Geography Unit 3 Quiz Questions – Flashcards
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Belize shares a border with Mexico?
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True
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Puerto Rico is touched by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
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True
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Deep within the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala lie most of the Mayan ruins.
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True
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____shares a border with mexico
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Guatemala and Belize
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Which two islands comprise the island of Hispaniola?
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Haiti and the Dominican Republic
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What civilization is considered the mother-culture of pre-Hispanic Mexico?
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Olmec
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A microloan would support which of the following projects?
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handcrafts
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The economy of Central America is primarily based on what two things?
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Tourism and Agriculture
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Read the following quote from a letter written by Hernan Cortes to King Charles V in 1520. "I will say no more than that the manners of the people, as shown in their intercourse with one another, are marked by as great an attention to the proprieties of life as in Spain, and good order is equally well observed; and considering that they are barbarous people, without the knowledge of God, having no intercourse with civilized nations, these traits of character are worthy of admiration." From this quote, why is Cortes surprised by the good nature of the people?
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They have no knowledge of God or other civilized nations
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In general, what is a developing nation?
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agrarian based society with low to medium standard of living
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Compare the infant mortality rate of Haiti compared to Cuba.
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Haiti's infant mortality rate is 10 times as high as Cuba's
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Based on the chart, what country is experiencing the highest growth rate?
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Panama (7.8%)
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An archipelago is a large group of islands.
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True
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Maize was possibly first domesticated by Indian groups in Central America.
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True
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Most Central American volcanoes are located along a stretch known as the Ring of Fire.
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True
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What is the definition for trench?
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Long, but narrow, topographical depression.
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Which of the following items is known as "aji" in the Caribbean?
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Chile
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Which Central American country is home to the Baboon Sanctuary-dedicated to protecting the black howler monkey population?
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Belize
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Where does the word "hurricane" originate?
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Mayan god "Hurakan"
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From the image below, describe the difference between a tropical disturbance and a hurricane.
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A tropical disturbance has wind patterns that look less organized than a hurricane.
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What landform develops on coral reefs as a result of wave action?
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cays
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In the following image, a seawall is protecting the coastline from what?
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wave action
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What are the potential impacts of climate change on Central America?
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intensify droughts and hurricanes in the region
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From the map below displaying the average temperatures in 2005 compared to the average temperatures from 1951 to 1980, what can you infer about the average temperatures in the region of Central America?
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The temperatures in Central America were 0.1 to 1.5 degrees higher, on average.
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A cay is a small, low island composed largely of coral or sand.
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True
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Indigo is the source for the beautiful color known as "Mayan Blue."
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True
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There are no known volcanoes in the country of Panama.
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False
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What is the definition of archipelago?
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Group of Islands
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Which Central American country has highly developed urban areas and dense tropical jungles located close together?
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Panama
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Which of the following items is the main ingredient in salsa verde?
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Tomatillo
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Why is Mexico and parts of Central America prone to earthquakes?
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The region lies on the border of two tectonic plates.
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Look at the image below that shows the chances of getting a direct hit by a hurricane during the month of September (usually the busiest month for hurricanes). If you visited Panama during September, what are your chances of experiencing a direct hit by a hurricane?
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There is no chance of a direct hit by a hurricane.
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What is the climate of Central America?
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mainly tropical and subtropical
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Where are most of the rainforests found?
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Lowlands
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Approximately what percent does Central America contribute to the total amount of carbon dioxide produced in the world?
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0.5%
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Read the following quote from The Nature Conservancy, "The 3 billion people who live in poverty around the world will be hardest hit by climate change. The poor are more dependent on natural resources and have less of an ability to adapt to a changing climate. Diseases, declining crop yields and natural disasters are just a few of the impacts of climate change that could devastate the world's most vulnerable communities." From this quote, what group of people is most vulnerable to climate change?
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People who are living in poverty
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True of False: There is limited information on the history of the Mayan culture in the Common Era because the Spanish instituted a policy of killing all Mayan priests and burning all of thief books.
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True
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True of False: The rivers of the Lowlands were important to the Maya for the transportation of people and materials.
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True
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True of False: Centuries of persecution and cultural isolation have turned the Maya into impoverished outcasts in their own land.
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True
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Who outlawed the Maya religion and burned all but four of their sacred bark-paper books in the 16th century?
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Catholic Missionaries
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When did the practice of fair trade start?
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1940s
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Why did the practice of fair trade spread from handicrafts to food?
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The demand for handicrafts was wearing off
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Why did the practice of fair trade spread from handicrafts to food
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Dominican Republic
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Why did the Mayans create a detailed writing system?
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to keep track of political rulers
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What is the reason for the "feminization" of emigration from Central America in recent years?
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Increasing rural poverty
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After reading the following quote, what can you infer about the role of Mexico in the emigration process? Central America has been a locus of migration for generations. It is characterized by rural-to-urban and regional migration as well as emigration abroad, particularly to the United States. A relative unknown in hemispheric migration matters until recent decades, Central America transformed from a minor to a major player during a decade of armed conflicts in the 1980s. In this period the region also became a geographic bridge to North America for migrants from South America seeking to enter the United States, while Mexico has become the main transit country for Central Americans headed north. In short, Central America is a crossroads of many migratory streams.
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Most migrants travel through Mexico on the way to the U.S.
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Which of the following is the only country that does not have Spanish as its official language?
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Belize
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In most Central American countries, approximately what percent of the population is considered poor?
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50%
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Hernan Cortez was a Spanish conquistador responsible for seizing the Aztec empire in the 16th century.
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True
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Both the highlands and the lowlands were important to the presence of trade within the Mayan civilization.
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True
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Contrary to popular belief, the Mayans were not united as one empire.
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True
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How was information passed down between generations of Mayans?
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detailed hieroglyphic writing system
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which country was an important route by which the treasures of the Inca's were transferred to the Spanish?
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Panama
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What is the goal of fair trade?
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reduce poverty
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Why do foreign investors hesitate to incest in Central America?
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Government corruption
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How was power transferred in the Mayan society?
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primogeniture
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What group of people has had higher rates of emigration in recent years?
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Young women from poor, rural families
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After reading the following quote, what can you infer about the role of Central America in emigration to the United States? "Central America has been a locus of migration for generations. It is characterized by rural-to-urban and regional migration as well as emigration abroad, particularly to the United States. A relative unknown in hemispheric migration matters until recent decades, Central America transformed from a minor to a major player during a decade of armed conflicts in the 1980s. In this period the region also became a geographic bridge to North America for migrants from South America seeking to enter the United States, while Mexico has become the main transit country for Central Americans headed north. In short, Central America is a crossroads of many migratory streams."
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Central America is a source for emigrants as well as a pathway for emigrants from South America.
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What is the religion of most Central Americas?
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Roman Catholic
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Masa, pozole, and sopes are all traditional food of Central America prepared with what ingredients?
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Maize
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The creation of the Panama Canal cut the shipping time in half for ships traveling between the pacific and Atlantic oceans.
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True
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Tropical rain forests are home to over half the world's species, all squeezed into a narrow strip of equatorial land.
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True
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Environmental destruction results in greater potential risk from natural disasters, especially the poor.
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True
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A typical passage through the Panama Canal takes how long?
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8-10 hours
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Why have most attempts at instituting sustainable farming practices failed?
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Outsiders have come in and tried to force new practices on farmers.
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What is sustainable agriculture?
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Farming that is profitable but does not hurt the environment.
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What is one reason that poverty continues to be a growing issue, especially among the indigenous population?
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Racism against indigenous population is prevalent
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What is the key factor of rural development?
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local process and local institutions
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Why are tropical forests disappearing?
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-to harvest timber -building roads -farms and agriculture
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From the following chart, what can you infer about the importance of tropical rainforests?
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Tropical rain forests contain more species than any other ecosystem.
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How is trade justice different from free trade?
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Trade justice means that trade rules are weighted to benefit poor people and the environment.
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What is the best way to increase the availability of ecotourism?
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Increase the amount of protected lands, parks, and conservation areas.
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The Panama Canal project was one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken.
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true
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Since 1960, when the Central American beef market began booming, over 25% of the rainforests have been cleared for cattle grazing
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true
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Poverty and lack of choices for alternative sources of income have led the poor to exploit their environment to dangerous levels
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true
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Approximately how many people died during the construction of the canal?
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22,000
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Who owns most of the farmland of Central American countries?
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a handful of wealthy farmers
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Which of the following items is an example of a sustainable agriculture practice?
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Terracing and gradual composting
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Why is geographic isolation a problem that leads to more poverty?
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limited access to public services like health and education
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What is the least common cause of poverty?
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Natural disasters
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How does the deforestation of rain forests impact global markets?
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Global markets consume rainforests products that depend on sustainable harvest.
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Based on the image below, how would you describe the global presence of rainforests?
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Rainforests are primarily located along the equator
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What is the goal of fair trade?
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Pull disadvantages citizens out of poverty.
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What is the negative of ecotourism?
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There are few checks to prove the trips are really eco-friendly.
