhouse gases than Brazil into the atmosphere each year EXCEPT for:

A) China.
B) Indonesia.
C) Korea.
D) the United States.

Question 39

How often does El Niño occur?

A) every year
B) every two years
C) every ten years
D) irregularly

Question 40

The world's driest desert is located in:

A) Peru.
B) Chile.
C) Botswana.
D) Zimbabwe.

Question 41

Out of the ruins of the Incan empire,the Spanish created:

A) Argentina.
B) Mexico.
C) Venezuela.
D) Peru.

Question 42

The island that is home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic is:

A) Grenada.
B) Dominica.
C) Hispaniola.
D) Columba.

Question 43

What is the problem with shifting cultivation?

A) It does not make enough food to feed the cultivators.
B) It gluts the market with too much food.
C) It can be done only at high elevations.
D) If the plots are reused before regrowth is complete,yields decrease drastically.

Question 44

In what way was the Spanish conquest of the Incas similar to its conquest of the Aztecs?

A) In both cases,the Native Americans were undernourished.
B) Both conquests were aided by introduced diseases.
C) The Spanish benefited from volcanic eruptions.
D) The Spanish enlisted Mayan hunters as diplomats.

Question 45

All the population centers of Middle/South America had been conquered by the __________.

A) 1330s
B) 1460s
C) 1530s
D) 1740s

Question 46

What city now lies on the ruins of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán?

A) Lima
B) Medellín
C) Mexico City
D) Bogotá

Question 47

Which of the following significantly aided the Spaniards in their defeat of the Aztecs?

A) a smallpox epidemic brought by the Spaniards
B) the release of manufactured poisons into the Aztec water system
C) the miserable living conditions experienced by most in Aztec society
D) the eruption of two volcanoes that destroyed the largest Aztec cities

Question 48

Following the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494,__________ took all lands to the east of the demarcation point (46° W longitude),and __________ took all the lands to the west.

A) Portugal;Spain
B) Italy;Spain
C) Spain;Portugal
D) Spain;Italy

Question 49

What was accomplished by the enactment of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494?

A) the peaceful division of Middle and South America between Portugal and Spain
B) the relinquishment by the Portuguese of all of their claims to land in the Americas
C) an end to the great wars between Native Americans and European invaders
D) the agreement between Britain and Spain to end the conflict over the Caribbean Islands

Question 50

What factors explain the rapid conquest of Middle and South America by Spain and Portugal?

A) Spain and Portugal possessed superior diplomatic skills and armies.
B) Native Americans were vulnerable to diseases introduced from Europe.
C) Native Americans were undernourished and lacked the ability to unify against the European invaders.
D) The Spanish and Portuguese encountered no resistance from Native Americans who sought trading partnerships with the Europeans.

Question 51

When Columbus arrived in the Americas,the largest state in Middle/South America belonged to the:

A) Aztecs.
B) Mayas.
C) Incas.
D) Chacoya.

Question 52

Which statement best describes the human landscape of Middle and South America just before its encounter with Europeans?

A) Human settlements were found only on the eastern coast of what is now Brazil.
B) The region was nearly devoid of humans except for small groups of nomadic peoples.
C) Many people were living in socially organized,technologically advanced cities.
D) The Incan Empire,concentrated in the highlands of Middle America,was the only human settlement at the time.

Question 53

The Aztec capital was:

A) Tegucigalpa.
B) Honduras.
C) Tenochtitlán.
D) Lima.

Question 54

Which of the following descriptions of the Aztec civilization is incorrect?

A) The Aztecs had a complex social system.
B) They lived more comfortably than their contemporaries in Europe.
C) The Aztecs lived primarily in the Andean highlands.
D) The Aztecs had sophisticated urban water and sewer systems.

Question 55

Which statement most accurately describes the impact on the Native American population of the diseases that were introduced by Europeans to Middle and South America?

A) Ten percent died within 150 years of first contact with Europeans.
B) Ninety percent died within 400 years of first contact with Europeans.
C) Ten percent died within 400 years of first contact with Europeans.
D) Ninety percent died within 150 years of first contact with Europeans.

Question 56

The Spanish stronghold,the Viceroyalty of Peru,encompassed territory from all of the following modern-day countries EXCEPT:

A) Peru.
B) Bolivia.
C) Brazil.
D) Chile.

Question 57

All of the following were factors in the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of Middle/South America,EXCEPT for:

A) the military superiority of Spain and Portugal.
B) the primitive living conditions and lack of education among the indigenous people.
C) the vulnerability of the indigenous people to European diseases.
D) a smallpox epidemic among the conquered peoples.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about the Incan Empire is NOT correct?

A) The Incan Empire was one of the most organized and efficiently managed in the world.
B) The Inca developed huge stone cities with paved roads.
C) Unlike their urban centers,Incan agriculture was very primitive for the time.
D) Incan cities were built through the use of a highly organized labor system.

Question 59

The indigenous population of Mexico were the:

A) Aztecs.
B) Incas.
C) Dioguardas.
D) Guerras.

Question 60

What was the name of the Aztec capital captured by Spaniards in 1521?

A) Viceroyalty
B) Tenochtitlán
C) Mexico City
D) Lima

Question 61

The policy by which European rulers sought to increase the power and wealth of their realms by extracting resources from their colonies for the benefit of the "mother" country is:

A) land reform.
B) mercantilism.
C) commodification.
D) marketization.

Question 62

What was a major consequence of the structural adjustment-type bailout program in Middle and South America?

A) The number of people living in poverty declined.
B) Public spending on public health,education,and infrastructure was reduced.
C) Large U.S.investment houses suffered huge losses that were not recovered.
D) High-tech industries began to flourish in the region.

Question 63

What action did the Spanish colonial government take in response to the widespread death of Native Americans due to disease,malnutrition,and inhumane treatment?

A) enacted major social reforms that greatly altered the colonial system
B) imported slaves from Africa to take the place of the dead
C) left their colonies in Middle and South America to found new ones in the Pacific
D) eliminated colonial policies that were causing these deaths

Question 64

In search of lower costs,Thomson Electronics moved from Scranton,Pennsylvania,to Mexicali,Mexico,to:

A) Peru.
B) Canada.
C) Asia.
D) Russia.

Question 65

Which of the following was NOT among the main economic institutions of the early extractive phase in Middle and South America?

A) plantations
B) textile factories
C) haciendas
D) mineral mines

Question 66

Which of the following describes a hacienda?

A) a small Spanish-influenced city
B) a hat made famous by Spanish conquistadors
C) a large rural estate
D) a relatively small mud-covered dwelling

Question 67

All of the following crops were brought to the Americas by European conquerors EXCEPT for:

A) potato.
B) onions.
C) wheat.
D) bananas.

Question 68

What term refers to people of mixed European,African,and indigenous descent in Middle and South America?

A) Creoles
B) Mestizos
C) Hispanics
D) Mulattos

Question 69

Which of the following represents a legacy of colonialism in Middle and South America?

A) the relative wealth of national governments
B) a manufacturing-supportive infrastructure
C) the region's dependence on extraction-based activities
D) financial networks that allow local growth from domestic profits

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT a major crop from Middle and South America that has become globally popular?

A) potato
B) manioc
C) tomato
D) rice

Question 71

How did the mining industry contribute to the early development of Middle/South America?

A) It provided materials to local enterprises that processed them into more valuable products.
B) It produced raw materials that were exported to be processed in other parts of the world with the profits returning back to the region.
C) Mining never had a significant impact on the region's development because the profits were invested overseas.
D) They served as "fronts" for producers of illegal drugs.

Question 72

The selling of formerly government-owned industries to individual investors is known as:

A) marketization.
B) privatization.
C) commodification.
D) globalization.

Question 73

A large factory farm in Middle/South America,on which crops were both grown and processed for shipment,was known as a(n):

A) hacienda.
B) plantation.
C) mercado.
D) escondido.

Question 74

Which of the following describes import substitution?

A) changing from one foreign supplier to another
B) replacing locally produced goods with imports
C) manufacturing goods that had been previously imported
D) exporting and importing the same type of product

Question 75

The largest of Middle/South America's export processing zones is found in:

A) the maquiladoras of Mexico.
B) the ecotourist attractions of Brazil.
C) the sugarcane plantations in Argentina.
D) the rich gold mines of Hispaniola.

Question 76

Which of the following did NOT occur with the introduction of structural adjustment programs in Middle and South America?

A) Health care spending declined.
B) Public spending on schools decreased.
C) Governments lowered tariffs on imported goods.
D) Governments lowered the number of allowable EPZs.

Question 77

What typically happened to profits generated by ranches and plantations in the early extraction phase of Middle and South America's history?

A) They flowed out of the country to foreign owners.
B) They were depleted by annual recurrences of various types of natural disasters.
C) They accumulated in local banks to allow governments to avoid imposing taxes.
D) They were used to fund massive social programs,such as schools and public housing.

Question 78

Structural adjustment policies in the Middle/South America of the 1980s were based on all of the following concepts,EXCEPT:

A) marketization.
B) privatization.
C) democratization.
D) globalization.

Question 79

During the import substitution industrialization phase of its development,Middle/South America embarked on all of the following policies EXCEPT:

A) high tariffs on imports.
B) government seizure of profitable extractive industries from foreigners.
C) the razing of poverty-stricken cities.
D) the creation of socialist democracies.

Question 80

Rich mines in Middle/South America continue to produce all of the following today EXCEPT:

A) gold.
B) silver.
C) copper.
D) coal.