Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Review Questions

1) What crop did settlers first grow in Brazil and what effect did it have on the makeup of the population?
Sugar cane. It brought in African slaves and made the natives disappear.

2)How do Brazil’s rivers contribute to its wealth?
Hydroelectric power is a huge part so there for the rivers would play an important roll.
  3)How large is Brazil’s economic power?
Its the 7th largest

4)What is Brazil’s religion and language?
Catholics and they speak portuguese

5)What have been some obstacles to democratic government in South America?
Underdeveloped economy, poverty, and a huge class gap

6)What is South America’s greatest economic success story (other than Brazil)?
Chile, the educate their people so their literary rater are high and they are a huge export for minerals and food.

7)Who were the Inca?
They were the natives. They built really large buildings way up in the mountains, they also had a great road system near Peru.

8)What major groups blended into the area of the Caribbean?
Africans because of the slaves, European, and the Native people.

9)What are some major sources of income in the economies of Central America and the Caribbean?
Tourism, commercial farming, and trade.

10)What are some forms of music that have evolved in the region of the Caribbean?
Reggae and Calypso

11)Why is the Panama Canal important?  How did it come into existence?
Ships can go through the Americas instead of around. The United States encouraged a revolution and America the Panama Canal.

12)What is the largest city in Mexico?  In South America?  In the World?
Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Tokyo

13)What is the most important part of Mexico’s economy today?
Agriculture

14)How have the Andes Mountains affected settlement in South America?
It pushes people to the east coast.

15)Why is the Amazon river important?
It is a good trade route and it moves more water then the next seven largest river combined.

16)What two countries does the Orinoco River drain?
Venezuela and Columbia

17)What is the dominant vegetation of the Amazon river basin?
Rainforest

18)What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of tourism to the South American community?
There is an increase in jobs, but company owners don't live in South America so the money doesn't stay there. More land is destroyed to build more things, which also means more pollution. There is still that big gap between rich and poor too.

Monday, November 10, 2014

1-10 on page 214

1) People have to settle on the outside of the east coast instead of the inside

2) Agriculture and livestock

3) The Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas

4) Trinidad and Tobago, it attracts developers to the country.

5) Brazil, Columbia, and Argentina

6)  It gets colder the farther up you go, so less plants will grow.

7) Tropical grassland and desert dry shrub

8) The soil was bad so farmers couldn't use it anymore

9) High paying jobs, poor education, and better medical care.

10) Governments run into large public debits, congestion and pollution increases, and a wealth gap between the rich and poor.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Venezuela

VENEZUELA 

CLIMATE ZONES AND VEGETATION
Venezuela lies between two tropics, it varies from tropical humid to alpine depending on its elevation, topography, and the direction of prevailing winds. It is mostly covered in forest due to the location. Resulting from deforestation and natural causes it has a varied vegetation, such as thorny shrubs, cactus, and brush. 

IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Important resources in Venezuela are petroleum, natural gas, iron, ore, gold, bauxite, hydropower, and diamonds. The Orinoco river runs through Venezuela. The topography of Venezuela can be divided into three elevation divisions, the lowland plains, mountains, and the interior forested uplands.

WHAT PEOPLE DO FOR A LIVING
In Venezuela the drop of oil prices declined many jobs for the Venezuelans. The poor relied on the government to pay for basic food and transportation. Farming and cattle ranching are major sources of jobs in rural areas. People also work in factories, mining is important, and doctors lawyers are in demand. Venezuelans are really great writers, painters, poets, and musicians. Their favorite sport in Venezuela is soccer, and in the coastal areas water sports like swimming, fishing, and boating are really popular.

LARGEST CITY

The largest city in Venezuela is Caracas.

CAPITAL CITY
The capital city of Venezuela is Caracas, it was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada. Caracas sits 3,000 feet above sea level and has a population of 3.242 million.

MAP



PROBLEMS 

Venezuela has a number of problems today, here are a few: Venezuela's unemployment rate has continues to rise; it stands at 12.1 percent. Crime in Venezuela also has become a big issue, in 2011 more than 19,000 people were killed, making 2011 the most violent year in the country's history. Housing and infrastructure is also a problem and homes are being seized and privatized. Housing is now one of their top concerns. Infrastructure has crumbled; reportedly Venezuela has the most obsolete air fleet in the Americas. 

Corruption is another problem it afflicts the police and military, who often are bribed by drug traffickers. Corruption has also affected the government turning the government into a de facto dictatorship. Freedom of press is another problem, even though the press are guaranteed by Venezuela's constitution, in reality media face harassment if they report anything in opposition to Hugo Chavez's administration, Chavez died a year old from cancer. The "eternal commander" is still putting on a shower, his voice of him singing are heard loud from the mausoleum entrance.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Chapter 9 sec 1 questions

1) What did you learn from the video?  Do you think its fair that a corporation can own a country's water? 
I learned that people Bolivia can not own their water and a corporation is California does. I don't think its fair because they aren't even allowed to use rain water, and no one should really own water. 

2) Do you think the people of Bolivia had a right to react the way they did?

Yes, I feel like if that happened to us we would have done the same thing. 

3) How has geography affected settlement in Latin America?


4) Where are the Andres Mountains located?

The Andres Mountains are located in the West coast of South America. 

5) What are the three major river systems in South America?

The three major river systems in South America are the Amazon River, ParanĂ¡ River, and Orinoco River. 

6) What river carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world?

The Amazon River

7) What are the three major island groups in the Caribbean Islands?
The three major island groups in the Caribbean Islands is the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. 

8) What are Llanos?

One of the South Americas vast plains that are grassy, treeless areas used for livestock grazing and farming. They are located in Colombia and Venezuela. 

9) What are three types of resources found in Latin America?

Wood, coal, hydroelectric power, and natural gas.

10) What S. American country generates the most hydroelectric power and why?

Brazil because the have many rivers and waterways. 

11) What types of landforms are found in Latin America?

The types of landforms found in Latin America are highlands, lowlands, mountains, and plains. 

12) What is your favorite South American country?

Venezuela