Middle and South America – World Regional Geography

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• the continents of North American and South America are divided at the Isthmus of Panama,

• Caribbean archipelago, or island chain

• The Greater Antilles include the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and the Cayman Islands.

• Haiti, for example, located on the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola

• El Niño, the warming phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, also contributes to severe weather in the region

• The United States helped Panama achieve independence from Colombia and in exchange, Panama granted the US rights to build and control the canal. In 1904, the US continued where the French had left off and in just ten years

• The Maya Civilization began around 2000 BCE and stretched across present-day Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatan peninsula

• Middle America can be divided into two different spheres, the mainland and the rimland,

• One group, the Inca, primarily settled in the altiplano of Peru beginning in the 13th century.

• Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing up territory in the New World between the two colonial empires

• Spain and Portugal signed the

• The Spanish would control territory to the west of the line while Portugal would control territory to the east.

• Francisco Pizarro

• Lima, for example, in present-day Peru, became one of the wealthiest cities in the world due to its silver deposits

• The Spanish colonies, for example, were governed according to the Laws of the Indies

• Plaza Mayor (main square

• In Mexico City, for example, the Spanish destroyed the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and built the Mexico City Cathedral over the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor complex

• For a short time, the states of Central America formed a federal republic

• Today, most of the mainland of Middle and South America is independent, with the exception of French Guiana which is maintained as a French territory and is home to a launch site for the European Space Agency

• Primate cities are those which are the largest city in a country, are more than twice as large as the next largest city, and are representative of the national culture