LATIN AMERICA Regents Review
GEOGRAPHY Regions: Central America, South America, and Islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Latin America
Geography of Latin America Isolation and Protection due to the oceans and the ignorance of the Europeans, who believed the world was flat.
Latin American Geography Varied Climate, topography – some mountains, plains, grasslands, rainforests, with settlement mainly along the coast.
AMAZON RAINFOREST
Society of Latin America Early Civilizations: Maya, Inca, Aztec which were well organized and advanced.
Early Civilizations of L.A.
THE MAYA
MAYAN RUINS
INCA
Latin American History 1492 – The Arrival of Columbus and the opening of trade between the old world and the new world called the Columbian Exchange
Columbus
History of Latin America Death of Natives due to disease and the importation of slaves from Africa via the Middle Passage.
History of Latin America Colonization begins (mainly by Spain) as the conquistadors are sent to destroy the natives civilizations (examples Cortez, Pizzaro.)
CORTES
Spanish Imperialism Spanish unfairly rule over Latin America Unfair social order with no social mobility: Penninsulares at the top, followed by Creoles, Mestizos and mulattos, then natives and Africans at the bottom.
Encomienda System Cash crops grown on large plantations where the Spanish owned all land and the natives could not own land.
Independence Movements Inspired by the Enlightenment and success of the American and French Revolutions.
Independence Leaders Simon Bolivar Toussant L’Overture Jose de San Martin.
Simon Bolivar Political and Military independence leader during 1800s Led Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Panama to Independence and Democracy.
Modern Events in Latin America Issues over the ownership of the Panama Canal
PANAMA CANAL
PANAMA CANAL
Modern Events in Latin America Communism in Cuba under Fidel Castro and in Nicaragua under the Sandinistas.
CASTRO
TONY MONTANA
Modern Events in Latin America Move away from military dictatorship and toward democracy today.