1. Human Geography of Latin America-A Blending of Cultures
Chapter 10 Notes
Human Geography of Latin America-A Blending of Cultures

2. Section 1- Mexico DON’T WRITE
Several ancient societies played a major role in Mexican society including the …

3. Section 1- Mexico DON’T WRITE The Olmec-
Existed between 1200 BC- 300 BC
Location- Swampy lowland of Southern Mexico
Inventions & Accomplishments:
Large planned cities
Huge, pyramids shaped stone temples
Highly organized government
Hieroglyphic writing
Counting system
Calendar

4. Section 1- Mexico Mayans- Years in existence: 300-900 AD
Location: Tropical highlands of Central America & Yucatan Peninsula
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Inventions/Accomplishments:
Elaborate irrigations system
Organized independent city states
Cities were religious centers
Polytheistic
Precise Calendar
Numbering system that included zero
No one knows why they began to abandon their cities in the 800’s

5. Section 1- Mexico Aztec Years in existence: 1200-1530 AD
Location: South Mexico
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Inventions/Accomplishments
Conquered peoples were forced to pay tribute to central government
Montezuma greatest ruler
Military roads to the outposts from Capital
Built causeways to connect island to mainland
Sacrificing of POW’s!!!
Chichen Itza
One of the new 7 wonders of the world

6. DON’T WRITE Video
We can successfully reconstruct Aztec human sacrifice with a high level of accuracy. Some sacrifices were very minimal, involving the sacrifice of a slave to a minor god, and some were very spectacular, involving hundreds or thousands of captives. Aztec history claims that Ahuitzotl ( ), who preceded Mocteuzma II as king, sacrificed 20,000 people after a campaign in Oaxaca ("O-a-sha-ka"). No matter what the size of the sacrifice, it was always performed the same way. The victim was held down by four priests on an altar at the top of a pyramid or raised temple while the officiant made an incision below the rib cage and pulled out the living heart. The heart was then burned and the corpse was pushed down the steep steps; a very brave or noble victim was carried down the steps. The most brutal of human sacrifices were those dedicated to the god Huehueteotl. Sacrificial victims were drugged and then thrown into a fire at the top of the ceremonial platform. Before they were killed by the fire, they were dragged out with hooks and their living hearts were pulled out and thrown back into the fire.

7. Incas Years of existence: 1350-1533 AD
Location: Andes Mountains, Amazon Rainforest, From Ecuador to Chile & Argentina
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Inventions/Accomplishments
Government cared for sick & elderly by collecting taxes
Dammed rivers to look for gold
Invented the crowbar
Brain surgery
Treated Malaria
No system of writing

8. Machu Picchu- Incan nobility retreat.
Most famous of the Incan ruins
One of the new 7 wonders of the world
Video

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188 soldiers with 62 on horses were able to defeat an army of 90,000+ Incan soldiers, w/out losing a single soldier. How?
Spanish Steel & armor vs. clubs ?
Horses, 6,000 years?
Diseases (smallpox, influenza…)?

10. Section 1- Mexico
Spanish Conquest- Hernando Cortes of Spain landed on the coast of Mexico in 1520 & took over the Aztec empire with only a few thousand men.
How is this possible?
God status
Smallpox
Steel armor & horses
Catholicism
Used native enemies

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“I implore you to recognize the Church as a lady and in the name of the Pope take the King as lord of this land and obey his mandates. If you do not do it, I tell you that with the help of God I will enter powerfully against all. I will make war everywhere and every way that I can. I will subject you to the yoke and obedience to the Church and to his majesty. I will take your women and children and make them slaves….The deaths and injuries that you will receive from here on will be your own fault and not that of his majesty nor of the gentlemen that accompany me.”
Read aloud in Spanish
Now free to do whatever they wanted to the “Indians” that they had “discovered”

12. Section 1- Mexico Tenochtitlán- ancient capital of the Aztecs
Present day Mexico City
Conquered by Hernando Cortés

13. Section 1- Mexico Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa, & Emiliano Zapata
all famous revolutionaries
advocated taking land from rich landowners & giving it to peasants

14. Section 1- Mexico Culture- People Spanish speaking Roman Catholic
Native Indians of Mexico
Spanish who immigrated
Mestizo- people of mixed Spanish & Native American heritage

15. Section 1- Mexico
Maquiladoras- factories in Mexico that assemble materials into finished products that are then exported, usually to U.S.

16. Section 1- Mexico
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)- includes Mexico, the U.S., & Canada
Countries can trade freely with one another and not be assessed a tariff
Hopes to create millions of jobs

17. Section 1- Mexico DON’T WRITE
Many Mexicans work in the U.S. & send money back home to Mexico because they can make so much more money in U.S.

18. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
Central America forms an isthmus (a land bridge) between N. & S. America
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Also divides two oceans
Attractive area for commerce

19. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
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Cultural Hearth- place from which important ideas spread.
Origin of a major culture
Mayans & Aztecs’ capitals are examples

20. Don’t Write Christopher Columbus & 1492
What did he find vs. what he thought he found?
Taino & sugar plantations? Problems?
African solution in Caribbean & Brazil?
European influences in region?

21. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
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Caribbean Colonies
Most are Spanish speaking & Roman Catholic

22. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
Panama Canal- cuts through the land bridge between N. & S. America & connects the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
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36 cents & $375,000?

23. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
Calypso- music genre that uses steel drums and guitars
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Seen a lot on street corners

24. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
Reggae- most songs deal with social problems, religion, & protest
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Bob Marley is the most famous reggae artist

25. Section 2: Central America & the Caribbean
Informal Economy- in touristy areas, selling goods to tourists
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there is a whole economy outside of official channels
Provides many jobs w/out protections

26. Section 3: Spanish-Speaking South America
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All of the nations of South America speak Spanish except Brazil

27. Section 3: Spanish-Speaking South America
Governments of South America since 1800’s
Oligarchy- means rule by the few
Military Rule

28. Section 3: Spanish-Speaking South America
MERCOSUR- (stands for southern common market) allows member countries to trade freely with the other member countries w/out tariffs, same as NAFTA

29. Section 3: Spanish-Speaking South America
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Simón Bolívar-
Venezuelan military & political leader
Led Venezuela & other countries to independence from Spain
Known as El Libertador (The Liberator)

30. Section 4: Brazil
Ronaldhino
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Brazil- most populous of the nations of South America

31. Section 4: Brazil
Treaty of Tordesillas- Division of South America by Spain & Portugal.
All land to the West of the line belonged to Spain & all land to the East of the line belonged to Portugal
1494
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Why did the Pope step in?

32. Section 4: Brazil DON’T WRITE
Brazil’s population is concentrated along the eastern coast, why?

33. Section 4: Brazil DON’T WRITE Brazil- Speak Portuguese
Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio De Janeiro
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Brazil-
Speak Portuguese
Largest Catholic Population in the world
One of the new 7 wonders of the world

34. Section 4: Brazil Brasìlia- capital of Brazil
Created in 1957 to open the interior of Brazil

35. Section 4: Brazil Don’t Write
Growing economic power with an abundance of natural resources

36. Section 4: Brazil
Carnival- huge celebration right before Lent, with costumes, masks, & partying
Samba- most popular type of music in Brazil

37. Section 4: Brazil Capoeira- Brazilian martial art & dance form
Capoeira Style
Capoeira Fight

38. Section 4: Brazil Favelas- very poor slums of the big cities
Found on hillsides of the cities
Caused by widening gap between rich & poor