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Mexican farmlands redistributed to peasant communities post-Revolution (1910-1917). Government owns land; user rights given to village communities and individuals.

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ejidos

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Money sent back by emigrants to their home country, vital for poorer economies.

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remittances

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Largest city in a country, often the capital, reflecting national culture.

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primate city

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Aboriginal or native; example: pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas

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indigenous

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Modern industrial plants in Mexico's U.S. border zone that assemble imported components and export finished goods.

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maquiladoras

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archipelago

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a set of islands grouped closely together, usually elongated into a chain

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Vertical regions defined by physical-environmental zones at various elevations in South and Middle America.

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altitudinal zonation

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Tropical deforestation

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Clearing and destruction of tropical rainforests for settlement and economic activities.

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Heartland or innovation center; origin of a major culture

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cultural hearth

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mestizo

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A person of mixed European (white) and Amerindian ancestry in the Spanish American empire.