Ch. 10

A. Is a region and cultural area in the Americas extending from Central Mexico to Northern Costa Rica in Central America B. Conquered by the Spanish in 1500s

1. Olmec BCE (First in Latin America, located in central Mexico) 2. Maya CE (Located in Mexico and Central America, mastered various concepts of geometry and astronomy) 3. Aztec CE (Capital Tenochtitlán had 4 million inhabitants; present-day Mexico City)

a. Practiced human sacrifices at their temples to please the gods (Aztecs reported that they sacrificed about 84,400 prisoners over the course of four days.)

b. Spanish Conquest- Conquered by the Spanish and Hernando Cortes in 1519

Aztec Empire c.1500  Today Mexico City is built on top of the Aztec ruins.

1. Today a large Mestizo population exists in Mexico Mestizo= mixed of Spanish and Native American heritage 2. language=Spanish 3. religion=Roman Catholic

 Mexico remained under Spanish control until  In 1822, Agustin de Iturbide proclaimed himself emperor.  Later, Benito Juarez led a reform and became president of Mexico.

 In 1929 the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) introduced democracy and distributed land to peasants.  Because it was the only political party, it became corrupt.  In 2000 the National Action Party candidate was elected president.  For the first time in 71 years the PRI did not control Mexico.  PRI=out of power from (back in power w/recently elected president, Enrique Pena Nieto)

2 main economic challenges: 1. Gap between rich and poor=political instability 2. Attempting to develop a modern industrial economy in a historically agricultural society

4. Immigration & emigration is a huge issue for Mexico, with many workers going to the U.S. in search of jobs (splitting families).

Maquiladoras- factories in Mexico that assemble imported materials into finished products that are then exported

many temples and palaces in present day Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Guatemala

B. Each city was ruled by a god-king (typo in notes)and served as a center for religious ceremonies and trading posts. C. Tikal= example of Mayan city  The center of Mayan civilization

D. The Maya developed a highly complex system of writing using pictographs. (not in notes; don’t copy)  The Maya carved these symbols into stone, but the most common place for writing was probably the highly perishable books they made from bark paper.  Because of their perishable nature and Spanish book burning, only four of these books remain today.

(not in notes; don’t copy):  The Maya developed a sophisticated calendar.  This calendar gave each day a name, much like our days of the week.  Their 260-day or sacred count calendar was in use throughout Central America for centuries, probably before the beginning of writing.

F. was claimed by many European nations (even though Spanish ruled) G. Africans who were brought to the Caribbean as slaves made a major impact on the role of settling the Caribbean. H. People of Central America and the Caribbean have been shaped by the cultures of native peoples, Europeans, and Africans.

1. Agriculture- Sugar cane plantations provide the region’s largest export crop along with bananas, coffee, citrus fruits, and spices. 2. Tourism- local inhabitants are able to find work at hotels, resorts, and restaurants, or in other tourist activities such as fishing, snorkeling, hiking, et