Vocabulary
What is a nomad?
A person who moves from place to place in search of food
What do lines of latitude measure?
Distance north or south of the equator
Which theme of geography deals with the movement of people, goods, and ideas?
Movement
Where did the earliest humans originate?
Africa
What best describes religion in Mesoamerican civilizations?
Polytheistic (belief in many gods)
What does domestication mean?
The taming of animals for human use
What do lines of longitude measure?
Distance east or west of the prime meridian
Which theme of geography would be studying the effects of pollution fall under?
Human-Environment Interaction
What discovery in 1974 provided evidence of early human ancestors?
The skeleton of “Lucy”
By 500 B.C., the Zapotec had created early forms of what two things?
Writing and a calendar system
What term refers to the study of human history through artifacts?
Archaeology
What is an example of absolute location?
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
OR
The White House is at 38°53′35″ N, 77°00′32″ W.
What are regions in geography?
Areas that share common characteristics
What were early humans who hunted animals and gathered plants for food called?
Hunter-gatherers
What was the name of the first real urban center in Mesoamerica, built by the Zapotec?
Monte Albán
What is a civilization?
A complex culture with cities, specialization, institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology
What is an example of relative location?
Near the Great Wall of China
What is an example of physical geography?
Climate and landforms
What is a characteristic of civilization?
A small population
Who were the Olmecs and why are they important in the history of Mesoamerica?
The Olmecs were one of the earliest major civilizations in Mesoamerica.
They are important because they laid many of the foundations that later civilizations built on, such as early forms of writing, religious rituals, the ballgame, and possibly calendar systems
What is agriculture?
growing crops, and raising livestock (animals) for food, clothing, or other human uses
What is a compass rose?
A diagram used on maps, charts, and compasses to display directions
What is an example of cultural geography?
Languages spoken in a region
Why did humans migrate out of Africa?
The climate forced them to leave
What was one major achievement of the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica?
They developed a complex calendar and writing system, built advanced cities (with temples, palaces, and plazas), and made advances in mathematics and astronomy