Answers are hidden — practise the set to check yourself.
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1What is the main goal of Mercosur?
ATo promote military alliances in South America
BTo allow free trade among South American countries
CTo regulate immigration between countries
DTo standardize currency across South America
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2Political corruption can directly hurt a country's economy because
AIt increases foreign investment
BIt wastes money that could be invested
CIt strengthens local businesses
DIt lowers taxes for citizens
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3Why does deforestation contribute to climate change?
AIt increases rainfall in nearby regions
BIt reduces the amount of farmland available
CWhen trees are cut down, carbon stored in them is released
DIt causes soil to become more fertile
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4Which would be most likely to solve Venezuela's problem with oil pollution?
AA more effective government
BIncreased oil exports
CReduced foreign investment
DA switch to coal production
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5What is the most likely way in which anti-poverty NGOs like Oxfam could help South America to address political challenges?
ABy funding military operations
BBy promoting foreign colonization
CBy increasing oil production
DEnding poverty could reduce political instability and corruption
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6Brazil's economy today can best be described as
AEntirely agricultural
BModern and diversified
CDependent solely on oil exports
DCentrally planned and isolated
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7Venezuela's economic institutions differ from those of other nations in the region mainly because Venezuela
ADepends heavily on a nationalized oil industry
BRelies mostly on tourism
CHas no natural resources
DUses a fully privatized banking system
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8Countries with higher literacy rates tend to have
AStronger economies
BWeaker economies
CSmaller populations
DLess political stability
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9How do Spanish South America's governments compare with that of the United States?
AThey are mostly monarchies unlike the United States
BThey are mostly democracies like the United States
CThey are mostly dictatorships unlike the United States
DThey have no formal constitutions
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10All South American economies are
APurely capitalist with no government involvement
BPurely socialist with full government control
CMixed economies that generally follow market principles, but the government also plays a role
DBased entirely on subsistence farming
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11Which of the following shows the strong influence of African traditions in Brazil?
AMusic and dance during the celebration of Carnival
BThe widespread use of the Portuguese language
CThe design of colonial government buildings
DThe layout of Brazilian cities
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12How are the Guianas different from the Caribbean islands?
AThey were never colonized by Europeans
BThey rely entirely on oil exports
CThey have no coastal access
DThey use languages brought by European colonists
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13How is Carnival an example of cultural exchange in South America?
AIt originated entirely from Indigenous traditions
BIt combines African dance and European religion
CIt was created solely by Portuguese settlers
DIt has no connection to religious practices
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14How is Paraguay different from the other countries in the Southern Cone?
AAlmost all of its people speak a South American Indian language
BIt has no official language
CIt was colonized by Portugal
DIt has the largest population in the region
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15How is Brazil different from all other South American countries?
AIt has no Indigenous population
BIt is the smallest country in South America
CIts official language is Portuguese
DIt has never had a democratic government
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16Simón Bolívar is best known for
ALeading the fight for independence from Spain in South America
BEstablishing the encomienda system
CFounding the city of Tenochtitlán
DNegotiating the Treaty of Tordesillas
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17Unstable post-independence governments in South America were further weakened by
AExcessive foreign aid
BEconomic inequality
CToo much political unity
DOverly strong central banks
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18One negative aspect of Brazil's government in the second half of the 1900s was that
AIt refused all foreign trade
BIt eliminated its military entirely
CEconomic progress came at the expense of democracy
DIt banned all forms of industry
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19How did Brazil gain its independence?
AThrough a violent revolution against Portugal
BBy purchasing its independence from Spain
CThrough a United Nations resolution
DBrazil was declared an independent empire by Portugal's royal family
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20Why did military leaders overthrow the governments of Chile and Argentina in the 1970s?
AThey wanted to expand trade with Asia
BThey feared their governments were moving toward communism
CThey sought to abolish private property
DThey wanted to increase immigration
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21What had weakened the Incan empire before the Spanish conquered it?
AA prolonged drought
BConflict with the Aztecs
CDisease and war
DOverpopulation of cities
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22How did the Spanish conquest affect culture in the Americas?
AThe Spanish, American Indian, and African cultures blended over time
BIndigenous cultures were left completely unaffected
COnly Spanish culture survived the conquest
DAfrican culture had no influence on the region
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23What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
ATo end the Mexican Revolution
BTo establish trade routes with Asia
CTo divide the non-European world between Spain and Portugal
DTo free enslaved Africans in the Americas
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24What effect did Spanish and Portuguese colonization have on South American Indians?
AWarfare, disease, and harsh treatment, including being forced to work in silver mines or sugar plantations, caused the deaths of many native people
BPopulations grew rapidly due to new farming techniques
CIndigenous groups gained full political independence
DTrade with Europe made Indigenous communities wealthy
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25Brazil's history differs from the history of most countries in South America because Brazil
ANever had European contact
BWas colonized by Portugal, not Spain
CWas the first to gain independence
DHad no Indigenous population before colonization
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26What was the Incan mita system?
ALabor as payment for taxes
BA system of written laws
CA form of religious worship
DA method of tracking astronomical events
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27Despite having little freedom, people under Incan rule benefited from
AComplete freedom of movement
BGovernment support during crises
CThe right to elect leaders
DExemption from all labor
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28The social hierarchy of the Incas
ARanked people according to their importance
BTreated all citizens as equals
CWas based solely on wealth
DDid not include a ruling class
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29Why did the Incas build terraces?
ATo create defensive walls
BTo store water for religious ceremonies
CTo mark territorial boundaries
DTo increase the amount of fertile farmland
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30How are quipus different from records kept by European and Asian societies at around the same time?
AQuipus conveyed information through a pattern of knots on strings
BQuipus were carved into stone tablets
CQuipus used a written alphabet
DQuipus were printed using a press
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31What is one effect of deforestation?
ASoil erosion
BIncreased rainfall
CPopulation growth
DStronger local economies
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32In Mexico and most of Central America, most wealth is
AConcentrated within the upper class
BEvenly distributed among citizens
CControlled by foreign governments
DHeld mostly by rural farmers
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33Which of the following is a reason so many people have migrated from Middle America to other regions?
AThey wanted to explore new cultures
BThey hope to escape poverty
CThey were required to by law
DThey sought better weather conditions
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34Earthquakes and erosion can combine to cause deadly
ADroughts
BMudslides
CWildfires
DBlizzards
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35Which of the following is an example of an infrastructure problem in Mexico City?
AExcess of public parks
BInsufficient transportation systems
CToo many hospitals
DOverabundance of clean water
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36One negative effect that tourism has had in the Caribbean is that it
ALeads to water shortages
BEliminates local jobs
CReduces foreign investment
DDecreases cultural exchange
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37The religions of Santería and Vodou are examples of
AReligions with no historical connection to Africa
BPurely European religious traditions
CReligions banned throughout the Caribbean
DThe blending of Spanish and West African cultures in the Caribbean
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38How is Cuba's government different from that of the Dominican Republic?
ACuba is a communist dictatorship; the Dominican Republic is a democracy
BCuba is a democracy; the Dominican Republic is a monarchy
CBoth countries have identical governments
DCuba has no central government
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39Most governments in the Caribbean today are
AAbsolute monarchies
BParliamentary democracies
CMilitary dictatorships
DCommunist states
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40Which language combines French and African influences?
AHaitian Creole
BSpanish
CPortuguese
DQuechua
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41What characteristic of Costa Rica has contributed to its having the most stable government in Central America?
AA large standing army
BLack of a standing army
CIts isolation from trade routes
DA strict one-party political system
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42What would happen in Mexico if remittances from the United States slowed down?
AThe Mexican economy would slow down
BMexican exports would increase
CMexico's population would grow rapidly
DMexico's tourism industry would boom
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43What has been the result of the shift toward a more free-market economy in Mexico?
AGreater economic growth
BComplete economic collapse
CA return to subsistence farming
DElimination of all foreign trade
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44A key goal of ecotourism is to
AMinimize the environmental impact of tourism
BMaximize industrial development
CIncrease deforestation for new resorts
DReduce local involvement in tourism
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45How is Mexico's constitution different from the constitution of the United States?
AIt does not allow for elections
BIt was written before the U.S. Constitution
CEligible voters are required by law to vote in elections
DIt grants no rights to citizens
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46What feature makes the Mexican Plateau significant?
AIt is home to most of Mexico's major cities
BIt is entirely uninhabited
CIt borders the Caribbean Sea
DIt has no agricultural use
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47What is the most common cause of the Mexican and Central American diaspora?
AReligious persecution
BPoverty
CNatural disasters alone
DPolitical elections
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48What are the two cultural backgrounds of a majority of Mexicans?
AAfrican and European
BPortuguese and Indigenous
CFrench and Spanish
DSpanish and Mexican Indian
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49In Mexico, "Race Day" is a celebration of
AMexico's independence from Spain
BMexico's cultural diversity
CThe founding of Mexico City
DMexico's agricultural traditions
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50How has Mexico's population changed in recent decades?
AIt has shifted from urban to rural
BIt has remained entirely rural
CThe bulk of the population has shifted from rural to urban
DIt has decreased significantly overall
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51Which of the following was shipped to the Caribbean in the triangular system of trade that connected the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa?
AManufactured European goods only
BSilver from South America
CEnslaved Africans
DTobacco from North America
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52After countries in Central America and the Caribbean declared their independence, foreign powers continued to be involved in the region because
AThe region had no natural resources
BMany countries depended on foreign investors to build their economies
CLocal governments requested military occupation
DForeign powers were legally obligated to remain
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53Cuba under the rule of Fulgencio Batista was an example of which form of government, common in the region in the 1900s?
ADictatorship
BParliamentary democracy
CConstitutional monarchy
DDirect democracy
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54For what accomplishment is Toussaint L'Ouverture remembered?
ALeading the first successful independence movement in the Caribbean
BEstablishing the Treaty of Tordesillas
CFounding the city of Havana
DWriting Mexico's 1917 constitution
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55A revolution in 1959 led to Cuba becoming
AA democratic republic
BA communist dictatorship
CA Spanish colony again
DA member of NATO
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56Which of the following laid the groundwork for the revolt that led to Mexico's independence from Spain?
AThe signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas
BThe discovery of oil reserves
CThe founding of Tenochtitlán
DThe conquest of Spain by Napoleon Bonaparte
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57In the late 1900s, conflict broke out in Central American countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua as people fought to overthrow
AForeign colonizers
BDictatorships
CDemocratic elections
DReligious institutions
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58How did Mexico's new constitution in 1917 aim to change Mexican life?
AIt abolished all private property
BIt reinstated Spanish colonial rule
CIt removed voting rights from citizens
DIt gave more land to farmers and more rights to workers
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59Which of the following best describes most of today's Central American countries in the 1820s?
AThey remained Spanish colonies
BThey became part of the United States
CThey won independence from Spain
DThey were controlled by Portugal
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60Which of the following was an immediate cause of the Mexican Revolution of 1910?
AForeign military invasion
BA sudden economic boom
CWidespread poverty
DThe signing of a new trade agreement
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61Which of the following details shows the impact of resources on Mexico's history?
ASpanish conquistadors came to Mexico to find gold
BMexico had no valuable resources
CThe Aztecs refused to trade with Europeans
DMexico's climate prevented any agriculture
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62What happened when Cortés and his soldiers first arrived in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán?
AThey were immediately attacked
BThe Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomed them as guests at first
CThey were turned away at the border
DThey destroyed the city on arrival
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63In Spanish colonial society, the group in the highest position were the
AMestizos
BIndigenous nobles
CPeninsulares
DEnslaved Africans
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64What happened to American Indians as a result of the Spanish conquest of the Americas?
AThey gained significant political power
BMany died from disease and mistreatment
CTheir populations grew rapidly
DThey were unaffected by colonization
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65What was the main result of the encomienda system?
ANative people were forced to work for Spanish colonists
BNative people gained land ownership rights
CSpanish colonists paid native people fair wages
DNative people were granted full citizenship