Section 1 & 2
Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes pose a concern in Mexico. What is the name of the volcano near Mexico City, which was active as recently as 2010?
Popocatépetl
What is the name of the thin peninsula stretching south from northern Mexico into the Pacific Ocean?
Baja California
What was the name of the Spanish conquistador who arrived in Mexico in 1519 with roughly 600 men?
Hernán Cortés
What is the name of the type of government Mexico has?
Democratic
___ is another part of Mexico's economy. Many visit ancient ruins and old colonial cities. What do you call these people?
Tourism
What is the name of another significant resource that surrounds Mexico and attracts many tourists to the country's beautiful beaches? Unfortunately, it is scarce in many places of Mexico because scarcity is a major problem.
Water
The plains that stretch along the west coast are rather wide in the north but narrower in the south. The plains on the east side of the country are large and flat, with fertile soils and a favorable environment for agriculture. What's the name of that area?
Gulf Coastal Plain
Around 1500 BC, which people in Mexico lived in tiny communities on the humid southern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, where they constructed temples and huge statues? They also exchanged carved stones such as jade and obsidian with other communities in eastern Mexico.
Olmec
What do you call the political party that controlled the government for 71 years?
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
This city has a 20 million population. It is one of the world's largest and most densely populated urban areas. Thousands move there each year looking for work. What do you call this city?
Mexico City
Who followed in the footsteps of the Olmec, creating enormous cities in Mexico and Central America between AD 250 and 900? In these cities, people built stone temples to honor their gods.
Maya
Which people went to central Mexico from the north after the Maya civilization collapsed, and who erected their capital on a lake island in 1325?
Aztecs
Because of Spain's colonial legacy, the majority of Mexicans speak Spanish. Religion is another example of an influence from Spain. What faith is practiced by roughly 90 percent of Mexicans?
Roman Catholic
What is the name of the president that ended the control of the PRI in 2000? When this president was elected he followed a different political party.
Vicente Fox
What do you call the one of the problems of why Mexico is polluted? It consists of smoke,chemicals,and fog. It can cause irritation in the eyes and health and breathing difficulties.
Smog
What are large areas of farm or ranch land referred to as?
Haciendas
Mexicans have distinct cultural norms shaped by both Spanish and Mexican Indian cultures. This convergence can be seen in a the celebration observed on November 1 and 2 called what?
Day of the Dead
Fifteen years after Mexico got independence, a huge portion, Texas, seceded and joined the United States. As a result, Mexico and the United States clashed over Texas and the position of their common border. This resulted in a struggle in which Mexico lost about half of its land to the United States. What's the name of the conflict?
Mexican-American War
What is the name of the president that allowed the PRI to assume office in 2012? This president had hopes to improve Mexico’s economy and reduce drug-related violence.
Enrique Peña Nieto
What is the name of the region in Mexico that has many cities established for mining or ranching centers during the colonial period
Central Region
The Sierra Madre Oriental range is to the east, while the Sierra Madre Occidental is to the west. What do these two mountain ranges plus another shorter one in southern Mexico combine to form?
Sierra Madre
In what year did Mexico gain independence?
1821
What is the name of the Aztec capital, which developed to be one of the largest and most spectacular cities of its era?
Tenochtitlán
What do you call the rise of prices that occurs when currency loses its buying power?
Inflation
What is the name of a spot in Central Mexico that has served as a community meeting spot and market area for hundreds of years?
central square/plaza
Mexico, the United States neighbor to the south, has a long border with the United States. What is the name of one of Mexico's few large rivers that forms part of this border?
Río Bravo
What do you call a piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides?
Peninsula
What is the name given to a land having multiple regions and inhabitants ruled by a single ruler?
Empire
What is the name of the organization that made trade between Mexico, Canada, and the United States easier?
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
What do you call the region of Mexico that has become one of the most richest and modern areas of the country?
Northern Mexico
What are the Spanish conquerors known as?
Conquistadors
The Gulf of Mexico is separated from the Caribbean Sea by which portion of Mexico?
Yucatán Peninsula
Mexico is abundant in natural resources. What is one of its most valuable resources?
petroleum/oil
____ has long been a key part of the Mexican economy. What is this word?
Agriculture
What is the name of a foreign-owned factory, built along Mexico and the United Sates border?
Maquiladoras
What is Mexico's eastern border known as?
Gulf of Mexico
Mexico currently produces more silver than any other country in the world. Mexicans also produce a huge amount of copper, gold, lead, and zinc. Where are they acquired?
Mines
The Valley of Mexico is located in the south, between two ranges. What is the name of Mexico's capital?
Mexico City
What do you call the process of burning trees in order to make space for farmland?
Slash-and-Burn agriculture
What is the name of the part of Mexico that is the least populated and industrialized region of the country?
Southern Mexico
Following the conquest, Spanish and American Indian peoples and cultures merged, resulting in a new Mexican identity. Spaniards referred to people of mixed European and Indian origin as what?
Mestizos
What are Spanish Church outposts recognized as?
Missions
In the mid-1800s, Mexico faced additional challenges, thus the president helped Mexico survive a French invasion while also transforming Mexican culture through reforms that reduced church and army privileges. What's the president's name?
Benito Juárez
This crop is something that farmers grow just to sell for profit. What do you call this?
Cash crop
What is the name of the two major export crops that grow well in the regions warm and humid climate?
Sugarcane and coffee
Spain governed Mexico for nearly 300 years until the country's people claimed independence. Which Catholic priest spearheaded the revolt against Spanish rule?
Miguel Hidalgo
Following the conquest, the Spanish and American Indian peoples and cultures fused, forming a new Mexican identity. Spaniards referred to those with mixed European and African origin as what?
Mulattoes
The northern half of the Yucatán Peninsula has a hot and dry climate, but the majority of southern Mexico is warm and humid. What is the primary vegetation there?
Scrub Forest
Many Mexicans cross this border because of work and job purposes. What is the name of this border?
U.S. border
What is the name of the business that has brought more industry and growth to the coastal area of Southern Mexico?
Oil business