isthmus

a group of islands

a series of steep cliffs that drop down to the Atlantic coastal plains

llanos

tropical grasslands that stretch through eastern Colombia & Venezuela

Pampas

a well-known grassy plain that covers much of Argentina & Uraguay

tributary

a small river that flows into a larger river

estuary

an area where river currents & ocean tides meet

Tropics

the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

rain forest

a dense stand of trees and other plants that receive high amounts of precipitation

canopy

an umbrella-like covering of leaves

altitude

a place's height above sea level (elivation)

maize

corn

jade

a shiny, green semi-precious stone

obsidian

a hard, black volcanic glass useful in making weapons

hieroglyphics

a form of writing that uses signs and symbols (picture writing)

empire

a large territory with many different peoples under one ruler

cash crop

farm products grown for export

caudillos

usually high ranking military officers or rich men supported by the upper class/leaders

communist state

which the govenment controls the economy and society

migration

movement of people

mestizos

people of mixed Native American and European decent

plaza

public squares

vaqueros

mexican cowhands/cowboy

maquiladoras

factories in which workers assemble parts made in other countries

subsistence farming

small plots where farmers grow only enough to feed their families (poor)

plantations

large farms that raise a single crop for sale

migrant worker

people who travel to find work when extra help is needed to plant or harvest crops

literacy rate

the % of people who can read and write / educated

command economy

an economy in which communist governments decides how resources are used and what goods and services are produced

commonwealth

a self-governing territory

selva

what Brazilians call the Amazon rain forest

favelas

overcrowded slum areas that surround many Brazilian cities

gaucho

cowhands (Argentina)

sodium nitrate

a mineral used in fertilizer and explosives

Mexico

Mexico City

Guatemala

Guatemala

Belize

Belmopan

Honduras

Tegucigalpa

El Salvador

San Salvador

Nicaragua

Managua

Costa Rica

San Jose

Panama

Panama

Cuba

Havana

Columbia

Bogata

Brazil

Brazilia

Venezuela

Caracas

Guyana

Georgetown

Suriname

Paramaribo

French Guiana

Cayenne

Ecuador

Quito

Peru

Lima

Bolivia

La Paz & Sucre

Chile

Santiago

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Paraguay

Asuncion

Uraguay

Montevideo

Brazil

Old capital: Rio de Janeiro

New capital:  Brazillia

Christ the Redeemer Statue

Soccer

Columbia

emeralds, coffee, Mr. S

Venezuela

named for Venice Italy

Guyana

capital:  Georgetown

colony of England

sugar cane

Suriname

Dutch Colony

rice

French Guiana

French colony

french prison

Ecuador

Equator