Download - Geographic Determinism in Latin America
Geographic Determinism and the Early Civilizations in Latin America
Early Civilizations in Latin America
• Maya (300-900)
• Aztec (1325-1519)
• Inca (late 1400s-1532)
Major Pre-Major Pre-ColumbiaColumbia
n n CivilizatioCivilizatio
nsns• Maya (300-
900)
• Aztec (1325-1519)
• Inca (late 1400s-1532)
Maya (300-900)
Aztec (1325-1519)
Inca (late 1400s-1532)
Geographic Determinism
The GEOGRAPHY of a region DETERMINES how people there live
Civilization #1: Maya
Location: Southern Mexico and Central
America
Problem #1
Dense vegetation (trees and plants)
Wild plants can take over crops and buildings.
Rainforest soil is not good for farming.
Solution #1:
Slash and burn agriculture (farming by first burning down forest in an area)
Problem #2:
There are no above ground rivers or lakes.
Solution #2:
They used cenotes (sink holes)
They built ladders and
stairs to get to the
underground lakes.
They built irrigation systems to bring water to the fields.
Civilization #2: Aztec
Location: Central Mexico, where Mexico
City is today.
Problem #1:
The water in the lake was salty, so it was not good for farming, drinking or bathing.
Solution #1:
They built aqueducts to bring fresh waterfrom the mountain springs to the city.
Q: Why do you think they chose to build their city in the middle of a lake?
Problem #2:
The swampy soil was not good for farming.
Solution #2:
They built floating gardens called chinampas to grow crops.
Civilization #3: Inca
Location: Andes Mountains of South
America
Problem #1:
Steep slopes are difficult to farm
Solution #1:
The Incas used terrace farming, whichcreated small flat fields that could hold water.
Problem #2:
Inca leaders had to rule over a 2000 mile long stretch of mountains
Solution #2:Solution #2:
The Inca built roads and suspension bridges and used a messenger system to communicate with different parts of the empire
Aztec Chinampas
Inca Terrace Farming
Maya Slash and Burn
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Panama Canal
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