Unit 3 Test -- Latin America

Directions: Complete each sentence by choosing the correct term from the list below.

  1. Tropical grasslands, or __________, appear in the northern plains of South America.
  2. The __________ drained by the Amazon River is a huge area.
  3. The warm current called __________ changes world weather patterns.
  4. The temperate grasslands, called the __________ range over much of Argentina and Uruguay.
  5. A __________ has both European and Indian ancestors.
  6. A spreading __________ often prevents sunlight from reaching the floor of the rain forest.
  7. The rocklike skeletons of tiny sea animals are called __________.
  8. In late summer and early fall, Caribbean islands are often hit by __________, which have winds of at least 39 miles (63 km) per hour.
  9. Some Caribbean islands are volcanic mountains. Others are low-lying islands made of coral called __________.
  10. Each year, an average of six Atlantic Ocean tropical storms develop into __________ with winds of at least 74 miles (119 km) per hour.
hurricanes
coral
El Nino
cays
basin
tropical storms
savanna
canopy
pampas
mestizo
Directions: Write the letter of the correct ending in the blank. 11. All of the following constitute the Caribbean islands except the
a. Greater Antilles.
b. Lesser Antilles.
c. Sierra Madres.
d. Bahamas.

12. Separating the mountain ranges of Mexico is the

a. Sierra Madre del Sur.
b. central plateau.
c. Sierra Madre Occidental.
d. Sierra Madre Oriental.

13. The world's single largest mass of vegetation is found in the

    1. Andes Mountains.

    2. b. Amazon rain forests.
      c. Gran Chaco grasslands
      d. Brazilian Highlands.
14. The culture of Latin America reflects all of the following except
    1. Roman Catholicism.

    2. b. Chinese cultures.
      c. Aztec and Incan cultures.
      d. Spanish and Portuguese influences.
15. An important economic activity in the Caribbean islands today is
a. coffee growing.
b. iron mining.
c. manufacturing.
d. tourism.
16. All of the following are regions of South America except
    1. the pampas.

    2. b. the Amazon Basin.
      c.the Andes Mountains.
      d. the central plateau.
17. The only region of Mexico in which mountains do not dominate the landscape is
a. Baja California.
b. the Pacific coast.
c. central Mexico
d. the Yucatan Peninsula.

18. The three island groups of the Caribbean are the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the
a. Andes.
b. Bahamas
c. Guianas.
d. Windward Islands.

19. Mexico's physical setting is dominated by
a. lowlands.
b. coastal plains.
c. high and rugged mountains.
d. an elevated plateau.

20. Most of Mexico's people live
a. between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf coast.
b. south of the central plateau on the Pacific coast.
c. in the country's major cities located on the central plateau
d. between the Pacific coast and the Sierra Madre Occidental.

21. One of the world's major oil-producing regions is located along Mexico's
a. central plateau.
b. northern Pacific coast.
c. Yucatan Peninsula
d. Gulf coastal plain.

22. The major economic activity along Mexico's southern Pacific coast is
a. manufacturing.
b. farming.
c. petroleum mining
d. tourism.

23. There are underground caverns in the Yucatan Peninsula because
a. water seeps through the ground and dissolves the limestone bedrock.
b. inactive volcanoes have formed large holes underground.
c. earthquakes have opened caverns under the mountains
d. mining has carved these holes in the earth.

24. The major economic activity in the Gulf coastal plain is
a. farming.
b. tourism.
c. manufacturing
d. petroleum and natural gas extraction.

25. Tourism is an important industry for Mexico because
a. the country has no large industrial centers.
b. petroleum mining is expensive.
c. Mexicans view tourism as a cleaner alternative to pollution-producing industries
d. tourism is Mexico's only source of income. 26. Central America's major exports include all of the following except
a. coffee.
b. rice.
c. cotton.
d. bananas.

27. The Bahamas were created by
a. tectonic activity that thrust mountains up from the ocean floor.
b. repeated volcanic eruptions.
c. built-up remains of once-living creatures called coral polyps
d. built-up layers of volcanic soil.

28. Temperatures in the Caribbean are moderate because of the islands'
a. nearness to water.
b. high mountains.
c. location in the tropics.
d. elevation.

29. Central America consists of all of the following landform regions except
a. a mountainous core.
b. Caribbean lowlands.
c. Pacific coastal plains
d. an elevated central plateau.

30. The islands of the Greater Antilles were created by
a. repeated volcanic eruptions that built up layers of volcanic soil.
b. tectonic activity that pushed up mountains from the ocean floor.
c. built-up remains of once-living creatures called coral polyps.
d. calcium carbonate, or limestone.

31. The economies of the Caribbean islands depend mainly upon
a. mining.
b. tourism.
c. commercial fishing.
d. agriculture.

32. A major difference between Brasilia and other major cities in Brazil is that Brasilia is
a. located along the southeastern coast of the country.
b. not accessible by a major system of roads.
c. located in the interior of the country on the Brazilian Highlands.
d. populated by fewer than one million people.

33. After clearing the rain forest for farming, many settlers have discovered that rain forest soil
a. becomes quickly exhausted by constant rains and planting.
b. is the most fertile soil in Brazil.
c. needs little irrigation to produce large crop yields every year.
d. turns to red, barren clay only after many years of planting.

34. Venezuela's economy is based on which of the following?
a. oil
b. coffee
c. sugar
d. copper

35. Which of the following is not a physical region in southern South America?
a. temperate grasslands of the pampas
b. cold desert of the Patagonia
c. tropical lowlands of the Gran Chaco
d. tropical grassland of the Llanos