Study guide for quiz3 on chapter 2: Middle America

[Pages:2]Study guide for quiz3 on chapter 2: Middle America

Box 2-1Major Geographic Features of Middle America

o Middle America is a relatively small realm consisting of eight mainland countries from Mexico to Panama and all the islands of the Caribbean Basin to the east.

o Middle America's mainland constitutes a crucial barrier between Atlantic and Pacific waters. In physiographic terms, this is a land bridge connecting the continental landmasses of North and South America.

o Middle America's cultural geography is complex. Various African and European influences dominate the Caribbean, whereas Spanish and indigenous traditions survive on the mainland.

o Middle America is a realm of intense cultural and political fragmentation. The presence of many small, insular, and remote countries poses major challenges to economic development.

o The realm's northern political boundary is in certain respects the axis of a dynamic borderland and transition zone.

o In terms of area, population, and economic potential, Mexico leads the realm. o Many of the countries in this realm find themselves relatively isolated from the rest of the

hemisphere.

1. What is the name given today to the former Aztec city of Tenochtitlan? Section Reference: Cultural Geography

2. Review deforestation in Costa Rica Section Reference: Regions: The Central American Republics

3. Examine the longitudes of the Panama Canal's Caribbean (Atlantic) and Pacific outlets Section Reference: Regions: The Central American Republics

4. What is a Maquiladora? Section Reference: Regions: Mexico

5. Compare the colonial heritage of Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti Section Reference: Cultural Geography

6. Which of the following Caribbean countries possesses major natural gas deposits? Section Reference: Regions: The Caribbean Basin; The Greater Antilles; The Lesser Antilles

7. What is the official political status of Puerto Rico? Section Reference: Regions: The Caribbean Basin, The Greater Antilles; The Lesser Antilles

8. What is the most important crop raised in Cuba before the fall of the Soviet Union? Section Reference: Regions: The Caribbean Basin; The Greater Antilles; The Lesser Antilles

9. Which US-backed Middle American government fought a civil war from 1980 to 1992 in which 75,000 persons died? Section Reference: Regions: The Central American Republics

10. What the former name of Belize?

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Section Reference: Regions: The Central American Republics

11. Which region in Mexico has most oil deposits? Section Reference: Regions: Mexico

12. What is Middle America's largest country today in terms of both area and population? Section Reference: Regions: Mexico

13. Which successful industry in the Caribbean region often debases local culture? Section Reference: Political and Economic Fragmentation

14. Which group introduced Middle America's most prominent religion? Section Reference: Cultural Geography

Points to ponder

o The United States is the single most important economic partner of just about every country and territory in this realm--is that a plus or a minus for Middle America?

o Is the international "War on Drugs"--spearheaded by the United States but largely fought south of the border--worth continuing?

o Most of the small Caribbean island--nations contain less than half a million people--is that enough to sustain a viable economy?

o Is China's pivotal role in the construction of the Nicaragua Canal a cause for concern for the region and/or the United States?

Current issues

United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM, )

United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM, )

A Brief History of the US Interference in the Caribbean Basin, Telesur, 12/5/2019,

Trump tariffs send Canada & Mexico off to create their own factories, Burlington Free Press, 9/6/2018,

Will Trump Finally Get His Border Wall In 2018? MSN News, 1/1/2018,

Panama's new canal and the Midwest, Times Record News, 1/1/2018,

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega: Nicaragua Canal Will Go Ahead, Today Nicaragua, 9/5/2018,

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