GEO 1310 Exam 1 (Brian Cooper)
Exam Questions and Answers
Middle (Central) America and South America - -Latin America is made up of
which two regional maps?
- Mexico - -this country:
-is home to the *Maya civilization* & the *Aztec civilization*.
-has a *primate city*, *(Mexico City)*, of 22 million people; 1 of 5 "Mexicans"
live here. this city has a pollution problem & temperature inversion.
-has *rural-to-urban migration* which is when people move to the city from
the country. the *push factor*, causing them to leave the countryside, was
environmental problems & the *pull factor*, bringing them to the city, was
the job supply. this rapid, unplanned migration results in poor transportation,
high crime rates, deadly fires, and sewage problems.
-shares a border with the US which has its pros and cons:
(pros) it supplies their 3 MAIN foreign income generators: 1) is the
*REMITTANCES*; international migrants who work in the US, but send $ back
home. 2) is OIL; Mexico gets most of their oil from the *Bay of Campeache*
which is managed by *PEMEX*, a state-owned company, (close proximity to
US) 3) is TOURISM; in 1970 Cancun was made just for tourists.
(cons) it heightens drug violence in their drug cartel, so many people see
Mexico as "dangerous"
- the Mayans - --the only major ancient civilization able to thrive in Yucatan
Peninsula's low-land tropics (poor soil); they survived here due to their
system of migratory subsistence farming (moved around the Peninsula in
order to grow enough for themselves/their families without wearing out the
soil)
-they were great at math; they added the concept of zero; they used their
math knowledge in other things as well (architecture).
- the Aztecs - --a major ancient civilization in the highlands of Mexico; arose
to power in the 1300's;
-they asked the gods for a capital city, which they named *Capital of
Tenochtitlan* after they found the "eagle biting a rattlesnake on a cactus
growing from a rock" in the Islands of *Lake Texacoco*. (present day *Mexico
City*)
- Belize - -this country:
-has the 2nd largest *barrier reef* in the world
-is 1 of 2 Central American countries not recognized by most Central
Americans; bc they think that the *British Empire* "stole" it when it was
originally a part of Guatemala
, -considers English one of its main languages (may be another reason for
Central Americans' judgement)
- Guatemala - -this country:
-the *Monroe Doctrine* was a cornerstone of US foreign policy, issued by
president James Monroe in the 1820's, stating that the US would not tolerate
any European interference in the western hemisphere, and it was meant to
be protective/nurturing, but there was a shift in the intentions of the MD
when business interest took over--causing criticism of the US.
-a *Banana Republic* referred to countries, like Guatemala, whose
government was dominated by a foreign country's business interests; United
Fruit ran banana production in Central America at the detriment of the
country's people.
- El Salvador - -this country:
- had a *population density* that was among the highest in all Latin America
(bc ppl want to live on the coast), and this caused the *pressure of
overpopulation* bc there wasn't enough land/resources for everyone to live
off of *demographic response*
-was the site of proxy conflict that may have cause the Cold War; supported
by US
- Honduras - -this country:
-was hit by *Hurricane Mitch* in the late 1990's; the heavy rain fall caused
land slides and mud slides that killed 15,000, 1/3 of the population was
homeless, and set back the government 50 years all due to the high
*vulnerability* of the country
- risk - -the statistical likelihood that a given hazard will strike a certain
area; calculable (San Mo has high flash flood risk, but almost zero volcano
risk).
- vulnerability - -the impact hazards have on human beings; why/how;
subjective (ability of the people/place to withstand, recover, evacuate,
rebuild, etc.)
- primate city - -1) disproportionally large in terms of population, and 2)
exceptionally expressive of national culture/character
- Nicaragua - -this country:
-during the *Cold War* (1947-91) the *Somozas* were in power bc they were
backed by the US (they didn't like communists n neither did we), but the
*Sandinistas* wanted to overthrow, and finally did in '79 w/ the help of the
Soviets/Cuba. *Reagan* was mad that a soviet influenced government came
about, so he started supporting the *contras* who were against the
Sandinistas, and this led to the *Iran-Contra Scandal* in which we were
Exam Questions and Answers
Middle (Central) America and South America - -Latin America is made up of
which two regional maps?
- Mexico - -this country:
-is home to the *Maya civilization* & the *Aztec civilization*.
-has a *primate city*, *(Mexico City)*, of 22 million people; 1 of 5 "Mexicans"
live here. this city has a pollution problem & temperature inversion.
-has *rural-to-urban migration* which is when people move to the city from
the country. the *push factor*, causing them to leave the countryside, was
environmental problems & the *pull factor*, bringing them to the city, was
the job supply. this rapid, unplanned migration results in poor transportation,
high crime rates, deadly fires, and sewage problems.
-shares a border with the US which has its pros and cons:
(pros) it supplies their 3 MAIN foreign income generators: 1) is the
*REMITTANCES*; international migrants who work in the US, but send $ back
home. 2) is OIL; Mexico gets most of their oil from the *Bay of Campeache*
which is managed by *PEMEX*, a state-owned company, (close proximity to
US) 3) is TOURISM; in 1970 Cancun was made just for tourists.
(cons) it heightens drug violence in their drug cartel, so many people see
Mexico as "dangerous"
- the Mayans - --the only major ancient civilization able to thrive in Yucatan
Peninsula's low-land tropics (poor soil); they survived here due to their
system of migratory subsistence farming (moved around the Peninsula in
order to grow enough for themselves/their families without wearing out the
soil)
-they were great at math; they added the concept of zero; they used their
math knowledge in other things as well (architecture).
- the Aztecs - --a major ancient civilization in the highlands of Mexico; arose
to power in the 1300's;
-they asked the gods for a capital city, which they named *Capital of
Tenochtitlan* after they found the "eagle biting a rattlesnake on a cactus
growing from a rock" in the Islands of *Lake Texacoco*. (present day *Mexico
City*)
- Belize - -this country:
-has the 2nd largest *barrier reef* in the world
-is 1 of 2 Central American countries not recognized by most Central
Americans; bc they think that the *British Empire* "stole" it when it was
originally a part of Guatemala
, -considers English one of its main languages (may be another reason for
Central Americans' judgement)
- Guatemala - -this country:
-the *Monroe Doctrine* was a cornerstone of US foreign policy, issued by
president James Monroe in the 1820's, stating that the US would not tolerate
any European interference in the western hemisphere, and it was meant to
be protective/nurturing, but there was a shift in the intentions of the MD
when business interest took over--causing criticism of the US.
-a *Banana Republic* referred to countries, like Guatemala, whose
government was dominated by a foreign country's business interests; United
Fruit ran banana production in Central America at the detriment of the
country's people.
- El Salvador - -this country:
- had a *population density* that was among the highest in all Latin America
(bc ppl want to live on the coast), and this caused the *pressure of
overpopulation* bc there wasn't enough land/resources for everyone to live
off of *demographic response*
-was the site of proxy conflict that may have cause the Cold War; supported
by US
- Honduras - -this country:
-was hit by *Hurricane Mitch* in the late 1990's; the heavy rain fall caused
land slides and mud slides that killed 15,000, 1/3 of the population was
homeless, and set back the government 50 years all due to the high
*vulnerability* of the country
- risk - -the statistical likelihood that a given hazard will strike a certain
area; calculable (San Mo has high flash flood risk, but almost zero volcano
risk).
- vulnerability - -the impact hazards have on human beings; why/how;
subjective (ability of the people/place to withstand, recover, evacuate,
rebuild, etc.)
- primate city - -1) disproportionally large in terms of population, and 2)
exceptionally expressive of national culture/character
- Nicaragua - -this country:
-during the *Cold War* (1947-91) the *Somozas* were in power bc they were
backed by the US (they didn't like communists n neither did we), but the
*Sandinistas* wanted to overthrow, and finally did in '79 w/ the help of the
Soviets/Cuba. *Reagan* was mad that a soviet influenced government came
about, so he started supporting the *contras* who were against the
Sandinistas, and this led to the *Iran-Contra Scandal* in which we were
