Geography Topic 3 Mexico and Middle America

Many feats of Aztec engineering were made necessary by Tenochtitlán's location

• in the middle of a harsh desert.

• at a high altitude in the mountains.

• on a small island in a shallow lake.

• in the middle of a dense jungle.

In addition to the harm caused to victims of crime, high crime rates have created other difficulties in Middle America by (pick two)

• increasing income inequality.

• discouraging investment by businesses.

• weakening countries' infrastructure.

• increasing illegal immigration to the region.

Where do most people in Central America live?

• coastal areas where they can rely on fishing and trade

• the central plateau where soils are good for farming

• river valleys with enough water for farming

• highland areas where temperatures are cooler

How does the geography of the Caribbean countries affect their economies? Pick two.

• Large oil deposits lead most of them to depend on oil exports.

• Their dry climate means they cannot rely on agriculture.

• They depend on mining mineral resources.

• Their climate and beaches attract tourists and their money.

What are Mexico's two most valuable exports? Choose the TWO correct answers.

• oil and oil products

• agricultural products

• gold, silver, and other precious metals

• manufactured goods

According to Las Casas, how did the Spanish treat American Indians in the Caribbean?

• Spanish colonists concentrated on teaching them Christianity.

• They forced the men to work in gold mines, supported by women who grew food for them.

• They enslaved both men and women and let most die from overwork and starvation.

• The Spanish were fair to them, but unfortunately many of them were not willing to work.

How were the Olmec able to support a civilization and cities?

• by implementing heavy taxes to raise public funds for each community

• by constructing residential dwellings for the growing populations in cities

• by cultivating a surplus of food that could feed a large population

• by developing a system of roadways to connect different communities

How did land ownership change in Mexico in the early 1900s?

• The government broke up large estates and gave land to the poor.

• Wealthy companies took control of the land away from small farmers.

• The government purchased most land and divided it into small farms.

• Oil companies purchased most land to use for drilling and pipelines.

The Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico-where Mexico City now is-in the 1300s. They built their capital, Tenochtitlán, on an island in the middle of a lake. With 150,000 people, the city was the largest ever built by American Indians. It was, in fact, one of the largest cities in the world at that time. It had advanced engineering and a complex economy. Based on this passage and on what you know about Spanish colonialism, what do you think Spanish explorers thought when they first saw Tenochtitlán?

• They might have thought the city was rich and worth conquering.

• They might have thought the city was too large to attack successfully.

• They might have thought the city was not worth invading.

• They might have thought the city's location made it too dangerous to attack.

Which of the following statements best describes Mayan cities?

• They were built on islands in lakes.

• They grew up mainly in the highlands.

• They had relatively few buildings.

• They had pyramids and palaces in their centers.